Pre-K Library Storytime

You know how busy Ms. Travis always is during tornadoes and hurricanes!  We're not sure if we're going to open Monday, so keep your books and your powder dry, and stay safe!

P r o p s : train whistle,  bubble wrap,  Donald Crews' freight train. B o o k s : Freight Train  by Donald Crews. As I turned the pages of the book, I held up each car STARTING WITH THE CABOOSE NOT THE ENGINE, asking the kids what color they were.  They loved starting off the storytime as guest experts. I hung up the train on a clothesline and we talked about the type of cars. And as I hung them up, I talked a little bit about what each car might carry. Tank Car: lemonade; hopper car: Legos (dump them right out the bottom) Cattle car: cows; gondola car: bananas; box car: boxes of books or birthday presents. Thomas the Tank Engine.  I introduce this most famous of trains using the beginner book Blue Train, Green Train,  but I don't actually read it. Down by the Station. I love the Will Hillenbrand version about different zoo animals, but if your copy is torn to shreds, the way mine is, Jennifer Riggs Vetter has a very fun version out about different vehicles:  "Down by

P l a y :  I hung the foam letters of the alphabet on the clothesline. First I took down the T, and brandished it before them. "The most important letter of the alphabet, because that's what my name starts with.  T for Travis.  Then I went around the room and asked each child what their name started with.  Needed quite a bit of help for some, and at first I thought I must be mad beginning a storytime by giving each kids a prop, but they all did quite well with them. The letters were then used for the craft afterward. B o o k s : Old Black Fly  by Jim Aylesworth.  Love this book.  I always have the kids do the Shoo Fly, Shoo Fly, Shoo! The Sleepy Little Alphabet   by Judy Sierra.   Another very funny hit from Judy Sierra. This is the only alphabet book I find to be readable. It doesn't just go A was once an Apple Pie, B blah blah blah.  Instead the naughty lower case letters are each misbehaving at bedtime, and the connection between letter and action isn't labored.  A