Pre-K Library Storytime

PLUS: We're making Oobleck in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday. And I know how much you all just loooove oobleck. Here's my recipe: The day before mix up 2 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax with two quarts of hot water. Shake well before using. Andrew actually had to break the lumps up for me. Recipe: 1 T glue, 1 T of the sodium borate solution you just made, food coloring, and 2 tsp water. Call 391-2828 x 2 for an appointment. Or just come. It's a Big -- well, really little, Dog Party!!! These unbelievably cute pooches will be waiting at Gulf Beaches Library at 4:00 pm on Friday, March 1 for you to read them a story. Maybe you remember Rico, dressed like Senior Snow Man there on the right. His new compadre is the lovely Chinese crested powderpuff Bella.  Technically, Bella really is a powderpuff. She had two options at birth; she could have been hairless, like  the famous Chinese crested dog,    Sam . He was the winner of the   World's Ugliest Dog Contest . Who you calli...

A big thank you to Paula Rosen & Co for the wonderful story hour they did on Friday. At least, I think it was wonderful! I wouldn't know because I was locked up in a big room in Oldsmar with 80 other librarians. My knees were locked by the end of the day, but my head is swimming now with great ideas.  Of course, my head is usually swimming....

Books: Bear Snores On board bookby Karma Wilson.  I had a mouse, rabbit, badger (PPLC loan), a crow, and of course a giant bear. So I read the book and presented the characters as I read, trying to remember to look politely at the puppet when the puppet talks. I tried to get the kids to snore the bear snore, but only Olivia snorted along with me. Next year: Use the puppet theater, small animals up top, bear below. If I Were a Polar Bear by Rives. I forgot to use this book here! And it would have been perfect! I always read it back to front. I love this "How to Be a Puppeteer in 2 Minutes" because that's how long my attention span is. Stuff like: The PUPPET is supposed to make eye contact with the audience. Wild Tracks by Jim Arnosky, j591.479.  I don't read this book like a storybook -- it's not a storybook. I talk about what a track is, and depending on the age of the children, show them a few examples. The deer tracks were interesting for them, and then I sho...

This is the way we wash our face... I put on my pirate gear for this book, but in a way, that might have detracted a little -- sometimes it's better to let the book do its work, using voices, pausing, and asking interactive questions of the children to keep attention Maybe the props distract the kids sometimes. For the babies though? Don your hat and moustache and strap on your peg leg! Use next year:  Karen Beaumont does it again with the irresistible Dini Dinosaur, who forgets to take his clothes off before getting in the tub.  I'm a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian  Bubble Machine Of course the real reason to do this story time is an excuse to use your bubble machine. Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm by Joy Cowley My heart goes out tot he pigs on Mrs. Wish-Washy's farm! No farm animals should be scrubbed as often as these are! Bathtime Piggy Wiggy - A Pull-the-page Book by Christyan and Diane Fox The reason why this book was the top rated bathtime book on Goodreads was because ...

Hi, wonderful parents! Over the years I've been asked by a lot of parents to help find books for their children. For children who are eager readers and not so eager readers, children who want a certain thing or just have to read 20 minutes a day. I can't always be there for you, so I've created this website, with lots of tips and links, to help you with this important job. Secrets to Finding Books for Kids Good luck! Ms. Travis

I've had a lot of people ask me where I got my alphabet stamps and alphabet ducks. I used to get them from Oriental Trading, but I've found them even cheaper at Amazon. I've been doing some end-of-the-fiscal year shopping, and here's my resource round-up:  abc-for-kids  You'll be seeing the puzzles soon at the library for check out, but if you choose to purchase stuff for yourself -- knock yourself out! I'll get a % from Amazon if you order through  abc-for-kids . While we're on a totally different subject, I want to tell you wonderful parents about this new book I just read.  Paul Tough has been looking at some psychology studies and reports back to us. In the first part of the book, he talks about rat specialist Michael Meaney. He did a little experiment on hundreds of rats that went like this: the baby rats were taken out of their cages, handled, which they hated, and then put back in. Either their mothers rushed over to them and licked and groomed them t...

Books:  Oh, No, George by Chris Haughton. I am so in love with Haughton's Little Owl Lost that I grabbed this book as it came in this morning & decided not to wait for the "appropriately themed" storyhour to share it.  Sooooo cute! Poor George means to be a good dog, but that cake... that dirt... that cat. How is George to resist? Well, he doesn't. There's plenty of George in all of us.   G iraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae. I don't know why  this book always falls a bit short of being a crowd pleaser.  Maybe my Madeira Beach crowd is too young or too familiar with the "everyone's different but everyone can dance" theme. Spunky Little Monkey  Bill Martin Bounce by Doreen Cronin. We got up and bounced around with this book. Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton. This book has a nice rhythm to it so with just a little prodding, the moms all clapped along. But, truth be told, my preference would have been Dinosaur Stomp, but I neglected to or...