Pre-K Library Storytime

When the Weather Outside Is Frightful... Even though my library is a block from the Gulf of Mexico and many of my three year olds have never seen the snow, I have plenty of great snow tales for them. "For playing in, it's a lot like sand, or even mud! You build with it." We talk a little about who has and hasn't seen snow and the animals who live in snow. Bear Snores On: I brought in the giant bear and laid him across three chairs, explaining that it was winter and he was fast asleep.  He looked pretty comical. I had a mouse, rabbit, a raccoon, a skunk, and a crow, so I read the book and presented the characters as I read. They looked pretty funny as I plumped them on the giant sleeping bear. B o o k s Intro: Wild Tracks by Jim Arnosky (j591.479). I made white felt pawprints from this book and scattered them over the rug for the kids to find when they came in to storytime.  Next year I might make extras of the big ones. That's Not My Snowman  by Fiona Watt.  These...

B o o k s I thought pre-k would be way too sophisticated for this short tale.  Wrong! At the end of the story, Max is surrounded by presents, so I segued directly into my skit about the surprise box. The running joke in this book is that Max asks way too many questions, so do a good little Max voice and really pull out those Whyyyyys and Wheeeens. But spit out Ruby's and Santa's Because. P l a y s "What's this?" I open my square green box, pulled out the cylinder, and take out the balloons.  I thought pre-k would be way too sophisticated for the gimmick of balloons flying off into the air as I blew them up and let them go. Wrong!  B o o k s There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Colandro.  This book makes almost no sense at all.  At the end of it, the old lady whistles and apparently all her accumulated consumptions become Santa's sleigh. Unfortunately, I can't whistle well at all, so in future I'll fall back on my brothers' neighborhood Tar...

Books: Prop: Pom pom. Couldn't find the pom pom at the last minute and the kids loved the make believe pitch even more. Prop: Wrapped box with a Santa hat inside.  Take it out, put it on, and ask, "Who wears this hat?" Talk about Santa and giving presents and then read this.  Remember the song is Jingle QUACK, Jingle QUACK. Remember, this is about a lot T-R-U-C-K, not truck.  Spell it out and milk it for all the anguish. Good thing four-year-old Ronan was there -- he knew what T-R-U-C-K spelled. An exciting excursion to the laundromat turns to tragedy when Trixie realizes that Knuffle Bunny has been left behind -- and in a washing machine.  Trixie "can't even speak word".  Ask the kids if they can speak words yet.  Say Mommy with them, and Daddy.  Then try Knuffle Bunny.  What IS a knuffle bunny? Maybe a soft bunny, like this one.  And pass around a soft bunny. This book was a bigger hit than I expected.  Don't skip! ...

What separates the grownups from the babies? Naptime. They don't want to shut their eyes and we look for any excuse. Hundreds of children's books have been written with the idea of lulling the child to sleep, of persuading him by the end of the story that the day is over. But let's start our storytime off with something more fun. Eric Litwin does it again, giving us a bedtime book in perfect sing song rhyme about those nuts who don't want to go to bed. When children come back later and ask for a book, you know it's great! Getting Ready for Bed: There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer. Night time fears? We've all got them. Getting Ready for Bed:   Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! Also, Pigeon Needs a Bath ("I Do Not!") by Mo Willems Nobody fights harder than the pigeon. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night by Jane Yolen. Always fun. Young group, so this really worked. Book of Sleep, Lights Out, Nights Out by Boniface, and Sweet Dreams b...

It's that time of the year!  Ask for a show of hands of who in the room has ever been sick -- I had one just out of recovery! P r o p s Hand sanitizer! Start by passing some around and talking about what hand sanitizer is and what germs are.   Tissues. A cookie. (To drop on the floor.) B o o k s Germs are Not for Sharing  Board Book by Elizabeth Verdick. Demonstrate. Have the kids practice coughing into their arms.  We sang, "This is the Way We Wash Our Hands," right after. Bear Feels Sick  by Karma Wilson.  Shorten a bit. Bear has low grumpy voice, and chorus is, "And Bear FEELS SICK. " How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?  by Jane Yolen. Kids chorused along very well, "No!" They had faith in those dinosaurs. I don't know why. Barnyard Song by Rhonda Gowler Greene.  We had to sing Old MacDonald first to settle them into the farmyard mode. Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead. I would have liked to ...