The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) chose Catch the Reading Bug (kids) and Metamorphosis@Your Library (teens) as the 2008 theme, and it’s now in full-swing (it almost being July after all). A couple of recent posts I particularly enjoyed relating to the CSLP are By the Cover: June Bugs at Proper Noun (which also links to a longer insects booklist at Mindy’s Book Lists wiki) and Speaking of Crafts and Bugs at Library Voice (includes multiple images of some really fun looking bug crafts and displays).

A few sites offering related resources include:

• A to Z Kids Stuff: Bugs–songs, crafts, snack ideas mainly for bees, ladybugs, and caterpillars/butterflies
• Librarian’s Internet Index–Insects and Arachnids links
• LibraryPalooza–this is the site that I was led to the link to download the 2008 theme song that you hear in the videos by Billy Gorilly
• NetState.com’s Official State Insects list
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s 2008 SLP Training Workshop–includes display ideas , myriad downloadable breakout session handouts, and more

So you can see that there’s a plethora of buggy fun and/or information out there, but I thought I’d add a couple of 30 second promotional videos in case anyone needs any more ideas. I created them using Animoto just like my previous Mysteries at Your library video.

Animoto’s simple and it’s fun, although the Animoto shorts don’t allow for quite as many pictures as I’d like. But for the cost of free, it’s a great resource to spark creativity and create content for a variety of purposes.

Enjoy and feel free to remix, embed, or create your own (Video Production: Animoto; Songs: Billy Gorilly). Also feel free to leave comments if you have any feedback and/or resources to share relating to enticing people of all ages towards libraries and summer reading. Without further ado, here are the video shorts for kids and teens respectively (you’ll notice that I chose the instrumental version for the teens video : ))…

Catching the Reading Bug

Metamorphosis @ Your Library

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In honor of the forthcoming National Library Week (number 50, it’s a biggie), this post highlights “Coming Soon” book days of April:

• World Book and Copyright Day on April 23
• National Library Week from April 13-19
• Poetry Month April 1-30

World Book and Copyright Day

Since 1995, April 23 has been designated as World Book and Copyright Day. The date commemorates the births and/or deaths of many famous authors–from Cervantes (death), Shakespeare (birth and death), and more. Read the Wikipedia article about World Book and Copyright Day to find out more about its origins and about how it is recognized in various locales around the world.

National Library Week

Yes, it’s the 50th! This year National Library Week 2008 runs from April 13-19, and the theme is “Join the circle of knowledge @ your library.” In honor of this day the American Library Association (ALA) has been publishing promotional videos.

Videos include:

• National Library Week: Introduction
• National Library Week: Reference Desk
• National Library Week: Game On
• National Library Week: Super Sized
• National Library Week: Vending Machine
• National Library Week: Go Fish
• National Library Week: People Magazine
• National Library Week: Monkey Wars

While they’re all entertaining, my favorite is the one at the reference desk. A particularly clever feature of all of these videos is that while the credits are playing, numerous popular and not-as-popular books are providing the background images (subtle reader’s advisory, I’m lovin it (see Super Sized for more McDonald’s spinoff humor…)).

The National Library Week fact sheet also specifically marks Tuesday as National Library Worker’s Day: “National Library Workers Day, celebrated the Tuesday of National Library Week (April 15, 2008), is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.” Sounds good to me . In addition, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has designated the month of April as School Library Media Month.

National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month has been around since 1996 (it has a ways to go to hit 50). Read the Wikipedia article about the history and purpose of National Poetry Month.

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Valentine’s Day is almost upon us once again, so here are some sweet, lovely, possibly even useful ideas for your storytime…

Valentine’s Day Storytime
Created by: Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes (you can add or subtract items as necessary to suit your purposes)

Introduction: It’s lovely to see you all here today on this day that’s all about love. I hope you’ll love the stories and songs that are a part of today’s storytime.

Books:
1. Who Wants a Valentine? by Linda Lowery
In this playful rhyming text, a boy does not want a Valentine until a girl arrives and convinces him otherwise.

2. If You’ll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant
In this rhyming tale, a little boy creates and bestows Valentines upon all of the important ones in his life.

3. Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox and Lydia Monks
Amusingly, Prince Charming tries to come up with other options for waking Sleeping Beauty–anything other than a kiss (with 100 years of morning breath he figures it could be the kiss of death).

4. Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox and Lydia Monks
In a story told via rhyming couplets, Rapunzel repeatedly misunderstands her rescuer prince much to his ongoing exasperation. Fortuitously, Rapunzel’s atrocious hearing serves as the impetus through which the prince eventually encounters his true love.

Song: Pass the Heart (to the tune of: Row, Row, Row Your Boat) Note: Use a laminated heart for this and vary the speed each time around, pick it up and begin passing again

Pass, pass, pass the heart
Pass it round and round,
Pass, pass, pass the heart
Now place it on the ground.

OR

Heart Hokey Pokey (hand out paper hearts; could use heart nametags)
You put your heart in.
You put your heart out.
You put your heart in,
And you shake it all about.
You make your heart go jumping,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

More Read Aloud Books
1. Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie B. Friedman and Lynne Woodcock Cravath
Ruby Valentine and her pet cockatoo labor so hard to prepare for Valentine’s Day that when the day arrives, they sleep right through it. Fortunately, Ruby soon realizes that every day is a good day to let others know they are loved.

2. Guess How Much I Love You By Sam McBratney or I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker
Both of these stories reassure little ones of parental love. In the first, Little Nutbrown Hare receives multiple reassurances of Big Nutbrown Hare’s unconditional love. In the latter, mother fox maintains her love for her little fox regardless of changing moods and behavior.
Note: another book with a similar message that works well even with younger lapsit audiences is Kiss Kiss by Margaret Wild: baby hippo is in such a hurry to play that he forgets to give his mama a kiss; he runs home to find his “Kiss, kiss” waiting for him.

Song and Conclusion:
Song: A Hug from you (to the tune of: Mary had a little lamb)
It’s nice to get to a hug from you,
Hug from you, Hug from you.
It’s nice to get a hug from you,
So, let’s give one right now.
(Hug a friend)

OR

On Valentine’s Day (to the tune of: Did you ever see a lassie?)
Everybody be a friend,
A friend, A friend.
Everybody be a friend
On Valentine’s Day.

Departing Song (optional): It’s time to go home, It’s time to go, home, Wave good-bye to everyone, It’s time to go home.
Additional Verses: We had a happy day, We’ll see you next time

Conclusion: Thanks for coming in today. I’d love to see you again next week.

Time Fillers/Substitutions:
Jokes and Riddles: Tell some of the Valentine’s Day Jokes for Kids that can be found at numerous sites across the web. For example:

• What did the boy elephant say to the girl elephant on Valentine’s Day? I love you a ton.
• What did the boy pickle say to the girl pickle on Valentine’s Day? You mean a great dill to me.
• What did the boy light bulb say to the girl light bulb on Valentine’s Day? I love you watts and watts
• What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus on Valentine’s Day? I want to hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand!
• Is it better to write a love note on an empty stomach or on a full stomach? It’s better to write it on paper

These really could go on and on for as long as the kids seem to be enjoying it. Good for lots of fun and a few groans!

OR

Craft Options: Search the web for simple Valentine’s Crafts such as those found at DLTK’s Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids (broken into craft categories such as animal, heart, educational, religious) or those at Activities, Crafts, and Cards at Enchanted Learning (scroll down past the ads and site membership to get to the craft suggestions).

OR

Activities: Many sites offer ideas for Valentine’s Day party activities. Some of these could prove useful in storytime; for instance, check out Kaboose’s Valentine’s Day Party Games for Kids which includes such sections as pen and paper activities, games with food, and word games.

OR

Technology Links: Many sites also offer online interactive Valentine’s Day related activities such as word searches, puzzles, crosswords, or trivia. Show kids some of the offerings at KidsTurnCentral Valentine’s Day Resources such as the heart puzzle and provide a handout with the URLs that they can take with them either to use at a library computer or at home.

Additional Love-Related Books to Display:
Arthur’s Valentine by Marc Brown
Baby Loves by Michael Lawrence
The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson
Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks
Weeks book is full of rhyming, lift-the flap, guessing fun.
Be My Valentine, Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish and Lynn Sweat
The Berenstain Bears Funny Valentine by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
The Best Thing About Valentines by Eleanor Hudson and Mary Melcher
The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll
A Circle is not a Valentine by Zimmerman
The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
Froggy’s First Kiss by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz
Happy Valentine’s Day Dolores by Barbara Samuels
Happy Valentine’s Day Little Critter by Mercer Mayer
I Kissed the Baby! By Mary Murphy
I Like You by Sandol Stoddard and Jacqueline Chwast
Its Valentine’s Day by Jack Prelutsky
Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus
Lilly’s Chocolate Heart by Kevin Henkes
Max’s Valentine by Rosemary Wells
Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Marc Simont
The Night Before Valentine’s Day by Natasha Wing
Olive You!: And Other Valentine Knock-Knock Jokes You’ll A-Door (Lift-the-Flap Knock-Knock Book) by Katy Hall, Lisa Eisenberg, and Stephen Carpenter
Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane DeGroat
Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda
Slugs in Love by Susan Pearson and Kevin O’Malley (includes poems)
Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli and Paul Yalowitz
The Story of Valentine’s Day by Nancy Skarmeas
Super-Secret Valentine (Ready Freddy) by Abby Klein
Valentines are For Saying I Love You by Margaret Sutherland and Amy Wummer
The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting
Valentine’s Day at the Zoo (pop-up book) by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Valentine Mice by Bethany Roberts
Valentine Surprise by Corinne Demas

As an aside, the Librarian’s Internet Index has selected some top-notch sites related to Valentine’s Day, leading to possibly everything you ever wanted to know about Valentine’s Day (and perhaps more than you wanted to know). The graphic used in this post was found at Graphix by SnoGirl.

Note: 02/13/08 I added Mashable’s 25 Great Resources For Valentine’s Day, because they’re grrreat!

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Storytime Plan: Christmas Trees Theme

Created by: Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes (additional materials included as time fillers if needed)

Introduction and Song (5 minutes)
Introduction: Welcome to storytime. Have you decorated your Christmas tree yet? Today we’ll hear some stories about some Christmas trees and how they get from the forest to your house.

Song: I’m a Little Tree (to the tune of: I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little pine tree tall and straight
Here are my branches for you to decorate.
First you put the star on the very top
Just be careful that the balls don’t drop!

Books (20 minutes, insert a song or activity in-between books):

1. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
In this classic story a Christmas tree that is discovered to be too tall for Mr. Willowby’s parlor is shared among many progressively smaller creatures, effectively spreading the joy of Christmas.

2. The Littlest Christmas Tree: a story of Growing and Becoming by Janie Jasin and Pam Kurtz
The littlest tree longs to be a Christmas tree but eventually comes to realize that life is full of many possibilities.

3. Under the Christmas Tree by Nikki Grimes and Kadir Nelson
Twenty-three Christmas poems in this sensory exploration of the sights, sounds, and feelings of Christmas as kids view it.

4. It’s Christmas by Jack Prelutsky and Marylin Hafner
Fun and funny Christmas poems perfect for storytime read-aloud or for emerging readers to read-alone (particularly appropriate for this storytime is the poem Our Christmas Tree).

5. O Christmas Tree (Sing-It!) by Debbie Trafton O’Neal and Ande Cook
Pretty much what the title says, a pictorial rendering of the classic song (also has a new optional final verse about sharing the good news of the season).

6. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe
Friends help friends. This is the message of Monroe’s tale about a dejected, over-the-hill pine tree who has been passed by year-after-year at Christmas time. Woodland creatures unit to help their friend’s dreams come true. Note: This story is a little longer, so be flexible and skip this one if your audience seems to require more motion and interaction

Song: A Pretty Tree (to the tune of: This is the Way We Wash Our Clothes)
This is the way we look for a tree, Look for a tree, look for a tree.
This is the way we look for a tree, Early in December.

Add Additional Verses as desired: 2. This is the way we chop the tree, 3. This is the way we carry it home, 4. This is the way we stand it up, 5. This is the way we make it pretty

OR

Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star (to the tune of: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star Way up high is where you are
Shining bright for all to see On the tip top of our tree
Twinkle Twinkle Christmas star Way up high is where you are

OR

The Lights on the Tree (to the tune of: The Wheels on the Bus):
The lights on the tree go blink, blink, blink, Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink. The lights on the tree go blink, blink, blink All Christmas Day.

Add Additional Verses as desired: 2. The presents at the house go rattle, rattle, rattle; 3. The mom at the house goes bake, bake, bake, etc.; 4. The dad at the house goes snore, snore, snore, etc.; 5. The grandma at the house goes hug, hug, hug, etc.; 6. The grandpa at the house goes kiss, kiss, kiss, etc.

Time Fillers/Substitutions:

Where Did They Hide My Presents?: Silly Dilly Christmas Songs by Alan Katz and David Catrow (PB)

OR

Craft: Search the web for tree-related activities such as the ones found miscellaneous Christmas-related crafts that have been submitted to Enchanted Learning (e.g., handprint tree, shooting star tree ornament, and paper Christmas tree).

OR

Technology: If computers are available, have kids sit with caregivers and visit the All Things Christmas site where they will be able to Trim the Tree virtually. You could also point out MSN’s Christmas FAQ’s which answers Why We Decorate Evergreen Trees and Other Christmas Questions.

OR

Storytelling: try telling a pourquoi tale that has been made up about evergreens such as Rick Walton’s Why the Evergreen Trees Keep Their Leaves in the Winter

Additional Christmas-Tree Related Books:
Apple Tree Christmas Edition 1. by Trinka Hakes Noble (pb)
Christmas Around the World by Mary D. Lankford and Karen Dugan
Christmas Tree Farm by Ann Purmell and Jill Weber (pb)
The Christmas Tree House by Robert Humphrey (pb)
Christmas Trees by Robert Frost and Ted Rand (poetry)
The Finest Christmas Tree by Ann Hassett and John Hassett
The First Christmas Tree: A Legend from Long Ago by Helen Haidle, David Haidle, and Elizabeth Haidle (pb)
The Happiest Christmas Tree by David McMath (pb)
The Homeless Christmas Tree by Leslie M. Gordon and Court Bailey (pb)
I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick (pb)
The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Rick Osborne, Pat Matuszak, and Bill Dodge (pb)
The Little Crooked Christmas Tree by Michael Cutting and Ron Broda (pb)
The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown and Jim Lamarche (pb)
Turtle and Snake and the Christmas Tree (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) by Kate Spohn (er)
Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney (pb)

Note: For more Christmas-related books to display see my previous Christmas storytime post on Christmas stories for Series Characters or visit Laura Baas’ WorldCat.org list for Christmas–Juvenile Audience (since there is no shortage of Christmas books available out there, this list includes mainly recently published picture books, easy readers, and early chapter books).

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Storytime Plan: Christmas Series Characters Stories

Created by: Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes (additional materials included as time fillers if needed)

Introduction and Song (5 minutes):
Introduction: Welcome and happy holidays! Today we’re going to be hearing about what the Christmas season is like for some book characters that you may be familiar with from reading other books in the same series (Note: discuss what a series is and ask for examples that the kids are familiar with–for example, explain that a series is a bunch of books grouped because they contain related subject matter, the same character, and/or the same author). First, let’s warm up with a holiday song.

Song: Father Christmas (to the tune of: Frere Jacques)
Father Christmas, Father Christmas
He got stuck, he got stuck
Coming down the chimney, Coming down the chimney What bad luck, what bad luck

OR

Ring the Bells (to the tune of: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Ring, ring, ring the bells,
Ring them loud and clear
To say to people everywhere
That Christmas time is here.

Books:
1. Froggy’s Best Christmas (Froggy Series) by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz Froggy usually sleeps right through the Christmas season. Not this year. This year Froggy’s best friend, Max the beaver, wakes him up to join in the Christmas cheer. (Note: you could also substitute Bears Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson since Bear is a series character too and the story has a similar plot)

2. Little Critter Series Christmas Books: Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer or Merry Christmas, Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

3. Merry Christmas, Curious George! (Curious George) by H.A. and Margret Rey, Cathy Hapka, and Mary O’Keefe
Join Curious George as he goes shopping with the man in the yellow hat, gets himself lost, and generally experiences the joys of Christmas.

4. Olivia Helps with Christmas (Olivia Series) by Ian Falconer)
Olivia has soooooo many things to do to get ready for Christmas. Come along with Olivia as she sticks her snout into all sorts of Christmas time activity as she prepares for the arrival of the big day (and the presents).

5. Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow (Toot and Puddle Series) by Holly Hobbie
Tis the season for giving, and Toot and Puddle give each other the best gift best friends can give each other—friendship.

Song for in the Middle: Ring the Bells (to the tune of: London Bridge)
Ring the bells it’s Christmas time,
Christmas time,
Christmas time.
Ring the bells it’s Christmas time,
Merry Christmas time!
(add additional verses as desired: Play the drums, Tap the sticks, Clap your hands, get kids’ input for other verses)

Conclusion and Departing Song (5 minutes):
Conclusion: Thanks for coming in today. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the Christmas experiences of some favorite picture book characters. May your own Christmas experiences and adventures be equally joyous and entertaining.

Departing Song: It’s time to go home, It’s time to go, home, Wave good-bye to everyone, It’s time to go home. (additional verses: We had a happy day, We’ll see you next time)

Time Fillers/Substitutions:
SONG: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S (to the tune of: Jingle Bells)
C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is here
That’s how we spell Christmas
It’s the best time of the year!

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is here
Oh what fun we’ll have today
With all our friends so near!

OR

POETRY: Christmas Poems by Jill Bennett and Nick Sharratt or Where Did They Hide My Presents?: Silly Dilly Christmas Songs by Alan Katz and David Catrow

OR

CRAFT OPTIONS: Search the web for a simple Christmas crafts such as the ones found at Kaboose or Enchanted Learning. Sample crafts from the latter site include making a paper bag reindeer puppet or a paper plate snowman.

Christmas-related Series Books to Display:
Angelina’s Christmas (Angelina Ballerina series) by Helen Craig,Katharine Holabird
The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree (Berenstain Bears Series) by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas (Berenstain Bears Series) by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain
Corduroy’s Christmas by B.G.Hennessy
Max’s Christmas Stocking by Rosemary Wells
Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Additional Christmas Books for Display (Code: PB—picture book, BB—board book, ER—easy reader, CB—chapter book):
1. Angelina’s Christmas (Angelina Ballerina) by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig (PB)
2. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman (PB)
3. The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree (Berenstain Bears) by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain (PB)
4. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (CB)
5. The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll and Jeni Bassett (PB)
6. Christmas Catastrophe (Geronimo Stilton) by Geronimo Stilton (CB)
7. Christmas in Camelot (Magic Tree House #29) by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca (CB)
8. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Christmas Miracle of Jon Toome) by Susan Wojciechowski (PB)
9. Corgiville Christmas by Tasha Tudor (PB)
10. Dragon’s Merry Christmas (Dragon Tales) by Dav Pilkey (PB)
11. Eloise At Christmastime by Kay Thompson (PB)
12. Great Joy by Kate Dicamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline (PB)
13. God Gave Us Christmas (God Gave Us…) by Lisa T. Bergren and David Hohn (PB)
15. Henry and Mudge and a Very Merry Christmas (Henry and Mudge Ready-to-Read) by Cynthia Rylant and Suçie Stevenson (ER)
16. Holly The Christmas Fairy (Rainbow Magic) by Daisy Meadows (CB)
17. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition) by Dr. Seuss (PB)
18. Jingle Bell Christmas (The Backyardigans) by Catherine Lukas and The Artifact Group (PB)
19. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg (PB)
20. Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (p.s. so does May.)by Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus (CB)
21. Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday (Judy Moody) by Megan Mcdonald and Peter H. Reynolds (CB)
22. The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola (PB) Note: Befana brings gifts to Italian children on Epiphany; a story of generosity (also by Tomie dePaola is The Legend of the Poinsettia (PB)
23. The Longest Christmas List Ever by Gregg Spiridellis and Evan Spiridellis (PB)
24. Librarian’s Night Before Christmas (Night Before Christmas Series) by David Davis and Jim Harris (PB)
25. Madeline’s Christmas (Picture Puffins) by Ludwig Bemelmans (PB)
26. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore and Mary Engelbreit (PB)
27. (Night Before Christmas Series) by James Rice (PB series)
28. Olivia Helps with Christmas (Olivia Series) by Ian Falconer (PB)
29. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
30. Merry Christmas, Mouse! (If You Give…) by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond (PB)
31. Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2) by Peggy Parish and Lynn Sweat (ER)
32. Merry Christmas, Stinky Face PB by Lisa Mccourt and Cyd Moore (PB)
33. Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman (PB)
34. Mr. Christmas (Mr. Men and Little Miss) by Roger Hargreaves (PB)
35. Nate The Great And The Crunchy Christmas (Nate The Great, paper) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Craig Sharmat, and Marc Simont (CB)
36. Night Tree by Eve Bunting and Ted Rand (PB) 43. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry (PB)
37. The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton (PB)
38. The Reindeer Christmas by Moe Price (PB)
39. Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockcroft (PB)
40. Stanley’s Christmas Adventure (Flat Stanley) by Jeff Brown and Scott Nash (CB)
41. ’tis The Season (Main Street) by Ann M. Martin (CB)
42. Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow (Toot and Puddle) by Holly Hobbie (PB)
43. The 12 Bugs of Christmas: A Pop-up Christmas Counting Book by David A. Carter by David A. Carter (PB, pop-up)
44. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney (PB)

Note: For more Christmas-related books to display see Laura Baas’ WorldCat.org list for Christmas–Juvenile Audience (since there is no shortage of Christmas books available out there, this list includes mainly recently published picture books, easy readers, and early chapter books).

Feel free to add comments with other favorite Christmas series character books that work well as read alouds.

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I posted a Thanskgiving Storytime Plan earlier this month, but, this here’s a little bit different, a bit and a byte different one might say.

Today, I began helping out at Mindscapes, a local technology education center, with the Bits and Bytes storytime sessions. The basic idea underpinning Bits and Bytes is to be a session full of discover learning for young children and their caregivers.

To this end, Bits and Bytes moves beyond the traditional book and song-based themed story time by also incorporating hands-on exploration of age-appropriate technology tools, web sites, and software! For instance, today the technology showcased included Starfall.com, KidPix drawing software, and Bee-bot (which, for the purposes of the session, was decked out as a highly colorful turkey-bot). You can find out more about each of these tech tools by visiting the freely available Starfall.com, Amazon’s KidPix pricing and use information, and Terrapin Logo’s home pages for its pricing and information related to Roamer and Bee-bot robots.

At any rate, the basic outline of today’s Bits and Bytes session was as follows:

STORY BITS:
Song:
I’m a Little Turkey (to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little turkey,
My name is Albuquerque. (a turkey puppet was used)
Here are my feathers
Here is my head
Gobble, gobble, gobble,
Is what I say,
Quick! Run! It’s Thanksgiving Day!

Book: Ten Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston and Richard F. Deas

Song: I’m a Turkey (To the Tune of: “Yankee Doodle”)
I’m a turkey, big and fat.
[Action: Spread arms wide]
I spread my tail. I walk like that.
[Action: Spread fingers like a turkey’s tail and waddle]
Each day’s corn I will not miss,
[Action: Pat and rub stomach]
And when I talk, I sound like this:
[Action: Point to mouth; Cup hand behind ear]
GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE!
[Action: Shout]

TEÇHNOLOGY BYTES: Introduction to Starfall.com–where children have fun learning to read

STORY BITS:
Book: Over the River: A Turkey’s Tale by Public Domain and Illustrated by Derek Anderson

TECHNOLOGY BYTES:
Use the KIDPIX drawing software to draw the turkey to go along with the book, Over the River

STORY BITS:
Book: This is the Turkey by Abby Levine and Paige Billin-Frye

Song: If You’re Thankful and You Know It (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.

Other verses: Stomp your feet, Shout “I am!”, Do all three (Clap your hands, Stomp your feet, Shout “I am!”), add other verses as desired

Departing Song (optional):
It’s time to go home, It’s time to go, home, Wave good-bye to everyone, It’s time to go home.
We had a happy day, We had a happy day, Wave good-bye to everyone, We had a happy day.
We’ll see you next time, We’ll see you next time, Wave good-bye to everyone, We’ll see you next time.

Parents Handout:
A parents handout was also provided in order to reinforce the resources used during the storytime session and to offer suggestions for at-home Bits and Bytes discovery exercises that children and parents would be able to enjoy together. To give you and idea, here’s a good portion of the handout:

This handout includes the storytime plan from the Bits and Bytes session so that, if you wish, you will be able to repeat some of the story hour activities at home. Also included are are some additional resources for your and your child to enjoy together this Thanksgiving and beyond. You will find suggested websites, crafts, and recipes). Enjoy!

More Information about Starfall.com
It’s fun to use Starfall.com with your child at Mindscapes, but Starfall.com is such a multi-purpose educational tool and it includes so much content that the fun never has to end. Starfall.com can be accessed through any internet connection, so you can continue to use anytime with your children to make learning to read motivating and fun.

In addition to enhancing reading development, Starfall.com helps children master necessary technological skills such as using a mouse (hotspots are extra-large to help little hands), clicking and dragging, and employing technology in creative ways.

As a language arts tool, Starfall.com aids reading comprehension, vocabulary enhancement, phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and motivation. Starfall.com encourages play and the creation of one’s own unique stories. As the Starfall.com website states, Starfall helps kids recognize the relationship between letters and sounds (the “Alphabetic Principle) which is the foundation of learning to read. To find out more about how you can use Starfall with your children (or how they can use Starfall by themselves) visit Starfall’s Parent site. For pre-readers, the Starfall ABCs section is a great place to begin.

Craft and Recipe Websites:
Bethany Robert’s Thanksgiving Page
Bethany Roberts is the author of the charming, fun Holiday Mice series, and her Thanksgiving pages are equally fun. She includes numerous kid-friendly crafts, activities, and recipes.

Child Fun
The Child Fun site is a treasure trove for child fun (aptly named, is it not?). Just click on the Thanksgiving link under the holidays section to garner ideas for enhancing your holiday.

Enchanted Learning
The Enchanted Learning site includes many crafts and activities such as the Thankful Leaf Wreath, Thankful Tree, and Paper Scarecrow.

The Teacher’s Corner
The Teacher’s Corner site includes many crafts and activities such as the Thankful place mat and Thanksgiving hand poem.

101 kidz.com
The 101 Kidz site includes many links to all sorts of Thanksgiving information–start here for links to Thanksgiving history information, jokes, poems, clipart, activities, and more.

Recipes (just two simple and simply yummy Thanksgiving treats to get you started):

Cornucopia
Bugles corn snacks
Trix cereal
white frosting
Put a small dab of frosting in a bugle. Put several trix in each “cornucopia”.

Turkey Toast
Use a large turkey shaped cookie cutter to cut out shape from wheat bread. Spread the whole shape with peanut butter (for those who have peanut allergies you can substitue another condiment such as marshmallow creme…whoa, sugar rush), Use a raisin for and eye, a slice of a red gummy worm for the wattle, and fruit loops for the tail feathers. Tastes good, and kids love it!

Both of these recipes are from Child Fun under the Thanksgiving section.

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And that basic outline sums up a bit of what Bits and Bytes is about. At a later date, I may be posting more on Bits and Bytes sessions, perhaps even including some pictures and/or a movie. For now, you can see the handout in all of it’s glory as well as the promotional material by clicking on the links below:

• View Parent Handout in Google Documents

• Bits and Bytes Promotional Flier [pdf document]

And if you happen to be in Wichita, next Tuesday, November 20th at 10am, then feel free to stop by for Thanksgiving Bits and Bytes Take 2 (with alterations to content, of course).

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Storytime Plan: Thanksgiving

Created by: Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes (additional materials included as time fillers if needed)

Introduction and Song (5 minutes)

Introduction:
I’m thankful that you’re all here today. We all have many things to be thankful for, although some days we may need to think harder about what those things might be than on other days. Today we’ll be having some fun thinking about being thankful and about the day that we’ve set aside specifically for thankfulness—Thanksgiving. Since it’s the day that many people consume some turkey, let’s begin with a turkey fingerplay. Follow along with me…

Song:
The Turkey
The turkey is a funny bird.
[Action: Hook thumbs together and spread fingers out like a turkey’s tail.]
Its head goes wobble, wobble.
[Action: Wobble head back and forth.]
And all it knows is just one word:
[Action: Hold one finger in the air.]
“Gobble, gobble, gobble.”
[Action: Use hand to mimic a mouth that’s gobbling, by opening and closing your hand while making gobbling sounds.]

Books (20 minutes):

Note: If children seem restless, insert an active song into the middle; otherwise, plenty of these tales include rhyming books which can be made participatory to keep the audience involved (*denotes book in rhyme).

1. Thanksgiving at the Tappletons by Eileen Spinelli
The Tappleton’s always make Thanksgiving special; each Tappleton has a job to do. Unfortunately, this year everything goes haywire, beginning with the turkey’s slide down the icy hill into the pond. In the end, it’s a good thing that Grandmother is there to save the day. Truly funny tale about being thankful for family and for what you have and not what you don’t have. It does have quite a few words, so would be best used as the main lengthy tale or not at all (or with an older audience).

*2. I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
Who among us has not overeaten at Thanksgiving? Jackson tells this tale in cumulative tale fashion by depicting a guest growing bigger and bigger as she consumes more and more of the Thanksgiving feast (children who have read the I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly will find this tale particularly delightful). Again, the story has quite a few words, so gauge your audiences attention capacity.

*3. Thanksgiving in the Barn by Nadine Westcott
In this rollicking, rhyming pop-up book, one-of-a kind barnyard characters pop-up to toast Thanksgiving and thankfulness. With a tin-eating goat, a filthy pig, and a thankful turkey, Thanksgiving in the Barn tells us that anyone can be thankful anywhere at any time.

*4.Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey
In this poem storybook told in a rhythm analogous to “The Night Before Christmas”, school children at Mack Nugget’s farm save the lives of eight turkeys.

*5. Albuquerque Turkey by BP Ford
Albuquerque is a turkey, And he’s feathered and he’s fine, And he wobbles and he gobbles, And he’s absolutely mine. This silly, catchy rhyme continues until the end where a surprise awaits for Albuquerque and all.

*6. Off to Plymouth Rock by Dandi Daley MacKall
The Pilgrims’ voyage to the New World and the Native Americans’ guidance that culminated in the first Thanksgiving told in verse.

*7. Over the River: A Turkey’s Tale by Derek Anderson
The age-old holiday song is retold from a different perspective with this time it being the turkey family on the way to Grandma’s house.

8. Sometimes It’s Turkey, Sometimes It’s Feathers by Lorna Balian
This one’s great, but it’s too long for most storytimes. Nevertheless, it’s a must for display. In the story, an old woman and her cat find a turkey egg, bring it home, watch it hatch, and raise the turkey—all with the intention of getting a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner as the end product of the efforts. However, by the time Thanksgiving rolls around she finds herself sharing the day with her turkey friend instead of eating it; the final illustration is priceless. Sometimes… is a sweet tale of friendship and thankfulness for friends.

Recommended Poetry: It’s Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky and Marilyn Hafner
These poems can be substituted in place of or in addition to some of the above stories. Perhaps even request audience participation in selecting which poems to read.

Song and Conclusion (5 minutes):

Song:
If You’re Thankful and You Know It
(Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.

If you’re thankful and you know it,
Stomp your feet, Shout “I am!”, Do all three (Clap your hands, Stomp your feet, Shout “I am!”), or add other verses as desired

Conclusion: Thanks for coming in today. I hope you are thankful and you know it. I know that I am thankful that you were all here, and I’m thankful for all of these books to read and enjoy. Don’t forget to stop by the children’s section and pick up a few to read over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Possible Time Fillers (in-between books or at end):

SONG OPTIONS
I Eat Turkey…
(To the tune of: Frere Jacques)
I eat turkey,
[Action: Point to self]
I eat turkey.
[Action: Point to self again]
Yes, I do,
[Action: Nod head]
Yes, I do.
Turkey in my tummy,
[Action: Rub tummy]
Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Good for me,
[Action: Point to self]
Good for you.
[Action: Point to others]

Turkey Trot…
(To the tune of: The Hokey Pokey)
You put your right wing in.
You put your right wing out.
You put your right wing in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the turkey trot
And you turn your self around.
That’s what it’s all about.
Additional verses: Left wing, Drumsticks, Stuffing, Wattle(Head), Tail Feathers(Bottom), Turkey Body, etc…

OR

I’m a Turkey
(To the Tune of: “Yankee Doodle”)
I’m a turkey, big and fat.
[Action: Spread arms wide]
I spread my tail. I walk like that.
[Action: Spread fingers like a turkey’s tail and waddle]
Each day’s corn I will not miss,
[Action: Pat and rub stomach]
And when I talk, I sound like this:
[Action: Point to mouth; Cup hand behind ear]
GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE!
[Action: Shout]

CRAFT OPTIONS: Search the web for a simple Thanksgiving Day craft such as the ones found at Activity Idea Place. Sample crafts from the site include making Turkey Headbands or Hand Turkeys.

Additional Books for Display (Code: PB—picture book, BB—board book, ER—easy reader, CB—chapter book):

1. If You Were at the 1st Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern (CB)
2. 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (I Am American) by Catherine O’Neille Grace (Wampanoag side of the Thanksgiving story) (CB)
3. Alligator Arrived with Apples by Crescent Dragonwagon (PB)
4. Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell (PB)
5. Dora’s Thanksgiving by Sarah Wilson and Robert Roper (PB)
6. Fat Chance Thanksgiving by Patricia Lakin and Stacey Schuett (PB)
7. Firefighters’ Thanksgiving by Maribeth Boelts (PB)
8. Garcias, the Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley (PB)
9. I Am the Turkey (I can Read Book) by Michelle Spirn (ER)
10. Merry Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing and Isidre Mones (PB)
11. Milly And The Macy’s Parade by Shana Corey (PB)
12. Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen (PB)
13. P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane (PB)
14. Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli and JoAnn Adinolfi (PB)
15. Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood and Greg Shed (PB)
16. Snappy Little Thanksgiving by Derek Matthews (PB—pop-up)
17. Thank You, Sarah!!!: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson (PB)
18. Thank You, Thanksgiving by David Milgram (PB)
19. Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes (PB)
20. Thanksgiving Day at Our House: Thanksgiving Poems for the Very Young by Nancy Carlstrom (PB)
21. Thanksgiving in the White House by Gary Hines and Alexandra Wallner (PB)
22. Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut (PB)
23. Thanksgiving Mystery (Scooby Doo Reader) by Gail Herman (ER)
24. Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation (Time-Traveling Twins) by Diane Stanley and Holly Berry (PB, 48 pages)
25. Thelonius Turkey Lives! by Lynn Rowe Reed (PB)
26. This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed and Mark Buehner (PB)
27. This Is the Turkey by Abby Levine and Paige Billin-Frye (PB)
28. Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler (PB)
29. Ugly Pumpkin: A Thanksgiving Story by Dave Horowitz (PB)
30. A Plump and Perky Turkey by Theresa Bateman (PB)
31. How Spider Saved Thanksgiving by Robert Kraus (PB)
32. Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy J. Skarmeas and Stacy Venturi-Pickett (PB)
33. We Gather Together…Now Please Get Lost! By Diane de Groate (PB)
34. One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B. G. Hennessy (PB)
35. Thanksgiving Mice! by Bethany Roberts (PB)

Note: For more Thanksgiving books to display see Laura Baas’ WorldCat.org list for Thanksgiving–Juvenile Audience (largely includes K-8 recently published literature).

Note 2: Another resource for finding books about Thanksgiving is the Oyate website where they have listed recommended books about Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving books to avoid, and primary sources from a colonialist perspective.

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Theme: Dinosaurs
Planned by: Laura Baas
Ages: Preschool (adapt as necessary)
Length:30 minutes Created:09/20/07

Introduction and Song (5 minutes)
Introduction: What if dinosaurs still walked this earth? Can you imagine? Today we’ll look at some songs and stories where we can use our imaginations to think about dinosaurs and what they were like. Here we go…

Song and Rhyme:
Dinosaurs Walked this Earth (to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb, last verse is extra-interactive)
Dinosaurs walked on this Earth,
On this Earth, on this Earth.

Dinosaurs walked on this Earth,
A long, long time ago.
Tyrannosaurus Rex was the king,
Was the king, was the king.
Tyrannosaurus Rex was the king,
A long, long time ago.

Tyrannosaurus (child’s name) was the king,
Was the king, was the king.
Tyrannosaurus (child’s name) was the king,
A long, long time ago.

OR

Dinosaurs lived long ago
Some walked
Stomp.
Some swam
Arms swim.
Some flew you know
Flap arms.
Some were big
Stretch up high.
Some were small
Crouch down low.
Some were gigantic don’t you know?
Stand tall, arms stretched wide.

OR

Oh I Want to Be a Great Big Dinosaur
(Tune: “I Wish I Was an Oscar Meyer Wiener”)
Oh I want to be a great big dinosaur,
That is what I really want to be!
For if I were a great big dinosaur,
Everyone would run away from me…
Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
Additional Verses:
Stomp away from me
Crawl away from me
Slither away from me

Books (20 minutes), Song inserted into middle:
Books (first three livelier and last three more reflective, select two of each):

1. Bus-A-Saurus Bop by Diane Z. Shore and David Clark Take kids for a hilarious ride by telling them about the bus-a-saurus, the bus that’s a cross between a bus and a dinosaur. Good starting school tale.
2. Dinasour Roar! By Paul Strickland
   Uses dinosaurs in a fun way to teach antonyms.
3. Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp They rock and roll and twirl and tromp at the Dinosaur Stomp
4. Alternate Selection: Dinosaurumpus! (Hardcover) by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees

Song (between lively and quieter books):
Five Enormous Dinosaurs
5 enormous dinosaurs letting out a roar
(Roar.)
1 went away and then there were four.
4 enormous dinosaurs munching on a tree
(Munch up arms.)
1 went away and then there were three.
3 enormous dinosaurs didn’t know what to do
(Scratch head.)
1 went away and then there were two.
2 enormous dinosaurs having lots of fun
(Smile and laugh.)
1 went away and then there was one.
1 enormous dinosaur afraid to be a hero
(Hide face.)
He went away and then there were ZERO!

1. Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems
   Tells an enjoyable tale about acceptance of others who are different.
2. Danny and the Dinasour by Syd Hoff
   Classic trip to the museum with a dinosaur story.
3. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and illus. by Mark Teague
   Cute story teaching kids about bedtime routines; part of the mega-popular “How Do Dinosaurs…” series.

Option: Insert poems from Tyrannosaurus was a beast: dinosaur poems by Jack Prelutsky and illus. by Arnold Lobel instead of one or more of the above books.
Conclusion and Song (5 minutes):
Stomp, Stomp, Stomp
The first big dinosaur went stomp, stomp, stomp
I said to the first dinosaur, “Stop, stop, stop!”
The second big dinosaur went run, run, run,
I said to the second dinosaur, “Fun, fun, fun!”
The third big dinosaur went thump, thump, thump.
I said to the third dinosaur, “Jump, jump, jump!”
The fourth big dinosaur went whack, whack, whack
I said to the fourth dinosaur, “You stay back!”
The fifth big dinosaur went creep, creep, creep.
I said to the fifth dinosaur, “It’s time to sleep!”

OR

Dinosaur Song (Sing to the tune of: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear” but instead sing Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Turn Around, etc…)

Conclusion: Well, it might not be night-time yet, but it is time to say goodbye. Thanks for coming today. Please have fun using books for all kinds of learning and adventure. Don’t forget to check out some of these books or other ones on your way out. See you next time.

Time Fillers: Anything (book or song) not already used above OR

Tyrannosaurus was a beast: dinosaur poems by Jack Prelutsky and illus. by Arnold Lobel.

OR

Craft: Search the web for a simple dinosaur such as the ones found at Activity Idea Place (Accessed: 09/20/07). Sample crafts from the site include: using pasta to make Dino Bones, using sponges for some Dinosaur Sponge Painting fun, creating Torn Paper Dino Pictures, and Sticker Art.

Books (Code: PB—picture book, BB—board book, ER—easy reader, CB—chapter book):

1. Bus-A-Saurus Bop by Diane Z. Shore and illus. David Clark (PB)
2. Flapdoodle Dinosaurs by David A. Carter (PB)
3. Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Strickland (PB)
4. Why the Banana Split by Rick Walton (PB)
5. Dinosaur Chase by Caroline Auto (PB)
6. Danny and the Dinasour by Syd Hoff (PB)
7. Tyrannosaurus was a beast: dinosaur poems by Jack Prelutsky and illus. by Arnold Lobel (PB)
8. Jane Yolen and Mark Teague’s How Do Dinosaurs… Series (PB)
9. Ian Whybrow’s Harry Harry and the Dinosaurs books (ER)
10. Byron Barton’s nonfiction dinosaur books (Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs; Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones) (PB)

Other Dinosaur Books to Display:

1. Detective Dinosaur by James Skofield (Author), R. W. Alley (Illustrator) (ER) (series)
2. Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda (Illustrator), Matthew Reinhart (Illustrator)
3. Magic Treehouse Dinosaur books (CB) series

Note: For more dinosaur books to display see Laura Baas’ WorldCat.org Dinosaurs–Juvenile Fiction list.

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Theme: Fall Scarecrows
Planned by: Laura Baas
Ages:Preschool (adapt as necessary)
Length: 30 minutes Created: 09/20/07

Introduction and Song: 5 minutes

Introduction: Scarecrows may look funny, but they have a very important job indeed. They’re meant to scare off the crows (and other birds and animals) so that the crop does not get eaten up before harvest time. But scarecrows can also be a lot of fun when they’re used as characters in songs and stories, some of which we’re going to do today. How many of you know/have heard of…(begin song here)

Scarecrow Songs (use either one):

1. Jingle Jangle Scarecrow (Tune: the itsy bitsy spider)

Tips: possibly use pictures or props to help children with the words), have the children all kneel and place their heads on the floor, covering their eyes & sing quietly):

Verse 1: When all the birds are sleeping and the sun has gone to bed… Up… jumps the scarecrow and this is what he said “I’m a jingle-jangle scare crow, (stretch way up tall) with a flippy-floppy hat, (use hand movements for hat) I shake my feet like this (shake feet alternately) and I shake my hands like that. (shake hands)”

Verse 2: When all the cows were sleeping and the sun was behind a cloud. Up jumped a scarecrow and shouted very LOUD! “I’m a Jingle Jangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat. I can shake my arms like this! And shake my arms like that!”

OR

2. Scarecrow, Scarecrow

Scarecrow, Scarecrow, turn around Scarecrow, Scarecrow, touch the ground Scarecrow, Scarecrow, reach up high Scarecrow, Scarecrow touch the sky Scarecrow, Scarecrow bend down low scarecrow, Scarecrow touch your toe.

Books (20 minutes), Fingerplay after 10 minutes

Books (first three livelier and last three more reflective, select two of each):

1. Nothing At All by Denys Cazet: The rooster cry rouses all of the animals who respond ludicrously. Animal responses in bold print or italics invite children to assume the different roles. The repeated question of what the scarecrow in the meadow has to say about all the confusion is “Nothing at all” until the end when a mouse gets into its pants. Rhyme and repetitive language make this a hit beginning story for young audiences.
2. Barn Dance! by Bill Martin, John Archambault, and Ted Rand: A boy sneaks out to the barn to watch the animals get together and dance to the scarecrow’s fiddle music. A fun book!
3. The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown: Chicken wants Scarecrow’s straw hat but Scarecrow wants to trade his hat for a walking stick. Chicken does not own a walking stick but does not let that stop her in this humorous tale where she uses creative solutions to obtain her goal.

Fingerplay inserted in-between livelier books and quieter books

Scarecrow Fingerplay (tune: I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a scary scarecrow made of straw,
(stand tall, and stretch out arms)
Listening for the crows to caw.
(cup hands to ears)
I watch the field all day and all night, too.
(hand to brow, searching motion)
If a crow comes by, I just say “Boo!”
(hands on your hips and shout Boo)

1. The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown and David Diaz: Old man scarecrow is teaching his son the family business and although the scarecrow boy is eager to ply his trade, his father tells him that he must wait until he grows in order to be able to scare a crow. Nonetheless, the scarecrow boy decides not to listen and to try anyway. It takes him multiple attempts and a near fatal mishap, but, after many tries, he finally drive the crows away from the fields in this warm coming-of-age tale.
2. Scarecrow Peteby Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Good: In which a scarecrow passes on to a little boy a love of reading.
3. The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston and Maggie Kneen: In which all the creatures are afraid of the scarecrow until the snow falls and the scarecrow transforms into looking like a jolly snowman. The animals come to recognize the scarecrow’s good nature and, when the snow melts, the animals are no longer afraid of its appearance.

Closing Song and Remarks (5 minutes):

Scarecrow Rhyme

The floppy, floppy scarecrow guards his field all day, he waves his floppy __(arms)___ to scare the crows away!
—Substitute legs, head, hands, etc. for the floppy part of the scarecrow

Conclusion: Speaking of going away, it’s time for our stories to end for today. Thanks for coming and joining the scarecrows and me for today’s stories. Please have fun using books for all kinds of learning and adventure. Don’t forget to check out some of these books or other ones on your way out. See you next time.

Time Fillers: Anything (book or song) not already used above

OR

Scarecrow (tune: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around”)
Scarecrow, Scarecrow, turn around.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, jump up and down
Scarecrow, scarecrow, arms up high
Scarecrow, Scarecrow, wink one eye
Scarecrow, scarecrow, bend your knee
Scarecrow, scarecrow, flap in the breeze
Scarecrow, scarecrow, climb into bed
Scarecrow, scarecrow, rest your head

OR

Five Crows All Shiny Black (Tune: Five Green And Speckled Frogs)
Five crows all shiny black,
Sat on a scarecrow’s back,
Eating some most delicious corn … yum yum!
Scarecrow winked and shouted “Boo!”
Scared one crow and away he flew,
Now there are four black shiny crows, caw caw!
(continue until 0 crows remain)

OR

Craft: Search the web for a “simple scarecrow craft” such as the one found at Enchanted Learning, Alphabet Soup, or other similar website. For example, one craft that I found at an Enchanted Learning page provides a scarecrow and clothes templates that kids can color and glue together (a simpler version is having kids draw their own clothes onto the scarecrow template).

Possible Books For Display (Code: PB—picture book, BB—board book, ER—easy reader, CB—chapter book):

1. Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant and Lauren Stringer (PB)
2. The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown and David Diaz (PB)
3. Scarecrow Pete by Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Good (PB)
4. The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston and Maggie Kneen (PB)
5. Jeb Scarecrow’s Pumpkin Patch by Jana Dillon (PB)
6. The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown (PB)
7. Waltz of the Scarecrows by Constance W. McGeorge (Author), Constance McGeorge (Author), and Mary Whyte (Illustrator) (PB)
8. The Scarecrow and the Spider by Todd Aaron Smith (PB with Christian message)
9. The Scarecrow Who Wanted a Hug by Guido Visconti and Giovanna Osellame (PB)
10. The Scarebird by Sid Fleischman and Peter Sis (PB)

Non-Picture Books for Display

1. I’m a Dingle Dangle Scarecrow by Annie Kubler (BB)
2. The Lazy Scarecrow: Red Level by Jillian Powell and Jayne Coughlin (ER)
3. Sam the Scarecrow by Sharon Gordon and Don Silverstein (ER)
4. Oh, No, Scarecrow! (level 1) by Michael Rex (ER)
5. The Scarecrow’s New Clothes by Lisa Thiesing (Illustrator) (ER)
6. The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman and Peter Bailey(CB: Grades 4-6)
7. GooseBumps: Scarecrow Walks At Midnight: Scarecrow Walks At Midnight by R L Stine (Author) (CB: Grades 4-6)
8. Witch Hazel by Alice Schertle, Margot Tomes (CB)
9. Any of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books (CB)
10. Any of Barbara Euphan Todd’s Worzel Gummidge books (CB)

Scarecrow Books in Spanish

1. El Espantapajaros Con Corazon by Gloria A Alegri?a Rami?rez (PB)
2. Espantapajaros flojo by Jillian Powell; Jayne Coughlin; Clara Lozano (PB)

Note: See lbaas2 WorldCat.org list for Scarecrow—Juvenile Fiction for more display options.

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