Library & Literary Miscellany

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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To help you plan you Easter Storytime(s), I’ve listed some suggested picture books, songs/rhymes, and additional links that I hope you’ll find useful. I decided to present the resources as a list (in contrast to a pre-formatted plan) so that you can easily pick and choose and select any combination that you feel will be most successful for your audience.

Book Ideas

Bunny Trouble by Hans Wilhelm
Ralph the bunny would rather play soccer than paint Easter eggs. He runs into trouble when he’s captured by a farmer, but with the help of a clever sister and some Easter eggs, he lives to kick the ball another day.

More Bunny Trouble by Hans Wilhelm
Ralph the bunny is back and he’s busily painting Easter eggs and babysitting his little sister. When he neglects to do the latter, she wanders away, and it’s up to Ralph to find her again.

The Night Before Easter by Natasha Wing
This rendition includes all the rhythms of the familiar “Night Before Christmas” with a new Easter setting and storyline.

The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett
Duck sits patiently on a huge green-spotted egg waiting for it to hatch. When it does, both Duck and readers are in for a surprise.

Chicky Chicky Chook Chookby Cathy MacLennan
Onomatopoeia and rhyme make this a fun and rambunctious Easter time read aloud.

The Grumpy Easter Bunny by Justine Korman and Lucinda McQueen (illustrator)
Hopper is a grumpy bunny. Why should he hide his Easter treats and give them to others when he could just eat them all himself? By story’s end, Hopper is much happier as he’s discovered the joy of sharing.

Here Comes T. Rex Cottontail by Lois G. Grambling and Jack E. Davis (Illustrator)
It’s Easter time and T. Rex is filling in for the Easter Bunny who has taken a sick day. Youngsters will enjoy the humor in the notion as they join the huge dinosaur on his romp to deliver the eggs.

Milo the Really Big Bunny by Stephen Krensky and Melissa Suber (Illustrator)
Milo is different from other bunnies—where they are small and white, he’s enormous and purple. He just doesn’t fit in. But when the Easter Bunny needs a helper Milo soon discovers that the characteristics that make him different also make him special (very Rudolph-like in concept).

Humbug Rabbit by Lorna Balian
Two stories intertwine about the Rabbit family underground and Granny and her grandchildren above ground.

Songs/Rhymes

Easter Eggs (Sung to the tune of: London Bridge)

Hunting for my Easter eggs;
Easter eggs;
Easter eggs;
Hunting for my Easter eggs;
Put ‘em in my basket.
Now my basket it is full.
It is full.
It is full.
Now my basket it is full
We found all the eggs!

OR

I’m a Little Bunny (Sung to the tune of: I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little bunny, with a cotton tail;
See me hopping down the trail,
When I see a carrot —
My ears - they shake!
And then, of course,
A bite I take!!!
CRUNCH!!!!!

OR

See the Easter Bunny (Sung to the Tune of: Mulberry Bush)

See how the bunny hops along,
Hops along, hops along.

See how the bunny hops along,
On an Easter morning.

This is the way he wiggles his nose,
Wiggles his nose,
Wiggles his nose
This is the way he wiggles his nose,
On an Easter morning.

This is the way he flops his ears
Flops his ears, flops his ears
This is the way he flops his ears
On an Easter morning.

See how he jiggles his cotton tail,
Cotton tail, cotton tail
See how he jiggles his cotton tail,
On an Easter morning.

OR

Jelly Beans (Sung to the tune of: Skip to My Lou)

(Red) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Red) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Red) jelly beans — yum, yum.
Jelly beans in my tummy!
(Green) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Green) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Green) jelly beans — yum, yum.
Jelly beans in my tummy!
(Orange) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Orange) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Orange) jelly beans — yum, yum.
Jelly beans in my tummy!
(Pink) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Pink) jelly beans — yum, yum.
(Pink) jelly beans — yum, yum.
Jelly beans in my tummy!

The above songs and many more are available at Kids Rhymes/Songs. The Easter bunny image is available from Free Gifs & Animations.

Resources for additional Easter Ideas (crafts, activities, games, and more):

Billy Bear’s Happy Easter: includes online games, puzzles, and printable worksheets/coloring pages

DLTK’s Easter Section: includes suggested Easter Activities

First School Years Easter Resources: scroll to the bottom for links to myriad additional sites with Easter content

Kaboose Easter 2008: Bunny and Easter Basket Crafts, Coloring Pages, Spring Recipes, and Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

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Dental Hygiene Storytime

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

Introduction: Welcome. Did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month? Well, it is, and so today we’re going to be talking teeth.

Song: Got my Toothbrush (to the tune of: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Got my toothpaste, got my brush,
I won’t hurry, I won’t rush.
Making sure my teeth are clean,
Front and back and in between.
When I brush for quite a while,
I will have a happy smile!

Books:
For the Truth Ask a Tooth by Dee Coghlan
Here we have the telling of the story from a tooth’s perspective.

Have You Ever Seen a Moose Brushing His Teeth? by Jamie McClaine and April Goodman Willy
Join the Moose in this delightful rhyming tale of his endeavors to care for his grass stained teeth.

Brush Your Teeth Please Pop-Up by Reader’s Digest
Pop open the book and find a chimp brushing its teeth back and forth and a shark that flosses every day. Youngsters will have lots of fun learning about proper dental hygiene in this delightful pop-up book.

Clarabella’s Teeth by An Vrombaut
An amusing story about the importance of daily tooth care and about friendship. The question, “And Clarabella?” encourages engagement and page turning to find the answer.

What Do the Fairies Do With All Those Teeth? by Michel Luppens and Philippe Beha
This story is less about dental hygiene (well, not at all about it really) and more about conjecture. It proffers many amusing answers to the question it poses; make the story interactive by encouraging children to add their own suggestions at the end.

Song (can insert in-between reading the books): A Dentist’s Song (to the tune of: Row, Row, Row your Boat)
Brush, brush brush your teeth.
Keep them clean each day.
then you’ll have a pretty smile,
And healthy teeth all day.

OR

My Wise Dentist (to the tune of: Are you Sleeping?)
My Wise Dentist
Always tells me,
Brush your teeth
Brush your teeth.
Brush them in the morning
And again at bedtime.
Brush your teeth
Brush your teeth.

Conclusion and Departing Song:

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

Conclusion: We’ll see you next time. Until then, don’t forget to brush those teeth. Feel free to check out tooth-related or other books on your way out too!

Time Fillers/Substitutions:
Crafts & Activities: Surf the web for Teeth-related activities or check out the offerings at A to Z Teacher Stuff Teeth Theme and the ADA.org Games and puzzles (the first couple of games are online interactive but the last few are handouts (dot-to-dot, maze, crossword) that could be either used in storytime or sent home as takeaway activities). About.com also has a guide with many links to Dental Activities, Fun Facts, and Games for Kids.

OR

Technology Links: If you have access to the Internet and a projector, then you can play the Tooth Family song and video provided by the British Council. In addition to the song and video, kids can play a related game and activity. The song is an educational song in which the Tooth Family are singing a song about looking after one’s teeth.

Other Tooth-Related Picture Books to Display:
Alice and Her Fabulous Teeth by Catherine Myler Fruisen and Robin MacOnie
Arthur’s Tooth (Arthur Adventure Series) by Marc Brown Crocodiles Don’t Brush Their Teeth by Colin Fancy and Ken Wilson-Max
Dear Tooth Fairy by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Marie-louise Fitzpatrick
Does a Lion Brush? (Early Experiences) by Fred Ehrlich
George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra, Madeleine Comora, and Brock Cole
For the Truth Ask a Tooth by Dee Coghlan Franklin
How Many Teeth? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science) by Paul Showers
I Spy Funny Teeth (Scholastic Readers) by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick
My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child Nice Try, Tooth Fairy by Mary W Olson and Katherine Tillotson The Night Before The Tooth Fairy (Reading Railroad) by Natasha Wing and Barbara Johansen Newman
Open Wide! by Tom Barber and Lynne Chapman
Open Wide: Tooth School Inside by Laurie Keller Sweet
Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms
Tooth by Margie Palatini and Jack E. Davis
The Tooth Fairy (Franklin) by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions Around the World by Selby Beeler
Uncle Farley’s False Teeth by Alice Walsh and Michael Marchenko
You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt and David Slonim

Dental Health Music and Songs were found at Preschool Education Music & Songs: Dental Health. The image used in this post is freely available at Cool Clips.

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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: Bears Theme

Created by: Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes
Note: The following storytime plan can be as flexible as it needs to be; feel free to make as many additions, substitutions, and customizations as suits your purposes. Another Note: If you wish, you could advertise that the kids should bring in a teddy bear if they have one and then spend a few minutes introducing each others’ bears.

Introduction and Song (5 minutes)
Introduction: Welcome to the all-about-bears storytime. Some bears up north are probably still in hibernation right now, but I’m glad that you decided against hibernation today and that you have come out for storytime to hear about bears.

Song: Bear (To the tune of: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Bear, bear, bear, big bear,
Hunting near the trees.
Feasting on the honeycomb
Made by busy bees.
(bzzz, bzzz, bzzz)
Bear, bear, bear, big bear,
Wading in the lake.
Fish is your favourite dish:
Which one will you take?
(swish, swish, swish)
Bear, bear, bear, big bear,
Resting in your den.
Sleeping through the winter
Before you’re out again.
(zzz, zzz, zzz)

Read Aloud Bear Books:
Choose one or two of Karma Wilson’s Bear Books (they’re all short, fun, and well-done…plus, the rhyming and repetition are sure to make them a hit):

1. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Mouse, Hare, Badger, Mole, Wren and Raven decide that they’d rather face the bear than the weather as they seek shelter from winter in bear’s cave…as the bear snores on. When bear does awaken, the other animals are in for a (pleasant) surprise.

2. Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
It’s spring and bear is hungry. While the previous book’s refrain is about snoring on, kids will be sure to chime in for this book’s “But the bear wants more!

3. Bear Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Bear’s friends wake him up on Christmas Eve and engage him in several engaging activities in order to keep him awake for a Christmas full of celebration and surprises.

4. Bear’s New Friend by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Who is this mystery creature that the bear hears? Kids will likely delight in they mystery and in the repeat refrain “And the Bear asks, ‘Who?’”

5. Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
It’s reassuring to have friends surround you when you’re sick, or at least it is in this book where “Bear feels sick.” His friends do everything they can think of to get bear back on his feet.

Song for in-between books: You are my Teddy Bear (To the tune of: You are my Sunshine) Note: this song works particularly well if a bear puppet is available and/or the kids have brought in their own teddy bears
You are my teddy bear
My only teddy bear
You make me smile dear
You are my friend
You’ll never know dear
How much I like you
I’m so glad you’re my
Teddy Bear today.

OR

T-E-D-D-Y (to the tune of: B-I-N-G-O)
There was a boy who had a bear
and Teddy was his name-O
T E D D Y, T E D D Y, T E D D Y
and Teddy was his name-O.

OR

Bear is Sleeping (to the tune of: Are You Sleeping?)
Bear is sleeping, Bear is sleeping.
In a cave, In a cave.
I wonder when he’ll come out,
I wonder when he’ll come out.
In the spring, In the spring.

More Bear Read-Aloud Books:
1. The Bear Came Over to My House by Rick Walton and James Warhola
Spinning off The Bear Came over the Mountain, this book will keep kid’s engaged and guessing from the first line (The bear came over to my house to see what he could see. . . . And what do you think the bear saw? ME!).

The following books all feature Eddie (the bear) and his teddy:
2. It’s the Bear! by Jez Alborough
A boy and his teddy bear meet bear and his teddy bear once again in this charming sequel to Where’s my Teddy.

3. My Friend Bear by Jez Alborough
The third book showcasing Eddie and his teddy has Eddie learning about facing fears and friendship.

4. Where’s my Teddy by Jez Alborough
A teddy bear mix-up provides the foundation for this story about a small boy and a giant bear who are both searching for their lost teddy bears. In the end, both small boy and big bear find comfort as the lost is found.

Song and Conclusion:
Song: Hug, Hug, Hug Your Bear (to the tune of: Row, Row, Row your boat)
Hug, hug, hug your bear
Squeeze him very tight
Hold him high
Help him fly
Then hug with all your might.

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, It’s time to go home

Time Fillers:
How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear? : What are Homonyms and Homophones (Words are Categorical) by Brian P. Cleary and Brian Gable

OR

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? (Stories to Go!) by Nancy White Carlstrom and Bruce Degen

OR

Craft Options: Search the web for a simple Bear-related craft such as the ones found at DLTK’s Teddy Bear Craft Page and at First School’s Teddy Bear Page.

OR

Technology links: If you have a projector and a way to connect to the Web, show kids around National Geographic’s Creature Features that feature bears such as the Polar bears and Brown bears. Show kids the pictures they can view and the videos they can watch. Perhaps even watch one of the videos. Another option is to choose from some of the bear-related resources compiled by Kennesaw State University’s Education Department for kids.

Other Bear-Related Picture Books to Consider for Display:
Addis Berner Bear Forgets by Joel Stewart
Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do you See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle
A Bear and His Boy by Sean Bryan and Tom Murphy
Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone and Debbie Harter (interactive rhyming book: teaches shapes and counting)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do you See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle
Dog and Bear by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Jamberry by Bruce Degen and Peter Fernandez
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? (Stories to Go!) by Nancy White Carlstrom and Bruce Degen
The Large and Growly Bear by Gertrude Crampton
Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson and Stephen Savage
A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley and Jim LaMarche
Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle and Matt Phelan

For more ideas regarding recently published books for the juvenile audience that are about and/or including bears, see my WorldCat.org list: Bears.

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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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Listen to the tale below to hear the story of how a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster find freedom from mistreatment (and the axe) by using their wit, their talents, and the strength of friendship.

To interact further with this story, visit the Kidoons Network resources related to the Bremen Town Musicians. Play the game, read the story online, read the Flash-based story online, or to link to other old tales (and related activities) that might be of interest.  Many other sites and picture books relate to this tale as well, so you will not lack for finding content related to the story of this singular group of animals.

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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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What would you wish for if you had three wishes? Probably not what this woodcutter and his wife wished for given their opportunity.

This silly tale with its behavioral truths has been around on paper since Charles Perrault recorded his French version and has likely been around as an oral tale retold by firesides, sewing circles, and other community gatherings for many moons before that.

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