Cool Pool Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Down By the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton, pictures by Guy Parker-Rees
• Activity – Can You Growl Like a Tiger? (action rhyme, unkown origin)

Can you growl like a tiger?
Can you hop like a frog?
Can you climb like a monkey?
Can you bark like a dog?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you fly like a bat?
Can you howl like a wolf?
Can you stre-ttt-ccchh like a cat?
Can you sit like a kid at storytime?

• Flannelboard – Five Green and Speckled Frogs
• Book #2 – Maisy's Pool by Lucy Cousins
• Activity – Big Round Sun (action rhyme I found at http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/funfingerplay.cfm)

The big round sun in the springtime sky
(form large circle with arms)Winked at a cloud that was passing by.
(wink eye)The little cloud laughed as it scattered rain,
(flutter fingers downward)Then out came the big round sun again.
(form large circle with arms)

• Closing - Eggshakers using "I Know A Chicken" from Whaddaya Think of That by Laurie Berkner
• Craft – Painting

Cool Pool Storytime - Preschool

Preschool Storytime for 3-1/2 to 5 year olds:

• Opening – Row, Row, Row Your Boat from Songs for Wiggleworms, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent
• Activity – Grand Old Duke of York (action song)
• Book #2 – Jump Frog Jump by Robert Kalan, illustrated by Byron Barton
• Book #3 - Wide-mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner, illustrated by Jonathan Lambert (pop-up)
• Activity – Jump, Jump Went the Little Green Frog (action rhyme)

Jump, jump went the little green frog.
Jump, jump went the little green frog.
Jump, jump went the little green frog...
And his eyes went blink, blink.

Blink, blink went the little green frog.
Blink, blink went the little green frog.
Blink, blink went the little green frog...
And his tongue went glup, glup.

Glup, glup went the little green frog.
Glup, glup went the little green frog.
Glup, glup went the little green frog...
And his legs went jump, jump.

• Closing – Round of Applause (action rhyme adapted from one told by Rob Reid)
• Craft - Painting

Rabbits Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Bunny and Me by Adele Aron Greenspun and Joanie Schwarz
• Activity – I Saw A Little Bunny (I am not sure where I picked up this action rhyme)

I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop.
(hop three times)
I saw his ears go flop, flop, flop.
(put hands on head and flop "ears")
I saw his eyes go wink, wink, wink.
(wink eyes)
I saw his nose go twink, twink, twink.
(wiggle nose)
I said, "Little rabbit, won't you stay?"
(beckon with hand)
But he looked at me and hopped away.
(hop some more)

• Flannelboard – This Little Bunny (sorry, but my notes do not say which website I found this on)

This little bunny has two pink eyes.
This little bunny is very wise.
This little bunny is soft as silk.
This little bunny is white as milk.
This little buny nibbles away
At cabbages and carrots the livelong day!

• Book #2 – What Can Rabbit Hear? by Lucy Cousins (lift-flap)
• Activity – Here's a Bunny (here is another fingerplay that I have no idea where I got it from)

Here's a bunny with ears so funny.
(bend two fingers over thumb)
Here is his hole in the ground.
(make hole with other arm at waist)
When a noise he hears
(clap hands)
He pricks up his ears
(straighten fingers)
And jumps in his hole in the ground.
(ears first "into" the hole)

• Closing - Eggshakers using "I Know A Chicken" from Whaddaya Think of That by Laurie Berkner
• Craft – Color bunny ear hats

Anime Review - Xenosaga

I watched the first episode of this anime series several months ago while substituting in the Teen Anime Club. My first reaction was, "That was weird... I wonder what happens next." When I learned it was part of a Japanese console system role playing game chain, the weirdness then made sense. I finally got around to watching the whole series. The storyline is very typical of a Japanese role playing game story. Weird. Way out there. Does not make sense. Doesn't quite end. But I enjoyed watching it. It was a good futuristic, space adventure.

I'm not sure what is up with the box set cover art. It is very provocative in a way that has nothing to do what-so-ever with the story.

Reader's Advisory - Jane Porter

• Single mothers
• Happiness in women
• Divorced women
• Women -- Friendship
• Middle-aged women
• Women -- Aging
• Men/women relations
• Sexuality
• Motherhood
• Love stories

READALIKES:
Hot Flash Club Chills Out by Nancy Thayer
The Botox Diaries by Janice Kaplan & Lynn Schnurnberger
The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer
Would I Lie to You? by Sheila Norton
Flying Changes by Sara Gruen

Reader's Advisory - Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

• Social control
• Aversion therapy
• Dystopias
• Crime
• Criminals, Men
• Futurism
• Science fiction, English

READALIKES:
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
Children of Men by P.D. James
Against Gravity by Gary Gibson
Slaughtermatic by Steve Aylett
Neuromancer by William Gibson

Dinosaurs Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
• Activity – We Are The Dinosaurs (action song from Whaddaya Think of That? by Laurie Berkner)
• Flannelboard – 10 Little Dinosaurs
• Book #2 – Dinosaur Stomp by Paul Stickland (pop-up)
• Activity – Dinosaur, Dinosaur (action rhyme that Dawn, a former co-worker, and I wrote for use at storytime)

Dinosaur, dinosaur turn around.
Dinosaur, dinosaur touch the ground.
Dinosaur, dinosaur dance on your toes.
Dinosaur, dinosaur touch your nose.
Dinosaur, dinosaur reach up high.
Dinosaur, dinosaur jump to the sky.
Dinosaur, dinosaur stomp your feet.
Dinosaur, dinosaur show your teeth.
Dinosaur, dinosaur give a roar.
Dinosaur, dinosaur find the floor.

• Closing - Eggshakers using "I Know A Chicken" from Whaddaya Think of That by Laurie Berkner
• Craft - Glue sewing trim and fabric scraps onto a dinosaur picture or shape