Monster Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Five Ugly Monsters by Tedd Arnold
• Activity – Monster, Monster (an action rhyme a coworker created)

Monster, monster turn around.
Monster, monster touch the ground.
Monster, monster reach up high.
Monster, monster bug out your eyes.
Monster, monster bend your knees.
Monster, monster give a roar.
Monster, monster sit on your bed.
Monster, monster rest your head.
Monster, monster start to snore.

• Flannelboard - This Little Monster (I adapted this from the fingerplay "This Little Piggy")

This little monster went to the market.
This little monster stayed home.
This little monster had roast beef.
This little monster had none.
And this little monster cried,
"Boo, hoo, hoo,"
All the way home.

• Book #2 - Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
• Activity - Sleeping Monsters (I'm not sure where I picked up this action rhyme. It starts out with the children pretending to be sleeping monsters that I then wake up.)

Sleeping monsters
Til it's nearly noon
Come let us wake them
With a merry tune
Oh so still
Are they ill?
(pause, then shout)
WAKE UP LITTLE MONSTERS!

(kids wake up and start to stomp)
Stomp little monsters
Stomping, stomping
Stomp little monsters
Stomp, stomp, stomp!

Roar little monsters
Roaring, roaring
Roar little monsters
Roar, roar, roar!

(use other action words as desired: run, jump, etc.)

Sit little monsters
Sitting, sitting
Sit little monsters
Sit, sit, sit!

• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Glue sewing trim onto a monster mask

Wind Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Kite Flying by Grace Lin***
• Activity – Here Is My Kite (action rhyme I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, Feb./Mar. 2005, page 26)
• Flannelboard - What a Windy Day (rhyme to the tune of "The Wheels On the Bus" that I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, April/May 2008, page 33)
• Book #2 - What Can You Do In the Wind? by Anna Grossnickle Hines, illustrated by Thea Kliros (board book)
• Activity - Spring Winds (action rhyme I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, April/May 2005, page 22)
• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Coloring sheet

***Parent Enhancement - Language used in storybooks is different from what we use when we are speaking, so children hear different words when being read to, which builds vocabulary.

Reader's Advisory - Sarah Dessen

• Teenage girls
• Teenage boy/girl relations
• Self-discovery
• Guilt
• Realistic fiction
  

READALIKES:
The boyfriend list: (15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs, and me, Ruby Oliver) by E. Lockhart
Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements
This is all: the pillow book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers
Amazing Grace by Megan Shull
Girl of the Moment by Lizabeth Zindel

Thanksgiving Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Biscuit Is Thankful written by Alyssa Satin Capacilli, illustrated by Pat Schories (board book)
• Activity –If You're Happy and You Know It (action song from Songs for Wiggleworms)
• Flannelboard/Puppets - Turkey Hide and Seek (A fingerplay that I changed into a stick puppet rhyme. I found it at http://www.susanmdailey/fingerplays.html as of 19 May 2007.)
• Book #2 - Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon (board book)
• 
• Activity - I'm a Little Turkey (action song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" that I found in a Mailbox magazine)
• Closing - Tambourines using "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin?: Action Songs for Every Month by Kimbo
• Craft – Glue feathers to turkey cut-out

Frogs & Toads Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Toad by Ruth Brown
• Activity – Can You Growl Like a Tiger? (action rhyme found in Family Storytime: Twenty-four Creative Programs for All Ages by Rob Reid)
• Flannelboard - 5 Green and Speckled Frogs (song)
• Book #2 - *** Hop Jump by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Closing - Tamborines using "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin?: Action Songs for Every Month by Kimbo
• Craft – Use round bingo style paint dabbers on a frog drawing to create speckled frogs

*** Parent enhancement - You can run your finger under the words of the title as you say it. This helps kids understand that you are reading the text, not the pictures. Do this only with the title or a repeated phrase so it does not get in the way of sharing the story.

Peekaboo Teddy Bear Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum***
• Book #1 – Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
• Activity – Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear turn around.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear dance on your toes.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch your nose.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear reach up high.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear jump to the sky.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear find your feet.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear find your seat.

• Flannelboard - Colored bears in a row pattern
• Book #2 - *** Peek-A-Baby by Karen Katz (board book)
• Activity – A Teddy Bear (action rhyme I found in some Mailbox Magazine)
• Closing - Tamborines using "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin?: Action Songs for Every Month by Kimbo
• Craft – Decorate bears on a stick with stickers

*** Parent enhancement - This book is a "lift-the-flap" book. At home, it is well suited to children who are learning fine motor control in their fingers and are able to lift up the flaps, which is just one of many ways to engage children in a book.

Halloween Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum***
• Book #1 – Snappy Little Halloween written by Dugald Steer, illustrated by Derek Matthews (Pop-Up)
• Activity – This Little Pumpkin (action rhyme I found in some Mailbox Magazine)
• Flannelboard - Three Little Pumpkins (not sure where I found this one)

Three little pumpkins, sitting very still
In a pumpkin patch on a great big hill
The first one said, "I'm very green,"
(show green side)
"But I'll be orange on Halloween."
(show orange side)
The second one said, "Oh me, oh my,"
(show orange pumpkin side)
"Today I'll be a pumpkin pie."
(show pumpkin pie side)
The third one said, "I'm on my way,"
(show pumpkin side)
To be a Jack-O-Lantern today."
(show face side)

• Book #2 - Five Little Pumpkins pictures by Dan Yaccarino (board book)
• Activity – Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern (action rhyme based on Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear)

Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern turn around.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern touch the ground.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern dance on your toes.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern touch your nose.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern reach up high.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern jump to the sky.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern find your feet.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern have a seat.

• Closing - Tamborines using "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin?: Action Songs for Every Month by Kimbo
• Craft – Chalk coloring on construction paper pumpkin cut-outs

***Parent enhancement - Researchers have noted 6 areas of early literacy that kids need to experience to be ready to learn to read. One of these areas is print motivation. Print motivation is an interest in and the enjoyment of books and reading. Reading books aloud to your kids at home, coming to storytime; these are all activities that increase print motivation. So lets give everyone a hand for doing something great for your children!