First Day of Spring Storytime!

The first day of spring, March 20th, falls on Storytime day this year, and I'm shocked that while I've done many Spring-y themes over the years, I have never done a Spring Storytime!

Opening Song:
If you're happy and you know it (clap your hands, stomp your feet, shout hurray, do all three!)

If you're ready for a story clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're ready for a story clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're ready for a story, if you're ready for a story,
If you're ready for a story, clap your hands. (clap clap)

Sit down song:

The more we read together, together, together, 

the more we read together, the happier we'll be,
'Cause your books are my books are your books and
your books are my books, 
The more we read together, the happier we'll be.

First Story: 
Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
(Despite 'summer' being in the title, this story is much more about the changes in the springtime.)


Song:

Plants  (Original Author Unknown)

Sung to: "The Farmer In The Dell"-Found at www.preschooleducation.com

The farmer plants the seeds
The farmer plants the seeds
Hi, Ho and Cherry O
The farmer plants the seeds

Other Verses:
The rain begins to fall...
The sun begins to shine...
The plants begin to grow...
The buds all open up...
The flowers smile at me...

Second Story:

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na

(This one is a little more about fall than spring, but I want to use it to talk about the seasons changing, plus Il Sung Na's pictures are to die for)

Song:

Hello Spring Time! 

Submitted by: Judy Lambert to www.preschooleducation.com

Sung to: "Good Night Ladies"

Hello spring time
Hello spring time
Hello spring time
We're glad spring time is here.

Hello flowers
Hello flowers
Hello flowers
We're glad spring time is here!

Hello green grass... We're glad spring time is here.
Hello birds... We're glad spring time is here.
(To finish song, repeat first verse after you have said hello to all the spring things the children can think of.)

Third Story:

Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand

Songs:

I'll Plant A Little Seed

Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "I'm A Little Teapot"-Found at www.preschooleducation.com

I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!
I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!

Little Ducks Song
Original Author Unknown
Sung to: "London Bridge"-Found at www.preschooleducation.com

Little ducks go quack, quack, quack
Quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack -
Little ducks go quack quack quack
In the springtime.
(ask the kids what sounds that springtime animals make and have them in the verses!)

Spring Morning 

Sung To: "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"

This is the way the bunny hops, bunny hops, bunny hops,
This is the way the bunny hops,
On a spring time morning.

This is the way the blue bird flies...
This is the way the little chick walks......
This is the way the little duck swims......
This is the way the little lamb runs.....
This is the way the children play.....

Closing Song:

The More we Get Together

Today's Craft from 3dinosaurs.com

http://3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/torn-paper-flowers/

I love this craft because it's open-ended, which encourages creativity. It uses left over paper, only requires glue and paper, and still uses fine motor without using scissors (which I love, but we can use new skills)

Other Recommended Stories:

The Twelve Days of Springtime by Deborah Lee Rose; Illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis

Hurray for Spring by Patricia Hubbell; Ill by Taia Morley

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

H is for Halloween: Favorite Halloween Storytime books

Halloween Week!!!

I'm so excited.  This is just the week for a Creepy Susie like myself.  Really, it feels like every one of my programs could be Halloween related, but it's exciting when I have an excuse to do more.

You know, sometimes holiday books are just terrible, trying to shoe-horn in too much at a time.  I find Halloween books suffer the least.

These are my Favorite Halloween Storytime books, which could be mixed and matched with some of my Monster Storytime books.

Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi, Ill. by Gris Grimly

I adore everything Crimi does, and the illustrations of Grimly.  This is actually the only book that mentions the word Halloween.  Bella Lagrossi is the grossest ghoul on the block.  She's neighbors with Boris Kleanioff, who is an obsessed grime-fighter.  They, of course, hate each other.
This book is about as long as I ever go for a Preschool Storytime, but it's just so often.  I love the names (which will get a laugh from parents) and the illustrations.

Three Little Ghosties by Pippa Goodhart, Ill by. AnnaLaura Cantone

Three Little Ghosties, sitting on posties, eating burnt toasties and telling big boasties!
Love this story.  Love the repetition, the sound, and of course, plenty of opportunities to yell "BOO!" works great at a storytime.  Never actually mentions Halloween, so could be done all year round in theory.

The Curious Demise of a Contrary Cat by Lynne Berry and Luke LaMarca

A story about a cat who refuses to help with the witch's dinner party.  Black and white illustrations, which I adore but I think get mixed results from kids.  The repetition of this book, however, is so wonderful that the kids can help you read half of it.  Also doesn't have Halloween mentioned specifically, so you could use it for a cat Storytime.

Honorable Mentions:

Alpha Oops: H is for Halloween by Alethea Kontis and Bob Kolar

A great, funny little Halloween Alphabet book.  Only trouble, I find it a little difficult to present books like these with a lot of sound bubbles.

Sipping Spiders through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters by Kelly Dipucchio, Ill. by Gris Grimly

Another beautifully illustrated Grimly book on here?  Shocking.  I love songs in a storytime, so some of these would be good to use.  However, many are a little two complicated to teach a preschool.

There you go!  My favorite Halloween stories for kids.  Any you would add to the list?

Best Monster Storytime Songs for Little Monsters

There are so many brilliant monster books for preschoolers out there.

In my library I've, at times, come across an anti-Halloween sentiment in parents but Monsters tend to squeak by.  The other great thing about Monster storytime is you have plenty of opportunities to yell "RAWR" which is both entertaining for the kids and annoying to the desk staff.

I've complied my favorite Monster-themed songs, great for Little Monsters.

If You're a Monster and You Know it

Tune: " If you're happy and you know it"

If you're a monster and you know it shake your horns
If you're a monster and you know it shake your horns.
If you're a monster and you know it then your growl will surely show it. RAWR! 
If you're a monster and you know it shake your horns.

Continue with:
...show your claws
...gnash your teeth
...stomp your feet
...give a roar

(There is an Ed and Rebecca Emberley book that is similar to this, though I prefer just to sing it this way.)

5 Little Monsters 

5 little monsters under my bed
1 crawled out from my bed spread
Mama came in then she said!
"No more monsters underneath the bed"

Continue counting down until there are:
"Now there are no more monsters underneath the bed So Go to Sleep!"


Horns and Fangs 

Tune: "Head and Shoulders"

Horns and fangs,
knees and claws,
knees and claws.
Horns and fangs,
knees and claws.
Eyes and ears and tail and paws.


(Faster and Faster!)

Five Little Monsters (Fingerplay)

This little monster has a big red nose
This little monster has purple toes.
This little monster plays all night.
This little monster is such a fright.
And this little monster goes:
"Tee-hee-hee"
"I'm not scary, I'm just silly me."

(Hold up hand and point to each finger)

Monster Pokey

Tune: Hokey Pokey

You Put your right paw in, 

you put your right paw out, 

you put your right paw in and you shake it all about.  

You do the Monster Pokey and you turn yourself around.  

That’s what it’s all about.  

Monster Pokey! Rawr!

Verses: Left paw, Right Claw, Left Claw, tail, horns, teeth, whole Monster self.

(Yes, another Hokey Pokey take off.  So sue me, It's what it's all about!)

Next: My favorite Preschool Monster Books

Pirate Librarian: Sea Shanties

Pirate Songs to go with your Pirate Storytime:

I put in anywhere from 3 to 8 songs per storytime, depending on the age group, the availability, and the length of songs on the subject I’m reading about.  People often ask, “How do you get kids to sit still for storytime?” The answer is, “I don’t.”  Active songs bring a kinesthetic aspect for storytime and break up the “sit still and shut up” aspect of storytime.

The main reason I like to include Roger the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist in my storytime, because you can use the words to "What would you do with a drunken sailor?" in a kids storytime.  They get to sing a real sea shanty without, you know, the alcoholism.  The words and the tune are in the back of  Helquist’s book, but here is the first verse:

"Oh What shall we do with our Jolly Roger?

What shall we do with our Jolly Roger?

Oh What shall we do with our Jolly Roger?

Ear-ly in the morning.

Way-hey, up she rises,

Way-hey, up she rises,

Way-hey, up she rises,

Dreaded Jolly Roger."

It goes on like that, with each verse about parts of the story. Ask the children what happened and introduce the verses lyrics that way. Usually, a parent will answer but really try to encourage the kids to.  Narrative skills (recalling a story just read in narrative form) is a skill they will use the rest of their lives.

 The Hokey Pokey is an awesome song because it is one of the easiest Piggy-back songs there is.  I would be ashamed with how many times I've used the hokey pokey when I've gotten into a spot with Preschool-friendly songs, but I can't bring myself to be. (Repetition is good for learning right?) 

Here's the Pirate Pokey:

 "You put your right hook in, you put your right hook out, you put your right hook in and you shake it all about. You do the pirate pokey and your turn yourself around, that's what it's all about. Pirate Pokey! Arrrrrh!"

Continue with, Left hook, right boot, peg leg, eye patch, pirate hat, whole pirate self. You, of course, turn your hands into hooks, cover your eye for eye patch, put your hands on your head in for hat, and I like to tell them to keep their leg really straight for peg leg, because it's funnier that way.

There are also great Pirate Songs Listed on Born Librarian’s Blog here:

These went over really well at my Pirate Storytime, though I have to say that we replaced a line in “Pirate and you Know it.”   Instead of :

“If you’re a pirate and you know it, then you'll hear the sea winds blowin.”

We said:

“If you’re a Pirate and you know it, then your growl will surely show it.  Yarrrh!”

Another excuse to yell “Yarrrh!” during a storytime is always good I think.

So there you have it.  Pirate books (here) and Pirate songs to make a great Pirate Storytime for your little Pirates.