Well, our beloved Ms. Sue was called for jury duty today. So I had the opportunity to fill in for her “Books and Babies” program this morning. Those babies are so adorable, but I will readily admit that baby programs are not my forte. I’ve very rarely done them, and I’m just not as familiar with all the rhymes and fingerplays as I should be. So, in order to make up for that I tend to use a lot of music in my baby programs. Today was no exception.
I set the mood for the program by starting out with a few tunes from Elizabeth Mitchell’s You Are My Little Bird.
I just love Elizabeth Mitchell’s music. She chooses great songs and really makes them her own with her gentle, soothing voice. Unlike many children’s artists, she appeals to adults as well as children. One of the mothers this morning mentioned that Mitchell is one of the only children’s musicians she can stand to listen to over and over again with her son. We all know how grating on the ears some children’s music can be after repeated listenings. I use the Wiggles all the time in programs, but I don’t choose to listen to them during my free time.
Following the musical intro I began the Valentine’s Day-inspired portion of the program, beginning with The Cuddle Book by Guido van Genechten.
I think the mommies especially loved the last page which proclaims that Mommy’s cuddles are the best cuddles. We then had a Valentine flannel and sang “Tony Chestnut” (Toe Knee Chest Nut Nose Eye Love You). After that the cuddly theme continued with John Butler’s Can You Cuddle Like a Koala?
I think Butler’s illustrations are just beautiful. Children really seem to be drawn to his adorable animals. Finally, we rounded out the storytime with Dan Zanes’ version of “Bushel and a Peck” from Rocket Ship Beach.
I think Zanes is awesome, and he puts on a great live show – he has kids and parents alike dancing in the aisles. And the idea of using a board book instead of a traditional jewel case to hold some of his cds, including Rocket Ship Beach, is a really cool idea. However, in practice, it may not be the best storage method. The library copy of the cd I used this morning was in great condition, but the board book cover – not so much. It was grimy and stained with goodness knows what, and I could hardly bear to touch it. Luckily, the music is so good I was willing to look past the nastiness and play it anyway.
So, overall, I think “Books and Babies” went pretty well this morning, but I really hope Sue isn’t assigned to a case, especially not a lengthy one, because I think the babies really need her!
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