Storytime Share: Snow

Always a winter favorite, this year’s snow-themed storytimes often had to be postponed due to an actual snowstorm here in East Tennessee. Over the course of about six weeks, I finally made it to all my outreach locations to share this fun storytime!

Books:

Frozen Noses by Jan Carr; illustrated by Dorothy Donohue

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert; illustrated by the author

Snowball Fight! by Jimmy Fallon; illustrated by Adam Stower

In My Forest by Sara Gillingham; illustrated by Lorena Siminovich

Bear & Hare Snow! by Emily Gravett; illustrated by the author

Into the Snow by Yuki Kaneko; illustrated by Masamitsu Saito

One Snowy Day by Diana Murray; illustrated by Diana Toledano

Not Now Cow! by Tammi Sauer; illustrated by Troy Cummings

Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre; photographs by the author

Millions of Snowflakes by Mary McKenna Siddals; illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles

We Want Snow!: A Wintry Chant by Jamie A. Swenson; illustrated by Emilie Boon

Snow by Carol Thompson; illustrated by the author

Mouse’s First Snow by Lauren Thompson; illustrated by Buket Erdogan

Fingerplays:

“I Am a Snowman”

I am a snowman

Standing on the lawn

I melt and melt and melt

And soon I’m gone

“Dressing for Winter Weather”

Let’s put on our mittens

And button our coats

Wrap a scarf snugly

Around our throats

Pull on our boots

Fasten the straps

And pull on tightly our warm winter hats

Then open the door

And out we go

Into the soft and feathery snow

Storytime Share: Eggs

This is a fun storytime any time, but especially in the spring.

Books:

Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker; illustrated by the author

The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill; illustrated by Russell Ayto

The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett; illustrated by the author

Eggs 123 by Janet Halfmann; illustrated by Betsy Thompson

Egg by Amy Sky Koster; illustrated by Lisel Jane Ashlock

Am I Yours? by Alex Latimer; illustrated by the author

A Little Chicken by Tammi Sauer; illustrated by Dan Taylor

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger; illustrated by the author

Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri; illustrated by the author

The Goose Egg by Liz Wong; illustrated by the author

Songs:

“If You’re a Dino and You Know It”

sung to: “If You’re Happy and Your Know It”

If you’re a dino and you know it stomp your feet (stomp feet)

repeat twice

If you’re a dino and you know it and you really want to show it,

If you’re a dino and you know it stomp your feet (stomp feet)

additional verses: gnash your teeth (gnash teeth and say “grrr”), shake your tail (shake hips), give a roar (“roar”)

“If You’re a Chicken and You Know It”

sung to: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you’re a chicken and you know it flap your wings (bend elbows and flap arms)

repeat twice

If you’re a chicken and you know it and you really want to show it,

If you’re a chicken and you know it flap your wings (bend elbows and flap arms)

additional verses: scratch your feet (scratch feet on floor), shake your tailfeather (shake hips), give a cluck (“cluck cluck”)

“I’m a Little Chickie”

sung to: “I’m a Little Teapot”

I’m a little chickie ready to hatch

Pecking at my shell, scratch, scratch, scratch

When I crack it open out I’ll jump

Fluff my feathers, cheep!, cheep!, cheep!

Storytime Share: Ponds

One of the preschools I visit for storytimes asked if I could coordinate themes with them during their “Nature/Ponds” week this summer, so I developed this pond-themed storytime. I plan on using it again soon when I visit some of my other preschool locations.

Books:

Maisy’s Nature Walk by Lucy Cousins; illustrated by the author

At the Pond by David Elliott; illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford

Pond Babies by Cathryn Falwell; illustrated by the author

The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner; illustrated by Jonathan Lambert

In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming; illustrated by the author

Swim, Duck, Swim by Susan Lurie; with photographs by Murray Head

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre; with photographs by the author

Ten Tiny Tadpoles by Debbie Tarbett; illustrated by the author

Little White Duck by Walt Whippo; illustrated by Joan Paley

Songs:

“Five Green and Speckled Frogs” – traditional song (I used finger puppets when I sang this one)

“Put Your Hands Up High” (watch the video from Jbrary)

Activity:

“Baby Duck”

This is a fun game using a small duck (ours is a paper duck) and plastic colored eggs (one of each color). Before each round of the game the duck is placed inside an egg, and then the children have to guess which egg it’s hidden inside. Simple as that!

Storytime Share: Animal Parties

This was a fun twist on an animal storytime.

Books:

Duck, Duck, Moose! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton; illustrated by the author

Where’s the Party? by Ruth Chan; illustrated by the author

Maisy’s Surprise Birthday Party by Lucy Cousins; illustrated by the author

Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman; illustrated by K.G. Campbell

Tea Rex by Molly Idle; illustrated by the author

Groovy Joe’s Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

I Love Cake!: Starring Rabbit, Porcupine and Moose by Tammi Sauer; illustrated by Angie Rozelaar

Bear Can’t Wait by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Jane Chapman

Song:

“I’m a Little Teapot” – traditional song

Activity:

“Move Like an Animal” action cards from Oriental Trading

Storytime Share: Sweet Treats

Last October I didn’t want to do a traditional Halloween storytime for my outreach visits, so I did a “Sweet Treats” theme instead. I think it went well!

Books:

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright; illustrated by the author

Ten Red Apples by Virginia Miller; illustrated by the author

Red Panda’s Candy Apples by Ruth Paul; illustrated by the author

On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex; illustrated by the author

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; illustrated by Jen Corace

What’s an Apple? by Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler; illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Marcellus Hall

Fingerplays:

“Five Fat Peas” (Watch the video from Jbrary)

“Sticky Sticky Sticky Bubblegum” (Watch the video from King County Library System)

“Way Up High in the Apple Tree” (Watch the video from Jbrary)