Happy Birthday, Kevin Henkes!

Today is author/illustrator, Kevin Henkes', birthday!  You may know him best for his books about little mice, such as Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse.

He is also the winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal (awarded to the most distinguished artist of a children's book) with his book, Kitten's First Full Moon.

I became a fan of Henkes when I read Jessica aloud to my young daughter several years ago.  I think this book resonated with me because my daughter also had an imaginary friend...and she was starting school.

Henkes has a way of developing rich characters with few words and being able to identify with children's thoughts, ideas, and concerns and address them in sensitive ways. 

Owen--How can Owen start school when he still carries around his favorite blanket, fuzzy?

Wembley Worried--The titles says it all.  Wembley worried about everything, but especially about starting school.

Julius, The Baby of the World--Lilly has to confront her feelings of sibling rivalry.

Just this year Henkes has written early reader books about a little mouse named Penny.  These have been well received, so I'm sure more will be coming!

Henkes has also written nine "chapter" books for older children.  His newest one is Junonia--a sensitive story about change.  This book is now on the top of my "to read" list!

National Game and Puzzle Week

Every year the week of Thanksgiving is named National Game and Puzzle Week"!   So celebrate this week (November 18-24) by turning off the TV, shutting down the computer, and powering off the iPad.  Take the time and sit down with your children and play a game with them or put together a puzzle.  This is a wonderful, easy, and inexpensive way to spend quality time with your child...and playing games has "hidden" benefits as well!

I recently read a book called "A Board Game Eduction: Building Skills for Academic Success" by Jeffery P. Hinebaugh.

He states, "What you may not realize is that classic board games that you enjoyed playing as a child, and that you still enjoy playing with your own children, are excellent tools for teaching fundamental and cor educational skills.  Logic, math, language arts, communications, and economic principles are just a few of the key educational concepts that are developed through the play of classic board games" (p. 2).

So take some time this week between eating turkey, watching football, and shopping to spend some quality time playing a game or putting a puzzle together with your child !  Your children will thank you!! 

H is for...

This is an important letter to emphasize the sound the letter makes and not just the name of the letter since the letter name doesn't say its sound (or anything near its sound).  But there are great words that start with "h":  hippo, hair, house, horse, hospital, helicopter, happy, hooray, hello, hot, hand.

Books

Bear Wants More  Written by Karma Wilson; Illustrated by Jane Chapman

Bear wakes up HUNGRY!!  He looks for food, eats and eats, but is still hungry!  Will his friends be able to curb his appetite?  Children will enjoy reciting the familiar refrain, "But the bear wants more!"

Horses: Trotting! Prancing! Racing!  Written by Patricia Hubbell; Illustrated by Joe Mathieu

  Watch horses work, play, and rest in this simple rhyming text all about horses!

Songs/Fingerplays/Rhymes

Flannel Board:  5 Little Hippos
(chant just like 5 little monkeys--I just changed the words)

5 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

4 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

3 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

2 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

1 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

Stand-up Song:  If you're happy and you know it

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands
If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!

If you're happy and you know it stomp your feet
If you're happy and you know it stomp your feet
If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it stomp your feet!

If you're happy and you know it shout "Hooray!"
If you're happy and you know it shout "Hooray!"
If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it shout "Hooray!"

If you're happy and you know it do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, "hooray!"
If you're happy and you know it do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, "hooray!"
If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it do all three (clap, clap, stomp, stomp, "hooray!")

Nursery Rhyme:  Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns
One a penny, two a penny
Hot cross buns!

If you have you have no daughters
Give them to your sons.

One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!

Enrichment Activities

• Heart Matching Game (cardboard hearts from Oriental Trading Company)
• Hula hoops and bean bags
• Cutting practice Worksheet (from Kids Learning Station)
• Hopscotch (indoor foam hopscotch)
• Hand print Turkey (I printed the following poem on the bottom of a paper, then the child traces their hand.  Their thumb becomes the head of the turkey and the fingers are the tail feathers.  Decorate with markers or crayons...no messy paint!)

 

This isn't just a turkey.

As anyone can see.

I made it with my hand,

Which is a part of me.

It comes with lots of love,

Especially to say,

I hope you have a very,

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Love,

Books about Death

Sometime in every child's life they will have experiences with death.  Some may be far removed, like a great-grandparent that they've only meet once or twice.  But other deaths will be much closer to their hearts and will be difficult to get through.  Loving and understanding parents and caregivers are key for children as they grieve.  However, sharing books about death and dying can also be very beneficial to children.  Books are something children are familiar with and to be able to identify with a character in a story who is facing similar feelings can be comforting to a child.  Books can also help parents and caregivers understand their children's feelings and how to help them through the difficult times.

Parents and caregivers need to be sensitive to child's feelings and needs.  Two most important things a parent can do is:  1. Be available  2. Listen  Every child will grieve differently and on a different timetable. 

The library has several books about death and dying that may help your child as they grieve a loss--of a family member, a friend, or a pet.  Here are a few examples of books available about death.

The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic

And What Comes After a Thousand?  by Anette Bley

Good-bye Sheepie by Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Peter Catalanotto

Grandma's Purple Flowers by Adjoa J. Burrowes

When People Die by Sarah Levete

What is Goodbye?  by Nikki Grimes; Illustrated by Raul Colon

There are also books written for adults to help children deal with grief, such as:

The Journey Through Grief and Loss:
Helping yourself and your child when grief is shared
by Robert Zucker

What Children Need When They Grieve:
The Four Essentials--Routine, Love, Honesty, and Security
by Julia Wilcox Rathkey

This blog (Books that Heal Kids) is a wonderful resource of additional books that you may want to use when addressing grief situations with your child.

T is for Thanksgiving!

This is an outreach storytime for Kindercare and Welcome School for November

Books

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving  Written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey

The Very First Thanksgiving Day  Written by Rhonda Gowler Greene; Illustrated by Susan Gaber

This is the Turkey  Written by Abby Levine; Illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye

Flannel Board/Songs/Rhymes

Five Little Turkeys

5 little turkeys by the barn door
1 waddled off, then there were 4.

4 little turkeys out under the tree
1 waddled off, then there were 3.

3 little turkeys with nothing to do
1 waddled off, then there were 2.

2 little turkeys in the noonday sun
1 waddled off, then there was 1.

1 little turkey--better run away!
Soon it will be Thanksgiving Day!

Five Fat Turkeys
Two fat turkeys standing in a row (hold up two fingers)
They spread their feathers (spread out arms) and their tails like so (wiggle bottom)
They strut to the left (move to the left)
They strut to the right (move to the right)
They say "Gobble, gobble!"
In the bright sunlight! (arms high and move down)

Continue counting up to five

Thanksgiving Dinner
(Sung to "Frere Jacques")

We eat turkey, we eat turkey.
Oh, so good. Oh, so good.
Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving
Yum-yum-yum!  Yum,-yum-yum!

Other verses:
Mashed potatoes
Homemade biscuits
Turkey dressing
Pumpkin Pie

You can also ask children what they like to eat on Thanksgiving and sing about that.  Be warned:  You may be singing about cheeseburgers and spaghetti!

G is for...

Another great week with great words to use in storytime!!  The focus was on the "hard" /g/ sound--grandpa, garden, grapes, gorilla, gloves, girl...

Books

The Tale of Two Goats written by Tom Barber

Off We Go! written by Jane Yolen

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

G-R-E-E-N
You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
And green is that color!

You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-R-E-E-(clap)
G-R-E-E-(clap)
G-R-E-E-(clap)
And green is that color!

You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-R-E-(clap, clap)
G-R-E- (clap, clap)
G-R-E-(clap, clap)
And green in that color!

You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-R-(clap, clap, clap)
G-R-(clap, clap, clap)
G-R-(clap, clap, clap)
And green is that color!

You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-(clap, clap, clap, clap)
G-(clap, clap, clap, clap)
G-(clap, clap, clap, clap)
And green is that color!

You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
(clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
(clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
(clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
And green is that color!

My Darling Goldfish

(sung to: The Grand Old Duke of York)

My darling little goldfish (make sign for fish)
Hasn't any toes (point to your toes)
He swims around without a sound (pretend to swim)
And bumps his angry nose (point to nose)
He can't get out to play with me (Point to your self)
Nor I get in to him (Point to other children)
Although I say, "Come out and play" (motion hand for him to come)
He says, "Come in and swim!" (point down)

Little Bo Peep
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn't know where to find them.
Leave them alone and they'll come home
Wagging their tails behind them.


Enrichment Activities

• Play with the guitar and other musical instruments
• Stacking Cups
• Gumball Activity [from Confessions of a Homeschooler]  I printed out four gumball sheets and had regular pom-poms available for children to fill in the "G" and gumball machine.
• Things That Go Together [from tlsbooks.com]

Pizza Winners!

Congratulations to Sofia M. and Savanah B. who were winner of our first DIY program in October.  They each won a free large pizza from Pizza Hut on Galvin Road! 

In November we are celebrating recycling--so remember to fill out a drawing slip each time you participate for your chance to win a prize this month!!

A special thank you to Pizza Hut for their generous donation!

Celebrate Recycling!

November 15 is America Recycles Day

...so this month's Do It Yourself Station is all about recycling!!

We have four activities to do any time you visit the library!

• Make a simple craft out of recyclable materials

• Play a recycling file folder game
• Color or draw a picture in the library's recycled coloring books using recycled crayons!

(color/activity sheets that didn't get used at programs along
with some scrap paper that has writing on only one side)

(broken crayons melted with like colors in a square mold
to make new, multi-shade crayons)

• Guess the number of plastic bottle caps in the candy jar (and maybe win the candy!)

 

 

So stop by the library and participate in some or all of the recycling activities throughout November!!

The Votes are In!

And the winner is....

PEPPERONI!

We had over 60 children vote throughout October! 

We had 71 play our felt pizza game and 34 pizza poems written!  Thanks for celebrating National Pizza Month with us and participating in our first DIY program at the library!!