Baby Storytime

This week's Baby Storytime really didn't have a "theme", which is OK!  We used the same set of board books for shared reading that we have for the past couple of weeks.

We had several new families today--it was a little rough getting started, but soon the babies and parents were engaged!

Songs/Rhymes/Bounces
Words for most of these can be found here

Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Good Morning to You
Little Bear
Jingle Bells
Roly-Poly
Wheels on the Bus
(verses: wheels; babies--go bumpity bump; horn--goes beep, beep, beep (touch baby's nose on each "beep"); mommies--say "I love you!"; wheels)
Pease Porridge Hot
Toast
Parachute (If You're Happy and You Know It)

Read Aloud Book

Say Hello Like This

by Mary Murphy

Shared Reading

A variety of picture books including:

Dadda

by Jimmy Fallon

Sweet Child of Mine

by Caroline Jayne Church

Play and Learn

We ended storytime with the parachute.  It's interesting how one baby can set the mood for all the rest.  In the past the babies have loved shaking the parachute and crawling underneath.  Today, I had one baby who did not like the parachute and cried, even when his mother moved him to another part of the room.  Other babies became more "leery" of the parachute and only a few crawled under.  We'll give it a try another time!

I had two families (first time coming) come at the very end of play and learn so I extended the play part for another 10 minutes.

Shoes and Socks Storytime

I will be repeating this storytime with another group next month so hopefully I won't have such a huge group and I can do a few of the other things I had planned!

Books

Dog in Boots

by Greg Gormley; illustrated by Roberta Angaramo

Sally and the Purple Socks

by Lisze Bechtold

Songs/Rhymes

I Can Walk on Two Feet

I can walk on two feet, on two feet, on two feet

I can walk on two feet all day long.

Additional verses:

Run

Jump

Stomp

Tiptoe

Hop on one foot

If You're Happy and You Know It

Play and Learn

Socks coloring sheet--color and decorate a pair of socks!

Blocks

Magnet sorting

Beads

Musical Instruments

January Book Club

Our January children's/teen lit book club...

Guardians of Childhood

by William Joyce and Laura Geringer

Phoebe and Her Unicorn

by Dana Simpson

Anybody But Ivy Pocket

by Caleb Krisp

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures

by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater

Flora and Ulysses

by Kate DiCamillo

Carry On

by Rainbow Rowell

Conrad's Fate

by Diana Wynne Jones

Sunny Side Up

by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm

A kids graphic novel in the same vein as "Sisters"
Sunny had big plans for the summer with her best friend, until she is abruptly sent to stay with her grandfather, who lives in a retirement community in Florida.  Through flashback chapter we learn about a secret Sunny has been harboring that has been eating away at her.

Ash and Bramble

by Sarah Prineas

What if the Godmother in fairy tales was evil?
Can Pin unravel the mystery of the Godmother and Story so she can choose her own destiny?
A clean fractured fairy tale for teens.

The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation

by Daniel James Brown

An amazing story of perseverance, family, friendship, and trust.  
Although I haven't read the full version, I enjoyed the Young Reader's Adaptation.  I felt there were enough details to not only tell the story, but convey the emotions and feelings of Joe and other members of the rowing crew.

Echo

by Pam Munoz Ryan

Audio

This is one book that has been on my "to read" list most of 2015.  I had started it once, but for some reason or another I didn't get too far into it.  So on this attempt I decided to listen it--which was an excellent idea because the audio version is amazing!
Four stories intertwined around a very special harmonica--a harmonica that choose its owner and changes that person's life.  It's amazing how all the stories come full circle.

Night Out at the Library

I've been trying to work with an elementary that are just down the street from the library, but we really don't see many of the kids after school.  I thought if I offered a program geared completely to them it would bring in families and then hopefully they would use the library more.

I wanted to do it in the fall, but ran out of time between submitting the idea and the actual event date, then it was the holidays so I pushed it back to January.

I've been in contact with the principal since November planning the date and activity and she started having the announcement go out in the school newsletter.  The library made 400 flyers so each student was able to take one home. I planned for 150 students , plus family members for a total of 300.  I knew that was probably a bit high, but I certainly didn't want to run out of anything!

Here's what I had planned for the night:

The class with the most students attending will receive a prize!

Kids put their name into their teacher's "pocket"

Scavenger Hunt around the library to solve the riddle:  When is an apple like a library book?

Craft:  Cardboard Spinners

Legos (an flyers to promote the monthly Lego Club)

New Books!  I brought 20 more over from the main library, so we'd be sure to have a good selection!

Refreshments!  Friends of the Library bought cookies for the evening!

The program went from after school (3:30) until we closed (8 pm).  I didn't have any "Jr. Friends" to help, so I hoped I'd be able to bop from welcoming new families, to assisting in crafts, to reader's advisory.  I wasn't quite sure how it would work if we got a big influx all at once.

Unfortunately we had a very small turnout, but the ones who did come had a good time!  So it's back to the drawing board for new and improved ideas to get our neighbors into the library!

Baby Storytime--Parent and Baby Love (2)

Rhymes/Songs/Bounces
Words for most of them can be found here

Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Good Morning to You
Little Bear
Jingle Bells (using the CD "Where is Thumbkin?)
Roly-Poly
Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Pat-a-Cake
Hey Diddle, Diddle
Jack and Jill
Toast
Scarf Song

Read Aloud

Mommy Mine

By Tim Warnes; illustrated by Jane Chapman

Shared Reading
A variety of board books depicting parent/child relationships including

Daddies and Their Babies

by Guido Van Genechten

I Kissed the Baby!

Mary Murphy

Play and Learn

Bathtime Storytime

I was able to present a bathtime storytime time at two libraries!  The first time we had to do the storytime in the children's area because we were getting new carpet in our meeting room (Hallelujah!)  But because we were in the children's area we had just a few, simple play and learn activities.

Books

Who Needs a Bath?

by Jeff Mack

Who's in the Tub?

by Sylvie Jones; illustrated by Pascale Constantin

Get Out 0f My Bath!

by Britta Teckentrup

Flannel Board/Song

Five Little Piggies

Five little piggies rolled in the mud

Oh, my goodness! They need a scrub!

The farmer took one piggy out

"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

The other side of the pig is "clean" so I turn a dirty pig over and place it on the flannel board "clean".  Before moving to the next verse I always have the kids count the number of clean pigs and the number of dirty pigs.  I try to "sneak in" math terms.

Four little piggies rolled in the mud
Oh, my goodness! They need a scrub!
The farmer took one piggy out
"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

Continue until none are left

No little piggies rolled in the mud

They look so nice after their scrub

The farmer turned his back...and then....

Five little pigs rolled in the mud again!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

(traditional)

Regular

Fast

Faster

Slow Motion

Super Speed!

Play and Learn

Storytime in the children's area

Lacing Cards

Dinosaurs Sort

Bubbles

Blocks

Regular Play and Learn

Water Play! (with duckies)

Bubbles

Strawberry Game

Button Sort

Every once in a while I will stumble upon a CD that actually goes with the theme.  I did this morning when I pulled out Raffi's Everything Grows with the first track being "Bathtime"!

Animals in Winter Storytime

This is one of my favorite storytimes to do in the winter!  I will probably do this same theme for my outreach storytimes this month

Books

Quiet Bunny and Noisy Puppy

by Lisa McCue

Don't Wake Up the Bear!

by Marjorie Dennis Murray; illustrated by Patricia Wittman

Songs

ABC Welcome Song

Are You Sleeping?

We used the animals from Quiet Bunny and Noisy Puppy:  bear, frog, birds, puppy, and bunny!

Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?

Little bear,  Little bear?

[snore]

Wake up little bear!

Wake up little bear!

Grrr, Grrr, Grrr!

Grrr, Grrr, Grrr!

Frog--jump

Bird--fly (or flap)

Puppy--bark

Bunny--hop

Sit Down Song

Hop, hop, STOP!

Hop, hop, STOP!

Run a little, run a little

Sit down, PLOP!

Play and Learn

Train

Crazy Straw Busy Bag

Wooden Beads

Puzzles

Animals in Winter coloring sheet from Scholastic

Baby Storytime--Baby and Parent Love

First baby storytime since December 18th!  It was great to see the babies and their moms today!  Although it was a fairly small group, with four returning families and one new, it was a lot of fun!

Songs/Bounces/Rhymes
Words to most of the songs can be found here

Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Good Morning to You!
Little Bear
Jingle Bells
When Cows Get Up in the Morning
Hey Diddle, Diddle
Pat-A-Cake
If You're Happy and You Know It
Grasshopper
Tickle the Clouds

Read Aloud Book

Daddy Hug

by Tim Warner; illustrated by Jane Chapman

Shared Readings

A variety of board books depicting parent/child relationship including

You and Me, Baby

by Lynn Reiser and Penny Gentieu

Hug You, Kiss You, Love You

by Joyce Wan

Play and Learn