Picture Book Month

I was afraid this was going to happen...the busyness of November caught up with me and I didn't get all my picture books posted.  But I found books for most of the days' themes so I still wanted to get them on my blog.  I found some good ones; and like I wrote before, I probably would have missed them because I am usually only looking  for "storytime books".



History



The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth and Harlem's Greatest Books
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
(2015)

Chocolate



Love Monster and the Last Chocolate
by Rachel Bright
(2015)

Under the Sea



Barnacle is Bored
by Jonathan Fenske
(2016)

Give a Dog a Bone Storytime

This was an easy storytime to have put together for after Thanksgiving.  I also used one of the books I discovered during "Picture Book Month"!

Books

One Hundred Bones

by Yuval Zommer

Bark, George

by Jules Feiffer

Graph
What do you think dogs like to do the most?
Play with a ball (4)
Go for a walk (3)
Dig (3)
Bark (4)

Songs

ABC Welcome

B-I-N-G-O
(flannel board)

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
March
Tiptoe
Hop on one foot

My Hands

Play and Learn

Playdough

Feed the Animals

Wooden Beads

Straws and Connectors

Pool Noodle Blocks

Coloring sheet

Counting Storytime

This week I did this storytime on both preschool days.  With it being Thanksgiving week the groups have been fairly small.

Books

Christopher Counting

by Valeri Gorbachev

Dog's Colorful Day

by Emma Dodd

Feast for 10

by Cathryn Falwell

Songs

Five Little Ducks

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear--Counting Variation 

1 bear, 1 bear turn around

2 bears, 2 bears touch the ground

3 bears, 3 bears dance on their toes

4 bears, 4 bears touch their nose

5 bears, 5 bears reach up high

6 bears, 6 bears touch the sky

7 bears, 7 bears bend down low

8 bears, 8 bears touch their toe

9 bears, 9 bears jump up now

10 bears, 10 bears take a bow

11 bears, 11 bears stomp their feet

12 bears, 12 bears take their seat

I did a few Thanksgiving songs on Wednesday

10 Little Turkeys

1 little, 2 little, 3 little turkeys
4 little, 5 little, 6 little turkeys
7 little, 8 little, 9 little turkeys
10 little turkeys.

Run, run, run little turkeys
Run, run, run little turkeys
Run, run, run little turkeys
Thanksgiving's almost here!

Five Turkeys
(tune: My Bonnie)

5 turkeys were getting quite nervous
Thanksgiving soon would be back
So one turkey put on a duck suit
And now he says, "Gobble, gobble, QUACK!"

Continue counting down.

Play and Learn

Dog's Colorful Day Dauber Activity

Roll the Dice--move that many spaces

Pom-pom Counting

Clothespin Counting

Dominoes

Blocks

"All By Myself" Storytime

It's always exciting for children when they can say "I can do it myself!", although parents are not always that thrilled when children really "can't".  But this is all part of learning and growing up!  The books today were to encourage parents to let their children try and encourage success, as well as pointing out many of the things children can or will be able to do on their own soon.

Books

All by Myself

by Ivan Bates

Look What I Can Do!

by Nancy Viau; illustrated by Anna Vojtech

Bear's Big Day

by Salina Yoon

For my 2nd storytime (with a younger group) I used this book instead

I'm 3! Look What I Can Do

by Maria Carluccio

Songs

ABC Welcome

The Wheels on the Bus

Hop, Hop, Stop!

Play and Learn

Pool Noodles (cut into 6th, with side cut so they can be put on the side of a table)

Train

Busy Bags:

Sewing

Crazy Straws

Paper Clips

Blocks

Coloring Sheet

Picture Book Month--Kids/Babies

Hand in Hand

by Rosemary Wells

(2016)

A great book to read in baby storytime to teach/remind parents the things babies learn through interaction with their first and most important teacher--their parents!

Picture Book Month--Birds

The Sleepy Songbird

by Suzanne Barton

(2016)

Picture Book Month--Insects

Stories from Bug Garden

by Lisa Moser; illustrated by Gwen Millward

(2016)

Screen Time

Did you know that in October the American Academy of Pediatrics announced newrecommendations for children’s media use?  For young children the recommendations have not changed significant:

• For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.
• For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.

Recently I attended a half-day workshop taught by Stacey B. Landberg about screen time and children.  One of my “take aways” was to meet parents where they are.  Instead of emphasizing the AAP’s recommendations of little to no screen time, try instead to focus on encouraging parents to increase other activities and offering other “nudges” that increase interaction between parent/caregiver and child. 

Some examples:

• Low Tech (or No Tech) Tuesday
• Media Free Meal/Screen-free snacks
• Digital Free Dinners
• Screen-Free Sundays
• Media Free Morning
• No screen after 7pm
• Tech-free home zones
• Outside play twice a day
• Book sharing before bed
• TV-free kids’ rooms
• Interacting with our voices and eyes
• Putting an end to background TV
• Pretend play twice a day
• Daily Development Activities (e.g. Vroom)
• Replacing sedentary screen time with physical screen time (yoga videos, Go Noodle)

Picture Book Month--Travel

Special Delivery

by Philip C. Stead; illustrated by Matthew Cordell

(2015)

How will Sadie get an elephant to her Great-Aunt Josephine--"who lives almost completely alone and could really use the company"?  Certainly not by mail!  She will have to deliver it herself (by way of a plane, alligator, train, and ice cream truck!)

Picture Book Month--Music

The Bear and the Piano

by David Litchfield

(2016)

PBM--Mice

Such a Little Mouse

by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Stephanie Yue

(2015)

Mouse stays busy throughout the year in his meadow home.

PBM--Cats

Ketzel the Cat Who Composed

by Leslea Newman; illustrated by Amy June Bates

(2015)

Based on a true story--Author's Note in the back.  

Hear Ketzel's composition here.

PBM--Peace

Sometimes I miss wonderful books because I am looking for books I can use in storytime.  So I love having the opportunity to look at books that are wonderful for a one-on-one read that I miss!  One of those books is Peace is an Offering.  This gentle books helps describe what peace is to children through tangible items, such as giving a muffin or a peach to another; finding peace in things you do, such as a walk in the park or waiting for your slow brother; finding peace through your feelings such as living in a safe place ; and analogies as with this line "Peace is a joining together, not a pulling apart."

The book has statements, "Peace is holding on to another."  But I love the questions posed that speaks some of the fears children (maybe all of us) may have as they live each day searching for peace.

"Will you stay with me?

Will you be my friend?

Will you listen to my story

till the very end?"

Peace is an Offering

by Annette Lebox; illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

(2015)

PBM--Dinosaurs

My daughter introduced me to the comics of Liz Climo about a year ago.  I have enjoyed her comics a lot, so I was thrilled to see that she wrote a children's book--all about the cute little dinosaur, Rory.  He is full of energy and very adventurous.  One day he decides to go out on his own and is proud of how well he can get by all by himself.  The reader, however, sees that Rory's dad is with him all along, making sure Rory is safe.

I just love books showing loving, caring fathers!

Rory the Dinosaur:  Me and My Dad

by Liz Climo

(2015)

Look for Rory's new book (2016) Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet

PBM--Books and Reading

What better topic for Picture Book Month than books about books and reading!  A simple rhyming scheme lets readers in on a little secret (they probably already know)--just how much fun books are!  The little hippo introduces us to where we go to read for free...the library!  And with just a little imagination she is on a treasure hunt with pirates and riding a dragon.  She also explains that there are books about every subject--history, fables, bugs and even zombies!  There is sure to be a book for everyone at the library!

Books for Me!

by Sue Fliess; illustrated by Mike Laughead

(2015)

PBM--Pirates

Who can resist a book about pirates?!  Mark Teague's book The Pirate Jamboree incorporates pirates with plenty of imagination in this rhyming text of fun and trouble as a group of neighborhood children find in their pirate play!

Meet Bluebeard and company, Sharktooth Jane, Eye Patch Sue, Captain Gunderboom, and the host of the pirate jamboree, Peg Leg Jones.  Their ships meet on the high seas and ruckus soon incurs!  It's a pirate free-for-all until the dreaded ship of Mrs. Jones appears!

The Pirate Jamboree

by Mark Teague

(2016)

PBM--Presidents/Elections

Today's Picture Book Month theme is Presidents and Elections--which was a tougher subject to find in a picture book.  But after reading several I settled on Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein with illustrations by James E. Ransome.  This historical fiction book about the troubles African Americans faced voting in the South in the 1950s and 1960s as told by a young boy.  Included an historical note at the end.  A great read aloud for elementary children about the importance and privilege of voting in our country.

Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box 

by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein; illustrated by James E. Ransome

(2015)

PBM--Food

Who can resist a picture book about food?  Makes me hungry just thinking about it!  Just like in Hungry Roscoe by David J. Plant.  I have successfully used this book in outreach storytimes.

Poor Roscoe Raccoon!  There is never much to eat in the city park except for left-over "rotten junk" found in the trash baskets.  But the animals in the nearby zoo are always well fed.  Can Roscoe convince the zookeeper he is one of the animals so he can get a nice meal for a change?

Question to ask children:  What other animals could Roscoe try to impersonate?  What objects would he use in the disguise?

Hungry Roscoe

by David J. Plant

(2015)

PBM--Fractured Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales for Mr. Barker 

by Jessica Ahlberg

(2016)

Climb through the pages of the book to visit (and rescue) characters in well-know fairy tales.

Baby Storytime

The sun was out today after almost 2 weeks of rain, so we had a small crowd for storytime.  But still it was a lot of fun!

Song/Rhymes/Bounces

Hands are Clapping
Hello Song
Little Bear
When Cows Get Up in the Morning
Trot, Trot to Boston
Tiny Little Babies
Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Hickory Dickory Dock (4 verses)
Toast
One Bright Scarf

Read Aloud Book

My Big Brother

by Valorie Fisher

Shared Reading

A variety of board books with photographs including:

Red Apple, Green Pear:  A Book of Colors

Play and Learn

PBM--Dogs

Oh, my!  How many wonderful books about dogs are out there!  Even  in the past two years there are have been hundreds of dog books published!  So it was a challenge to narrow my choice down to just one.  One Hundred Bones, by Yuval Zommer, captures a great dog story!  The main character is a dog without a name or collar or a human friend.  He is looked down upon by other dogs (and their owners) because of his love for digging.  However, when he finds a a stash of not one bone, but a hundred bones this little dog's life changes for the better!  This is definitely one I will be reading in storytime to my preschoolers!

One Hundred Bones

by Yuval Zommer

(2016)

PBM--Monkeys

November third's theme is Monkeys.  I found an adorable rhyming book: Monkey and Duck Quack Up! by Jennifer Hamburg with illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham.  Monkey wants Duck to be his partner in a rhyming contest so they can win on a three-day cruise.  Practice sessions with Duck, however, are less than successful.  Children will have a fun time filling in the correct rhyming word, while giggling at Duck's repeated response.  Will Monkey find a way to still win the rhyming contest? 

Monkey and Duck Quack Up! 

by Jennifer Hamburg; illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
(2015)

PBM--School

So often I think of picture books as something I read at preschool storytime, so I often skip over books that are for an older crowd.  But many picture books are made specifically for older children, who can enjoy the humor, and which spark children's imaginations.

Take for example these two school books:  Dad School and Mom School, both by Rebecca Van Slyke with illustration by Priscilla Burris.  Children imagine what their parents learned in school--schools that taught them how to be a Dad or a Mom.  How to fix leaky faucets?  How to tuck you in at night?  Many parents may wish they had the opportunity to go to parenting school (I know I do!) After reading the books you can ask children, "What else did your Mom or Dad learn in school?"  

You may also want to consider how the stories would be different if the little girl had written Dad School and the little boy had written Mom School.

Dad School

by Rebecca Van Slyke; illustrated by Priscilla Burris (2016)

Mom School

by Rebecca Van Slyke; illustrated by Priscilla Burris (2015)

Opposite Storytime

Well, when you break your own rule you have to pay the consequences...

My rule:  At least one book at storytime must have a substantial plot

I broke this rule today and I felt the storytime wasn't all that great.  One of my co-workers put this storytime together (with about 20 book options) and because I was rushing to get it together I neglected to notice that none of the books really had a "story".  I'll take it as a reminder to be sure to include a book with a plot in my upcoming storytimes!

Books

Ernest, The Moose Who Doesn't Fit

by Catherine Rayner

Dinosaurs Galore!  A Roaring Pop-up

by Paul and Henrietta Stickland

Animal Opposites: A Pop-up Book

by Petr Horacek

Graph
Which is your favorite BIG or small animal?
(a small crowd today...)

Elephant (1)
Buffalo (1)
Whale (2)
Ladybug (3)
Mouse (0)

Songs

ABC Welcome

Egg Shaker Hokey Pokey

Shake your egg fast
Shake your egg slow
Shake your egg fast
Then shake it all around
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

Other opposites:
Up/Down or High/Low
Left/Right
Front/Back

Hop, Hop, Stop!

Dinosaur, Dinosaur

Dinosaur Dinosaur turn around

Touch the ground

Dance on toes

Touch your nose

Show your claws

Snap your jaws

Bend down low

Touch your toe

Jump up now

Take a bow

Stomp on the ground

Please sit down.

Play and Learn

We started our play session with the parachute.  The kids did a great job doing opposites:  Up/Down and Fast/Slow.  After doing this for a while the parents joined in so the kids could go under the parachute.  I did a count (up to 10) so the kids would know when we'd be done.

Make a shaker (using paper plate and beads)

Dinosaur sorting

Dinosaur magnets

Feed the Animal Games (from Lakeshore)

 

PBM--Bears

I start my Picture Book Month Celebration with a very well-know, Caldecott winning book by Lindsay Mattick with illustrations by Sophie Blackall:  Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear.

This is a sweet story told to a young child about his great-great grandfather, Henry Colebourn, who adapted a small bear cub while he was serving in World War I.  How did this small bear become the world's most famous bear?  This delightful story explores this question and gives children a little history lesson too!  Photographs and journal entries are included at the end of the book.

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

by Lindsay Mattick;  illustrated by Sophie Blackall