Wednesday 2's

Snowy Day by Keats--classic, but always popular. I did the three brown teddies flannel, but they seem to have lost their mini casts somewhere along the line. They're still cute as a button. Music--I tried Sharon, Lois, and Bram this week but the song, "Sail on the Sea" was too fast to follow. I still love it, though, but should go solo next time. The Wiggles rock with "Hot Potato"--super fun, super easy. I also read, Hello is this Grandma? and the kids were riveted--especially when crocodile shows himself. Jackson's Blanket was sweet, but so-so. Hard to get into the action, somehow.

Giddy up Cowpokes!

It was a cowboy theme for Preschoolers this morning. They hung in there for some pretty long books. I read "Lasso Lou & Cowboy McCoy", "Sixteen Cows" (I love the names of the cows in this one, lots of chances to ham it up), and "Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard". Talk about your concepts! We sang or should I say Sharon, Lois & Bram sang "She'll be comin' round the mountain" and the groundhog rhyme rounded out the morning.

Where are you Sunflower, Baby Face, Button Eyes and Charlotte Grace, Jelly Roll, Peekaboo, Cinderbox and Bobbie Lou?

Three's Company

I read a cute little guessing game book called "Bear's Busy Morning". I sat on the floor and did the storytime, I think I'll continue to do that. We also went through a fingerplay about Groundhog Day and we all hope the Groundhog doesn't see his shadow on Monday, and that spring is on it's way. I then read "Jackson's Blanket" and "Under the Bed". I had qualms about "Under the Bed". I didn't want to give them any ideas about being afraid of things under their beds but it solicited smiles and a laugh from a mom at the end when all the things under the bed are afraid of the thing in the bed. We did the Hokey Pokey and they were really good at participating, more than the 4's and 5's. Viva threes!

p.s. am I the only one who thinks the Groundhog is mixed up? I always thought it made more sense the other way around. He sees his shadow and spring is on it's way, he doesn't see his shadow and there's more winter!

Groundhog Buzz

Book Buzz was hilarious yesterday.
The theme was Groundhog Day, so I read Punxsutawney Phyllis by Susanna Hill. (The plot is that although Phyllis is the best young groundhog at predicting the weather no one thinks she will be the one to replace the aging official groundhog because she is a girl.)
One first grade feminist raised her hand and was simply outraged at this travesty of justice, exclaiming, "But that is NOT FAIR. Girls can be groundhogs too Miss Jennifer!"
After two weeks of chocolate frosting and glitterglue heavy crafts, I decided on a low mess level craft activity. We made paper groundhog crowns-- they were a big hit and the kids looked adorable in them.
I am loving this age group!

Forever Young

My Wonderful Ones went well today (and, wow, there were a lot of them), but it would have even better if I'd better remembered the difference between a 13-month-old and a 23-month-old. I had a lot of older Ones today, and I'm not sure I challenged or engaged them as much as I could have. My brain is still calibrated toward babies and their caregivers.

For example, I realized that I was asking parents to grab their little ones' feet when I read Charlie Chick (which I need to retire, I think--I've read it in/at least 15 storytimes)...and that's more of something you do with babies. I could have asked the bigger Ones to point to their own feet/beak/belly. I also forgot that felt boards were a magnet for roaming Ones and had to practically swat a few off when I did "Old McDonald" on the board. Doing Moo Bah Lalala as a read-along was a hit, though, as was handing out the puppets (I'm so glad we've got those!) and doing "Head, Shoulders" and "Humpty Dumpty" and "Rockabye Baby" with them.

Of course, when it was time for Busy Babies, I welcomed them as my default . I did almost the same storytime, but provided more talking points ("remember that varying your voice a lot when you read even the simplest thing helps your baby to learn letter sounds!"). We skipped the feltboard and I tried the Color Farm board book, which might have been a little too small for a storytime.

Today doubled my resolve to try a lot of new things with my little guys this term (do we call it a term?) and to be careful with my distinctions between Babies and Ones.

Chatty Mommies

Tonight the kids were fine - it was two chatty moms who sat in the corner and were talking almost nonstop - very quietly, but still it was annoying. The kids didn't even seem to notice, I guess it was only me it distracted, but ideas anyone? Thanks.

I read Penguin by Polly Dunbar because I think it's hysterical and I did get a few jaw drops from the kids. I also read Tacky the Penguin, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and New Socks (why is that book so funny?). The books went over well. The kids were super cute when I asked them to do Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes as fast as they could - I had to laugh. Also, this group always sings along with every song, so that's really encouraging.

Preschool Storytime

I kept with the stuffed friends theme and read Corduroy instead of Knuffle Bunny. These kids weren't as good as coming up with an animal rhyme, coming up with duck and chair instead. What? The numbers haven't been real good. Perhaps we should go back to one at 10:00.

Three's

I had a stuffed friends theme this week, I read "Where's My Teddy", "Knuffle Bunny" and sang "Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go" which the kids really giggled at. After the book I asked if they had any animals we could rhyme and lo and behold they came up with "cat" and "hat". Brillant! I acted out "We're going on a bear hunt" and of course did "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear". A couple of kids got on the topic of monsters, so that will be next week's theme!

Hi, Pizza Man!

This is an old favorite of mine that had gone out of print. I ordered a used copy from Amazon that just arrived. It's still gold! I wore the pizza hat while I read it, and you could have heard a pin drop. Even my two roamers stopped in their tracks to listen. I'm taking it this week to Blocks 24, but you should definitely try it for 2s and 3s or Saturday ST.

I also read Sleepyhead Bear which would be a better book if the rhymes didn't feel so forced. The kids liked it, but I found myself making changes as I read it, so it wasn't so sing-songy. We sang Bringing home a Baby Bumblebee with the bee puppet and I encouraged them to join in with very loud ouches as I stung different parts of my body. For some reason, this is very exciting and even the shy ones giggle when I get stung.

Saturday Babies

We had seven babies, one mom with twins, and quite a few dads on Saturday. The mom with twins was impressive. She would do an activity with one, while the other sat very precariously in front of her, then she would switch them. These had to be the sunshiniest round happy faced babies I have ever performed for. We read So Big, Baby Faces, and Peekaboo Baby (all together). I used the 3 Fat Sausages flannel or 3 Fat Turds as some like to call it. Come on, I ask you, does poop sizzle? Of course not!

I also used the Ravioli snack box with the babies and they did not reject it, although Maxwell did start crying when his dad tickled his chin. You win some, you lose some.

Other rhymes included: Two Little Eyes, Ponies Were Walking, Acka Backa Soda Cracka, Wibbleton to Wobbleton, Sally Go Round the Sun, Grandfather Clock Goes Tick Tock, and Open Them Shut Them.

No Ravioli For Me Thanks!

I had a first today--four kids who refused to hold my pretend ravioli. I had put some fake fruit in one of the story boxes (calling it my snack box) and after pulling out an orange, some grapes and an apple and rejecting them, I pulled out the ravioli and said "that's the food for me" (leading into the song).

I went to pass out the pieces and four toddlers turned me down. The nerve! or maybe they wanted real ravioli instead of a piece of paper towel. or maybe they didn't have a clue as to what ravioli was and it seemed scary or maybe they thought the fake fruit looked way more appetizing. I don't know, but there was definitely some group think going on.

Jason's Blanket was a success. Thanks Jennifer. I tried a new Alligator rhyme and used it with Clarabella's Teeth and it went over just fine. I also read at Heather's recommendation, Walking in the Jungle, which is gold! Interestingly, I had alligators/crocodiles (who knows the difference?) in all three books without aiming for it as a theme. Does that ever happen to you? You realize your hodgepodge actually makes some kind of sense.

Lilly Andy

Dole-drums

Not a very successful storytime today at Dole. The crowd was bigger than last week, but boy howdy were they stonefaced little darlings. There were a couple of regulars who participated, but I hadn't seen any of the other folks before-- not sure if they were new, or just not Main patrons. It was one of those times when I felt slightly manic, because my instinct when no one is joining in is to ramp up the enthusiasm.
I read Whose Nose and Toes ?, A Good Day, and the Big Dig pop-up. One boy who had been completely silent went crazy over all the trucks! I did get some nice responses to Whose Nose and Toes? as well.
One BIG problem-- the tiger bubble maker absolutely refused to work, which caused the whole low-energy affair to end on a even lower note. I thought I would save the day because I had a brand-new spare bottle of bubbles on hand. However-- apparently wands are sold separately these days.
Sigh.

Babies, 1's and 2's oh my!

I did four storytimes this week. Whew! For babies and 1's, I pretty much used the same program--just added more rhymes for babes and more books for 1's. Toes, Ears, & Nose (Karen Katz's illustrations are perfect for babies!) was a fab lift-the-flap, Penelope the Piglet worked with all 3 ages groups--especially the snuffly pig part (I asked the kids "Where's your snout? And they actually pointed to their noses!), Clip Clop pairs perfectly with the new horse puppet as does Giddy up Let's Ride. I tell the parents they get to be the horsies and that kids can pet their "manes"/hair! The Baby Goes Beep, I Like it When, Peek-a-Pet and Maisy Goes Swimming were perfect with the 1's. Especially Maisy. She always rocks. For the 2's, There Once Was a Puffin and From Head to Toe worked well but the real star was Snowbaby Could Not Sleep. Thanks Lori! I had the kids count paper snowflakes with me during the story and this was a book that calmed everyone down. Kathy Reid Naiman's song, The Ponies are Walking provided some active play to get the wiggles out, and my name game Ball Bounces is a must for babies and 1's.

Pajama-rama

I was a little hesistant when I opened the door and only one mom with her two very little girls came in. There was no one else to recruit, so I started storytime. They were very cute, but obviously new to storytime, and pretty scared of me. (Scary Ms. Kate!) Then, two more kids came in with their moms, both regular storytimers, so they helped perk up the energy. I thought it might be hard with only four, but they sang and clapped with me and really listened to the stories. Plus, with only four, they were able to help put the felt pieces on the felt board which they looooved.

I read Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Keisha Ann Can (good one Leslie!), Not a Box and Who is Driving? I did an oral storytelling of Grumpy Bird with the felt board pieces, and it was really fun. I also used the felt board for Wheels on the Bus, and the kids really liked that. So even for a small crowd, it still went pretty well.

Andy's first babies ST

Well, I survived, and even enjoyed it. I had talked to both Rory and Heather at some length, and they graciously imparted their baby wisdom, so I felt decently prepared. I decided for this very first ST not to do any completely new rhymes or stretchers, and instead just adapt ones that I already felt very comfortable with. The worst part of the ST was opening the doors at 11:00 and not have anyone come in! I had to walk around and actively recruit, and let in a few post-15-month-olds, just to eventually get a cozy little group of 7, which turned out to be a nice size. Here's my plan o' action:
1. Intro comments...
2. song – come along and sing with me, sing with me, sing with me, come along and sing with me, on a Saturday morning
- clap with me - kick with me - read with me
3. book – Where’s Spot?
4. stretcher – where is thumbkin?
5. Song – You Are My Sunshine – use flannel sun
6. book – Bear at Home – introduce with Bear puppet
7. fingerplay – Head, shoulders, knees, and toes
8. rhyme – intro with bee puppet – Here is the beehive
9. book – Read-along – That’s Not My Puppy
10. stretcher - open shut them
11. activity – 1 big bubble, high up in the sky
12. song – now it’s time to say goodbye

Anyway, nothing bombed, which was nice. I definitely guilted one dad into getting off his plastic chair and onto the rug, so everybody was on the floor, except me, and it definitely did make it easier for me to be the focal point. My fave moment might have been doing the read-along; it was fun passing out board books to every adult, and then reading the story out loud myself, adding lots of interjections ("ooh, touch those paws, aren't they bumpy?!?", etc.)while the adults flipped through their copies with their babies on their laps. It was also kind of nice not having to worry about panning my copy for the crowd - the rare moment where I didn't want to visually distract the babies from what was taking place in their immediate vicinity. Anyway, it turns out I don't have much trouble keeping up a running patter/flow - the perk of being a blabbermouth!

Lincoln Book Buzz

The session started pretty small, with about 5 kids there at 3:00. I began with Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, (Hopkinson and Hendrix) This is a pretty long story-- and it's a bit confusing because the narrator "breaks the fourth wall" and asks questions directly of the reader. I was a bit worried if the younger kids would understand what was going on. I edited out a bit of those types of details just in case. The gist of the story is that, as legend has it, Abe's childhood friend Austin once saved him from drowning, and Abe remembered him for the rest of his life. One of the kids happened to be named Austin, and was pretty chuffed to know that "his name" had rescued the President. I was happy that everyone really paid attention and seemed to definitely enjoy a complex story. We talked a little about what it means to be a friend, which was very sweet.
Then-- on to the chocolate...
Thanks to Gus at the grocery on OP Ave., I was finally able to come up with milk cartons for the log cabin craft. The kids LOVED it, and it was actually less messy than I had feared. There were two helpful moms who helped me wrangle, and Jenny helped too. (thanks Jenny!)
I decided to forgo the Abe Lincoln beard /hat craft today. The cabins took longer than I thought they would, and when I tried out the craft yesterday I found it more appropriate for older kids with more developed small motor skills. I'm going to think about how we might market this craft to older kids around President's Day.... any thoughts?
In any case-- I'm proud to say I survived my first Book Buzz!

Wednesday Two's

I started with my surefire hit, Walking in the Jungle, which is one of our big books. The kids love the suspense and the sound effects and I really ham it up with dramatic play. We put on our pretend jungle hats, bug spray, sunscreen, boots, and take nets and binoculars and I repeat the refrain so everyone joins in the fun. Next, I read Pip & Squeak, which is rather bland. I tried it twice and while the pictures are great, the kids just didn't get into the text. Annie's Chair was fantastic and when both Annie and the dog are crying the kids are riveted. Both dog books--Desmond the Dog and Hunky Dory Ate It were popular and I matched up the fingerplay, "Rags the Dog" while we pretended to be puppies. The "Milkshake Song" always rocks and I passed out the egg shakers for it. The Wiggleworms version of "Row Your Boat" is my absolute favorite, and I introduce music time by playing the harmonica--THAT gets everyone's attention instantly! The flannel 5 little snowmen was a hit, and 2 more snow rhymes "Snow Angels" and "I'm a Little Snowman" rounded out the weird dog-snow hybrid theme. If you want me to demo the rhymes, let me know. Overall it was a great session.

Babies

My first ever Baby storytime. I started with Come along and Sing with me. I like that one as an opener. A couple babies from ones were also in babies. I had a baby doll in my lap and a couple of babies loved that, they were right up in front. Again, I could have had these memorized better but I felt I had them in my head better than with the ones. I did a face rhyme from Japan and there was actually a woman there from Japan and she had a big smile on her face.

Wonderful One's

Well ,my first foray into baby land. Help! I liked the beginning songs I did - Up, Down, Turn Around and Higgelty Piggelty Bumblebee. The rhymes went quicker than I thought, kids wandering around taking the ducks off the flannel board for Five Little Ducks, parents leaving me singing all alone or very quietly singing. I read "The Baby Goes Beep" and "Big Fat Hen" we did Ring Around the Rosie and ended with The More We Get Together. They did sing that one. I felt I could have done a better job at memorizing the rhymes. It's a hard age I think. One little boy loved the Jack in the Box. After they played with the balls & blocks I had Paul helping and I named the colors of the balls as he put them in emphasizing they were IN the box and that was cute. Some one on one time.

PJ storytime 1/12

I was very excited / a little nervous about doing the winter pajama storytime, but I think tonight went really well overwell. However, I was a little shocked when, during the middle of Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime a little girl got up and asked her dad if they could go to Blockbuster to rent a movie, and he said yes, and they left. I mean I was roaring like crazy, kid!

Other than that, I was very surprised that the children were riveted by The Napping House, especially when everyone starts to wake up. Once the flea bit the mouse, I looked at a little boy, and he actually said with genuine excitement, "What's gonna happen next?" Loved it! Also, I was again surprised by the absolute focus and quiet while I read Goodnight Moon. Either they were sleepy or mesmerized by the book. I also read How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and did the 5 little snowmen felt board story which was really fun. I had a decent turnout for a snowy night (11/7) and while the kids weren't super vocal, they were still interested.

Royal Reading "Knight"

Last Thursday evening I had the pleasure of doing a special storytime for Longfellow school's Royal Family Reading "Knight". It was a blast. I was amazed at the turn-out-- especially for a cold, snowy night. I estimated at least 150, if not 200 people were in attendance, most in royal attire. (Kudos to school librarian Sharon Pearce!) Parents and kids spent about 15 minutes at three separate "stations" which included a skit in the auditorium, quiet reading in the library, and my storytime in the "pod." I wore my "Fancy Nancy" crown, and read Princess Penelope (Todd Mack) which was a huge hit. The kids were very enthusiastic and yelled along to the "I am a PRINCESS!" refrain. My other book was de Paola's The Knight and the Dragon. I encouraged the kids to explain out loud what was happening in the wordless parts of the book. They were very well-behaved and took turns describing the action, although one boy threw me for a loop when he claimed that the jousting scene "probably looked a lot like the fighting going on in Iraq." (!)
Needless to say we moved on to the BBQ scene hastily!
All in all, it was a very positive outreach experience...

Monday Twos

My Monday 9:30 ST kids really did have a case of the Monday Blues. There was no singing along, no attempts at finger movements, no facial expressions or reactions of any kind to what I was reading. Of course, then I really ramped it up. Even the stickers and turtle kisses fell flat. Luckily, I had a 10:30 ST to try and regain a bit of self-esteem.

This session was packed and also had several older siblings in it which is always good to get things rolling. The energy was great. Snowbaby Could Not Sleep, in particular, was solid, and they enjoyed my new flannel snowman face that I made to go along with "Two Little Eyes." Yes, I'm back in love with my twos--at least my 10:30 twos.