Preschool Storytime: Chickens

Even beyond all the farm books, there are lots of great picture books featuring silly chicken characters. And I had fun finding lots of great rhymes and songs to go along! We did do “soup” as a theme last week – I did not call attention to the fact that many of us associate chickens with soup, though!

NOTE: I’ve realized that the tunes “Do Your Ears Hang Low” and “Skip to My Lou” are rooted in racism and can be harmful. I’ll no longer be using “Shake, Shake, Shake” during storytime, as it uses the “Do Your Ears” tune. There are lots of great shaker egg songs that can be used instead. Thankfully, “I Know a Chicken” is actually a Laurie Berkner song, and actually uses a completely different tune (and I was just oblivious!) Use that instead!

You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.

Early Literacy Tip: Talking about words that rhyme helps children become more aware of the smaller sounds in words, (which is the early literacy skill “phonological awareness”). Pick a word (like “sleep”) and see if your children can think of a rhyming word. If that is too hard, then see if your children can recognize a rhyming word, which is easier—does “sleep” rhyme with “cat?” Does “sleep” rhyme with “peep?”

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Intro: Can you guess what animal we’ll talk about today? It’s a funny animal that is a bird – lays eggs – eats worms and bugs and corn – wakes everyone up in the morning with a cock-a-doodle-doo – It’s a chicken!

Rhyme with Flannel: All Around the Barnyard
All around the barnyard
The animals are fast asleep
Sleeping cows and horses
Sleeping pigs and sheep
Here comes the cocky rooster
To sound his daily alarm
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
To wake the sleepy farm! (“wake” all the animals)
Credit: Storytime Katie, flannel from Oriental Trading

Flannel with barn, tree, rooster, hen, chick, and horse, cow, pig and sheep laying on their sides.

Here’s a story about a chicken who doesn’t lay her eggs where she’s supposed to. I decided to start with this book because it has great actual photographs of chickens on a farm, including different varieties.
Read: Tillie Lays an Egg by Terry Golson & Ben Fink

Shaker Egg Song: I Know a Chicken
(tune of Skip to my Lou) **SEE NOTE ABOVE**
Oh, I know a chicken and she laid an egg
Oh, I know a chicken and she laid an egg
Oh my goodness, it’s a shaky egg!
Shake your eggs like this! Fast!
Repeat, changing the final action: slow, in a circle, etc.
Credit: Laurie Berkner Band, via Storytime Katie

**SEE NOTE ABOVE**
Shaker Egg Song: Shake, Shake, Shake
(tune of Do Your Ears Hang Low?)
Credit: Storytimes and More via Yogibrarian

Fingerplay with Flannel: Ten Fluffy Chicks
Five eggs and five eggs, (show hand with five fingers, then the other)
And that makes ten (put hands together)
Sitting on top is mother hen (one hand folds over other)
Cackle, cackle, cackle, (clap, clap, clap!)
And what do I see? (hands out, questioning)
Ten fluffy chicks as yellow as can be (ten fingers up again)
Credit: Mel’s Desk, flannel printout from Sunflower Storytime

Read: Bedtime for Chickies by Janee Trasler

I loved learning this song for Hispanic Heritage Month and am happy to use it for other themes! I start by explaining what’s happening in the song: In English, we interpret the sounds of chicks as “peep” or “cheep,” but in Spanish we say “pío.” And these chicks wander away from their mother and get hungry and cold. But the mother hen is a good mama, so she finds food for them, corn and wheat, and gathers them under her wings to get warm and go to sleep. But the next day, the silly chicks do it all over again! I left the flannel up with the yellow chicks showing.
Song: Los pollitos dicen (The Chicks Say…)
Los pollitos dicen, pío, pío, pío
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío (hambre=rub belly, frío=rub shoulders)
La gallina busca, el maíz y el trigo
les da la comida, y les presta abrigo
Bajo sus dos alas, acurrucaditos,
duermen los pollitos hasta el otro día (duermen=lay head on hands, sleepy)
Pío, pío, pío dicen los pollitos
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío
Credit: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/a7zUbmjUtDM

Can be done with fingers or toes (à la “This Little Piggie”), but it’s easier to do on fingers in storytime!
Fingerplay: This Little Chick
(add one finger at a time, ending with thumb OR pinky)
This little chick got into the barn
This little chick ate all the corn
This little chick said he wasn’t well
This little chick said he’d go tell
But this little chick said “Peep, peep, peep” (wiggle last finger)
“Please be quiet, I’m trying to sleep!”
Credit: Handley Regional Library System (CO)

I held up my chick, hen, and rooster flannel pieces in the video, but in person, I’d encourage kids to do a different motion for each verse.
Action Song: The Chickens in the Coop
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The chicks in the coop go peep, peep, peep
Peep, peep, peep, peep, peep, peep
The chicks in the coop go peep, peep, peep, all day long!

Additional verses:
The hens in the coop go bok, bok, bok…
The roosters in the coop go cock-a-doodle-doo…
Credit: Storytime Hooligans

Read: Chicken Story Time by Sandy Asher & Mark Fearing

Action Song: If You’re a Chicken and You Know It
(tune of: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings (flap, flap)
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings (flap, flap)
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 (flap, flap)

Additional verses:
Search for worms: scritch scratch (scratch ground with foot)
Eat some corn: peck peck (move head in pecking motion)
Cluck hello: bok bok (nice and loud!)
Get in your nest: settle settle (wiggle bottom and get low)
Credit: adapted from Jen in the Library

Craft: Chicken Puppet
Crafty Pammy has made this simple but adorable chicken puppet based on our last book, Chicken Story Time. To give it my own flavor, I suggested families look at different breeds/varieties of chicken and choose one to decorate their puppet like. I chose to make mine a Brahma! I was told by one mom that this was her kid’s favorite craft, and that he continues to play with his chicken puppet weeks later!

Cardstock white chicken puppet on a jumbo craft stick, decorated with black feathers on the back of the neck and tail, red comb and waddle, yellow beak, and big black and white eyes.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Chickens to the Rescue
by John Himmelman
Chicken Wants a Nap
by Tracy Marchini & Monique Felix
Acoustic Rooster & His Barnyard Band
by Kwame Alexander & Tim Bowers

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 3/2/21.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime handout with suggested book list and rhyme and song lyrics.

Preschool Storytime: Animals Eating Animals

So… someone on Storytime Underground mentioned they did an Animals Eating Animals theme and my mind started whirring! I loved it and tucked it away for a future idea. When I did a callout on the site a couple of months later in preparation for this session, I got lots of great ideas, but a few people who said “That’s a weird theme.” Which, sure, it is. BUT – if you look at the number of available books and songs and rhymes that tie in, it’s really not that weird. There’s definitely a basis in the natural world, though I went “silly” instead of “scientific.” And lots of kids seem to love stuff that is just a little taboo – underwear, snot, slime, bugs. So I went in full throttle and had a lot of fun goofing with Animals Eating Animals. I even got to wear my dinosaur dress, and used a TON of props, which I love.

See another version of this theme from 2026.

You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.

Early Literacy Tip: Preschool children have wonderful imaginations. Encourage pretend play and find ways to expand it so that children explore different situations and characters. You can enrich their play by following their lead, adding new words, offering “what if” situations, and incorporating writing and print into their play. This kind of play adds to their “sense of story”.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Discussion: Out in the wild, a lot of animals eat other animals to stay alive. This makes them carnivores, or meat-eaters, or omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. What about you? Are you a carnivore, omnivore, or even a herbivore (only eat plants – another word is vegetarian)? One thing I love is that there are a lot of really funny stories and songs about animals eating animals! How about turtles? They eat bugs and fish – here’s a rhyme about that:

Fingerplay: There Was a Little Turtle
There was a little turtle (make fist)
who lived in a box (cover fist with arm)
he swam in the puddles (fist wiggles like swimming)
he climbed on the rocks (fist climbs up opposite arm)
He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea (pinch with thumb and fingers)
He snapped at a minnow, he snapped at me
He caught that mosquito, He caught that flea (clap each time)
He caught that minnow
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Credit: Jbrary

Read: Swallow the Leader by Danna Smith & Kevin Sherry

Flannel & Song: Slippery Fish
Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by an …

Jellyfish … floating in the water
Octopus … squiggling in the water
Tuna fish … flashing in the water
Great white shark … lurking in the water

Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water,
Humongous whale, humongous whale,
Gulp! … Gulp! … Gulp! … BURP! (Cover mouth)
Excuse me!
Credit: Jbrary (see motions there)

This is one of the first flannels I made – about 2 years ago now. I think I saw it on a video, took a screenshot, and based the design on that. But I went back to see if I could find either my printout or the original video and couldn’t find it. I do wish the whale was facing the other direction (I guess I could just put another eyeball on the back) and the sizes were increasingly big, but I make it work!

slippery fish flannel, including small green fish, pink jellyfish, gray octopus with pink suckers, white tuna with pink fins, a gray shark, and a blue whale.

I’m not sure if I do Baby Shark the same way the viral video does, but it’s the way I’ve always done it!
Action Song: Baby Shark
(motion shark jaws opening and closing throughout, motions getting bigger with larger relatives)
Baby shark, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo (x3) Baby shark!

Baby (thumb and pointer) … Sister (whole hand)
Brother (both hands) … Grandma (both hands, fingers curled)
Momma (arms from elbows down) … Daddy (whole arms)

SHARK ATTACK!! AAAAAHHH!
Swim away (swim motion) doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo (x3)
Gotcha! (tickle)
Credit: traditional

Based on this post on Literary Commentary, I asked one of our volunteers to make me a George box to retell this classic story. She did an amazing job and this is the second time I’ve gotten to use this prop. It’s a lot of fun, and a good opportunity to show that books can be acted out!
Puppet Retelling: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

I love the jazzy tune of this song, and chose it over Five Green and Speckled Frogs, which is another option for this theme and my prop, which I fashioned after the instructions on the Kenton County Public Library’s page. I have an alligator puppet I considered using, but the logistics seemed just too much – holding the log in one hand and flipping the frogs with the alligator puppet on the other hand while singing is a little beyond my coordination.
Counting Song: Five Frogs, Sittin’ on a Log
Five frogs were hoppin’ on a log
One hopped off into the pond
Then a big alligator came a-swimmin’ along
He went, “Chomp! Mm-mm.” Now he’s gone. (Count down)
Credit: Anna Moo

prop for Five Frogs: consists of a paper towel tube covered by 5 strips.  one side of the strip depicts a green frog with spots sitting on a brown log.  When the strip is flipped to the bottom of the tube, it shows a light blue wave of water.

With a snake prop: the head sticks out from under your arm, and as you say “moa,” pull so the body is exposed.
Poem: Boa
Just when you think you know the boa
There’s moa, and moa, and moa, and moa!
Credit: King County Library System

Photo of plush snake made from a man's tie in browns with a hexagonal pattern and black toy safety eyes.

I’ve seen a lot of videos doing this with a prop – some kind of play tunnel that you leave collapsed at the floor then slowly bring up around your body. If I had one, I’d have used it! As it is, I found a snake plush in our basement so just held and moved that.
Song/Poem: Boa Constrictor
(your arm or your grownup can be the snake)
I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor.
I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don’t like it– one bit.
Well, what do you know? It’s nibblin’ my toe!
Oh Gee! It’s up to my knee! Oh My! It’s up to my thigh!
Oh Fiddle! It’s up to my middle! Oh Heck! It’s up to my neck!
Oh Dread! It’s upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff…
Credit: Shel Silverstein, from the book Where the Sidewalk Ends

I think this is the book that I first thought of when contemplating this theme! Here’s how I introduced it: “This next book has a lot of great rhythm! I love that the author talks about being visually impaired in his bio, so the way the book SOUNDS was very important to him.”
Read: One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom & Brendan Wenzel

Silly Story: Herman the Worm
I was sittin’ on my fencepost, chewing my bubblegum (chew, chew, chew, chew)
Playin’ with my yo-yo – wee-oo! wee-oo!
When along came Herman the worm
And he was this big (measure a small worm with fingers)
And I said: “Herman? What happened?”
“I ate my mother!”

(Herman gets bigger and bigger, eating more family members, then
goes back to being tiny)

…And I said: “Herman? What happened?”
“I burped!”
Credit: traditional, via Jbrary

Craft: Bark, George Story Retelling Activity
This was a printable that came straight from Making Learning Fun. I didn’t have time to pick up snack-sized bags, so I used sandwich size and just made sure the bottom was where George’s belly was. I had a volunteer precut the holes and I taped the plastic bag on the back so the kids just had to color and cut out their animals.

I also suggested these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Poor Little Guy
by Elanna Allen
The Wolf, the Duck, & the Mouse
by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
I Saw Anaconda
by Jane Clarke & Emma Dodd

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 1/26/21.

Storytime Handout:

Sheet with book suggestions and rhyme/song lyrics

Preschool Storytime: Hibernation

I’m slowly catching up on recording storytimes – I’m now into 2021! Inspired by the book William’s Winter Nap used in the last session (Warm & Cozy), it made sense to theme an upcoming storytime on hibernation. Although I’ve been a librarian for over 16 years, I’m only creeping into my second year as a children’s programmer (I started as a teen librarian, then went into management). So I’ve been presenting a lot of “classic” themes that I’m sure a lot of veteran librarians have been doing forever – but they’re new to me!

This theme gave me the opportunity to learn some more facts, as well as be frustrated with inaccurate picture books! I wanted to present a variety of animals that hibernate, not just bears, but several books show squirrels as hibernators, when they are not. I think they are less active in the winter, but they definitely don’t hibernate – the ones in my yard play in the snow! So there were a few titles that were good except for these inaccuracies that I just couldn’t present. Grr.

You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.

Early Literacy Tip: Making predictions about a book really helps children understand what they read. Comprehension is important because without it, kids don’t stay motivated to keep reading for very long. So ask your children a question or two about the book before you start reading. Talking with your child will help them get ready to read!

Discuss: When it’s cold outside, we bundle up and like to spend more time indoors. But some animals will sleep all winter long – this is called hibernation! Let’s learn more about what it means.

Read: Hibernation by Margaret Hall

I had photographs of a bear, frog, snake, and bat being active, then hibernating on the back of cards. We talked about them before starting the song.
Song: Hibernation
(tune of “Alouette”)
Chorus:
Hibernation, time for hibernation
Hibernation, time to go to sleep
Verse:
In the winter, where’s the bear?
Sleeping in his log or lair
Where’s the bear? (Log or lair)
Where’s the bear? (Log or lair) OOOOOOH!

Additional verses:
…frog? Sleeping by a pond or log
…snake? In the mud beside the lake
…bat? In a cave is where she’s at
Credit: Charles County Public Library (MD)

Fingerplay: Here Is a Cave
Here is a cave. Inside is a bear (bend fingers on one hand; put thumb inside)
Now he comes out to get some fresh air (pop out thumb)
He stays out all summer in sunshine and heat
He hunts in the forest for berries to eat (move thumb in a circle)
When snow starts to fall, he hurries inside
His warm little cave and there he will hide (put thumb inside fingers)
Snow covers the cave like a fluffy white rug
Inside the bear sleeps all cozy and snug (place one hand over the other)
Credit: King County Library System (WA)

Bear is ready to sleep, but first, he wants to remind his friends that it’s time to hibernate. Who will he meet?
Read: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming

Action Rhyme: Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Brown bear, brown bear, turn around
Brown bear, brown bear, touch the ground
Brown bear, brown bear, reach up high
Brown bear, brown bear, touch the sky
Brown bear, brown bear, bend down low
Brown bear, brown bear, touch your toes
Brown bear, brown bear, go to bed
Brown bear, brown bear, rest your head
Brown bear, brown bear, turn out the lights
Brown bear, brown bear, say “good night”
Credit: King County Library System (WA)

I rooted around for any hibernator puppets or stuffed animals we had and came up with quite a few. I think I only did about four during storytime, though.
Fingerplay with Puppets: Sleepy Bear
(tune of “Thumbkin”)
Where is Bear? Where is Bear?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep.
(repeat with other hibernators: hedgehog, chipmunk, turtle, bat, frog, mouse)
Credit: preschooleducation.com

photo of stuffed animals and puppets: turtle, hedgehog, mouse, bat, and chipmunk.
A few of my hibernators – not pictured: baby bear and frog who are at home!

You know I love a funny book. This one is told entirely in jokes!
Read: Knock Knock by Tammi Sauer & Guy Francis

Flannel/Action Rhyme: Sleepy Bear Roll
Five sleepy bears moving really slow
One yawns and stumbles and starts to… ROLL! (roll arms)
He rolls to a stop and begins to snore (exaggerated snoring)
How many bears are left to explore? (count down)
Credit: Canton Public Library (MI)

laminated cartoon pictures of 5 different cartoon bears, all sleeping.

Counting/Ukulele Song: The Bears Go Marching
The bears go marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The bears go marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah!
The bears go marching one by one,
The little one knew that autumn was done
And they all go marching down to their den
Because winter had set in, boom, boom, boom

Additional verses:

…two by two… little one stopped to sneeze : “ahh-choo!”
…three by three… little one stopped to scratch a tree
…four by four… little one stopped to eat just a bit more
…five by five… little one stopped to whisper : “nighty-night!”
Credit: Ram Sam Storytime

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “The Bears Go Marching” here!

Thumbnail of ukulele sheet

Craft: Sleeping Bear Den
I ordered some foam leaf stickers to go with this craft, but they didn’t come in time. Either way, I think it’s simple and cute. Inspired by the project at Glued To My Crafts blog. Bear image from Play Create Explore.

craft with 3 jumbo craft sticks colored brown and glued into a triangle, with a grey construction paper triangle glued to it plus a picture of a sleeping bear.  Cotton balls are glued to the top and bottom to represent snow.

I also suggested these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Over and Under the Snow
by Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
Old Bear
by Kevin Henkes
I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep
by Dev Petty & Mike Boldt

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 1/5/21.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books and rhyme/song lyrics

Preschool Storytime: Mistaken Identity

What a mouthful for a storytime theme – Mistaken Identity! Yet, I easily found three books that tied to this concept and I’m sure there are many more. We spent a moment at the beginning of the session breaking down the phrase and talking about what it means, and I got feedback later that the kids really enjoyed these stories. This was an early-lockdown storytime I did exclusively on Facebook Live, and do not have a YouTube version available. With everyone staying safer at home, we weren’t providing handouts or Take and Make packets at that time. I tried to suggest either crafts made with household materials or activities caregivers could do with their child.

Welcome Song: Clap and Sing Hello

Read: Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Fingerplay: Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory, dickory dock
the mouse ran up the clock (fingers run up arm)
the clock struck one (clap once)
the mouse ran down (fingers run down arm)
hickory dickory dock.

Additional verses:
…the clock struck two (clap twice) the mouse said, boo! …
…the clock struck three (clap three times) the mouse said, whee! …
…the clock struck four (clap four times) the mouse said, no more! …
Credit: Jbrary

Song: Grr, Grr Went the Big Brown Bear
Grrr, grrr went the big brown bear one day (make claws and scary face)
Grrr , grrr went the big brown bear
Grrr, grrr went the big brown bear one day
And they all went grrr, grrr, grrr
But… We know bears go (clap) huggy, huggy, hug! (hug yourself)
(Clap) Huggy, huggy, hug, (clap) huggy, huggy, hug!
We know bears go (clap) huggy, huggy, hug!
They don’t go grrr, grrr, grrr

Jump, jump went the little red squirrel one day (jump!)
Jump, jump went the little red squirrel
Jump, jump went the little red squirrel one day
And they all went jump, jump, jump.
But… We know squirrels go (clap) rub a dub a dub! (arms “run” in front of you)
(Clap) Rub a dub a dub, (clap) rub a dub a dub!
We know squirrels go (clap) rub a dub a dub!
They don’t go jump, jump, jump

Mmm-ahh went the little green frog one day (stick out tongue)
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog one day
And they all went mm-mm-ahh!
But… We know frogs go (clap) sha-na-na-na-na (jazz hands)
(Clap) sha-na-na-na-na, (clap) sha-na-na-na-na
We know frogs go (clap) sha-na-na-na-na
They don’t go mm-mm-ahh!
Credit: Jbrary

Read: The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner & Jonathan Lambert

For this song, I use three differently sized frog rasps that I purchased on Amazon. They’re a lot of fun and the kids love them. Thanks so much to Ada Moreau Demlow for posting a video of her original creation on Facebook!
Song: Three Frogs in a Bog
There was a big frog (rasp, rasp)
Lived in a big bog (rasp, rasp)
He swam in the water (rasp, rasp)
Played on a big log (rasp, rasp)
Big log (rasp, rasp)
Big bog (rasp, rasp)
Big frog (rasp, rasp)

There was a middle-sized frog…
There was a little frog…

And then one day (rasp big, rasp middle, rasp little)
The frogs got together (rasp, rasp, rasp)
They swam in the water (rasp, rasp, rasp)
In the bright sunny weather (rasp, rasp, rasp)
Three frogs (rasp, rasp, rasp)
Three friends (rasp, rasp, rasp)
The end! (rasp, rasp, rasp)
Credit: Ada Moreau Demlow

Three wooden frog-shaped percussion instruments, with a line of ridges down the back; large, medium, and small.  Each holds a removable wooden percussion stick in its mouth.
Frog rasps

Fingerplay: Mr. Bullfrog
Here is Mr. Bullfrog (make fist)
sitting on a rock (place fist on other palm)
He jumps into the water… (lift fist, building anticipation)
Kerplop! (clap hands together)
Credit: Storytime with Miss Tara and Friends

Read: Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld

Ukulele Song: Duck On Her Head
Ms. Emily’s got a duck on her head
Ms. Emily’s got a duck on her head
Ms. Emily’s got a duck on her head
And she keeps it there all day! (Quack, quack!)

Repeat with children’s names and other animals. I used animals that were in our stories and rhymes today: Rabbit, Frog, Bear, Goose, Mouse.
Credit: Laurie Berkner (Original song is “Pig on Her Head”)
Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Craft Idea: Animal Headband
Use construction paper and any other craft materials you wish to create a headband featuring an animal you like best! Add ears, eyes, noses or snouts to evoke different animals. I made a duck, and traced my hands to make the wings. Pro tip – always staple with the smooth side toward the inside so it doesn’t get tangled in a child’s hair!

Yellow paper headband with features to look like a duck: wing feathers, eyes, and an orange beak.

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 4/14/20.