flannel – Page 9 – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

Storytime: Fiesta (Hispanic Heritage Month)

Posted on September 16, 2022October 7, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I did a similar theme back in 2020, but I’m really happy to revisit it again on the eve of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 – October 15. This time around I was also able to ask a Latina friend to review and check my plan for accuracy and inclusion, which I should have done to begin with. I’m hoping in the future she’ll be available to visit one or two of my sessions to co-present storytime!

Because I only do one book for my storytimes at this library, the transitions and supporting rhymes in English that went along with the books I did before didn’t really work. However, I have more repeated rhymes and songs I do with this group, so the time was filled nicely. Parents and kids seemed to enjoy hearing some new songs, and a couple of my families do speak Spanish and I got big smiles from them, so success!

Another thing I really enjoyed with this session was a chance to really highlight the excellent Spanish-language and bilingual books we have, as well as so many of the books with Latinx authors and illustrators. I found some new favorites and was happy to share some of my own, such as Rafael López, Angela Dominguez, Jen Arena, and Juana Martinez-Neal.

Early Literacy Tip: Studies show that children raised in bilingual environments develop core cognitive skills like decision-making and problem-solving — before they even speak. If you aren’t already bilingual, that’s okay! You can still expose your child to different languages and cultures. As long as you share words in a new language in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap the benefits.
Source: BigThink.com

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (BB) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (BB) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week was elbows and noses.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (BB) (FT)

This is starting to be one I repeat, so I’ll add it to my Repeated Songs and Rhymes page and not repeat it in full on the blog in the future!
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big (TB) (FT)
This is big, big, big (hold arms out to side)
This is small, small, small (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short (flat hand lowers)
This is tall, tall, tall (flat hand reaches up)
This is fast, fast, fast (circle fists quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow (circle fists slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes (nod head)
This is no, no, no (shake head)
Source: Mel’s Desk

Intro: Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 -October 15. Hispanic means Spanish-speaking, but I like to include Latinx people who do not speak Spanish as well. Today we are going to celebrate the contributions people of this heritage make, especially authors and illustrators, and we’ll also do some traditional songs and rhymes in Spanish.

Here’s a song about our pretty little hands. Can you flip your hand back and forth like this?
Song: La linda manita (BB) (TB) (FT)
La linda manita
que tiene el bebé
qué linda, qué bella
qué preciosa es
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Read: Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla & Amy Córdova (BB) (FT)

Read: How do you say? /¿Cómo se dice? by Angela Dominguez (TB)

Book cover of How do you say? /¿Cómo se dice?

I went in different directions here for the older and younger groups – I generally keep counting songs for the older ones, so the younger ones got the shorter Los pollitos dicen and the accompanying Ten Fluffy Chicks, while the older ones got Cancion de los elefantes.

All those sleepy babies being loved on by their grownups reminds me of a song popular in some Spanish-speaking countries. I explain the meaning of the song, and ask the group to help peep “pío” with me before we start. I’ve also used Ashley Wolff’s board book as a nice visual aid in the past, too.
Flannel Song: Los pollitos dicen (BB)
Los pollitos dicen, pío, pío, pío
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío
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
Pío, pío, pío dicen los pollitos
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/a7zUbmjUtDM

Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (BB)
Five eggs and five eggs, And that makes ten
Sitting on top Is Mother Hen
Cackle, cackle, cackle (clap, clap, clap)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks As cute as can be!
Source: adapted from Mel’s Desk, flannel from Sunflower Storytime

Those giraffes were so silly! Here’s a traditional (and silly!) song about another grasslands animal, the elephant. He is having fun balancing and swinging on a …spiderweb! Do you think the spiderweb will hold up an elephant? I did just three elephants to accommodate a shorter attention span, but it usually goes up to five.
Counting/Flannel Song: Canción de los elefantes
Un elefante se balanceaba, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veía que resistía, fue a buscar a otro elefante

Dos elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía, fueron a buscar otro elefante.
(count up, and replace last line for final elephant)
…la telaraña se debilitó, ¡y todo al suelo se cayó!
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/I0IW4101ew0

Flannel for Canción de los elefantes, showing a white pipe cleaner spiderweb and five felt elephants: orange, purple, green, yellow, and blue

This is becoming another repeated activity for my baby class:
Bounce: A Smooth Road** (BB)

Let’s make some music with our bodies! I go through the body parts vocabulary to get everyone ready, then we go through the song a couple times. There was a lot of enthusiastic stomping and clapping!
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música (BB) (TB) (FT)
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mis manos hacen (clap,clap, clap)
Mis pies hacen (stomp, stomp, stomp)
Mi boca hace: la, la, la! (point at mouth)
Mi cuerpo hace: cha, cha, cha! (dance)
Source: Sol y Canto, from the album El Doble de Amigos. Watch with motions at Jbrary

Let’s slow it down a little and sing a lullaby that has both English and Spanish words in it. If there’s someone around you feel like snuggling with, now’s a good time to do it! I brought my ukulele today, so feel free to just listen and cuddle.
Bilingual Lullaby with Ukulele: Yo te amo / I Love You (BB) (TB) (FT)
Yo te amo, yo te amo
All day long I’ll sing this little song to you.
Yo te amo, yo te amo
Darling, I love you!
Source: Jbrary
Thanks to Storytime Ukulele, who published the chords to this song. I made my own PDF version that you can download.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

thumbnail for yo te amo ukulele songsheet

We did this one in Spanish and again in English.
Action Song: Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (BB) (TB) (FT)
(Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Ojos, orejas, boca y nariz
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Source: traditional

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Tissue Paper Flowers
In Mexico there is a tradition of making crafts with tissue paper. Behind me you can see papel picado, an ancient craft that goes all the way back to the Aztec. You’ll also see big colorful paper flowers as decorations at celebrations, and that’s what our craft is this week. I used the instructions from the Inspired By Family blog, but since the kids are so small, I did all the steps up until they need to separate the tissue paper to make the flower. It simplified so the kids could do it. There was some torn paper, which I expected, but it was less than I’d feared. They did a great job!

Play Time
The babies have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (BB) (TB) (FT)

There are so many amazing books by Latinx creators. Here are just a few I put on my handout.
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Los pollitos dicen / The Baby Chicks Are Singing – Ashley Wolff
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Mi casa is my home – Laurenne Sala & Zara González Hoang
Alma and How She Got Her Name – Juana Martinez-Neal
I Love You, Baby Burrito – Angela Dominguez
Round Is a Tortilla – Roseanne Greenfield Thong & John Parra
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré – Anika Aldamuy Denise & Paola Escobar
Book Fiesta! – Pat Mora & Rafael López
Just Ask! – Sonia Sotomayor & Rafael López
Viva Frida – Yuyi Morales
¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes – Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Alice Schertle, & Viví Escrivá
Sonrisas for Baby: A Little Book of Smiles – Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez
A Song of Frutas – Margarita Engle & Sara Palacios
Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita – Angela Dominguez
¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat! – Raul the Third & Elaine Bay
Arrorró, mi niño – Lulu Delacre & Cecilia Esquivel & Diana Saez
I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! – Angela Dominguez
Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses – Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez
Paletero Man – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Brrrum, brrrum, brrrum / Zoom, Zoom, Zoom – Annie Kubler
Hasta las rodillas / Up to My Knees – Grace Lin & Carlos E. Calvo
Eso es mio / That’s Mine – Sumana Seeboruth & Ashleigh Corrin
Ten little birds / Diez pajaritos – 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios
Me gusta – Angela Dominguez

Picture of the book display, with titles standing up on a beige table, with colorful tissue paper papel picado in the background.

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/12, 9/13, & 9/14/22.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Beep, Beep! (Cars and Busses)

Posted on September 2, 2022August 31, 2022 by msemilylibrary

There’s just something about vehicles that tickle the imagination of little ones. Maybe since driving looks fun but is out of reach. Maybe because being in a car is soothing to most babies. Maybe it’s all the fun noises we can make when talking about cars. Whatever it is, vehicles are ripe storytime fodder! I limited my focus to just cars and busses this time, though you could certainly go for planes, trains, boats, and even construction vehicles. I might make them separate themes in the future!

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes like “The Hippopotamus got on the City Bus” call attention to the fact that “hip” is just one part of the bigger word “hippopotamus.” Also, when we complete the verses for cow, sheep and snake we show how familiar animal sounds can be found in other words that we regularly use. Recognizing and playing with the smaller sounds in words is called phonological awareness. Researchers have recognized this as a critical pre-reading skill that helps kids sound out words when they begin to learn how to read.

Instead of singing everyone’s name, after singing the first verse we went around the circle and each caregiver introduced themselves and their little one, giving their age and a tip for travelling with their little. There were some great suggestions, from leaving super early for long trips, letting kids run around at stops to get the energy out, to pulling toys from the regular rotation a few weeks before a plane trip to make them new and exciting! I hope to make some bookmarks with the tips on them for future sessions.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (BB) (TB) (FT)**

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster (BB)
I’m toast in the toaster,
I’m getting very hot
Tick tock, tick tock,
UP I pop!
Source: Jbrary

Intro: What goes vroom, vroom, and beep beep? Cars! I love going for a drive. Let’s do a rhyme about something you’ll see on the road if you go for a drive: a stoplight!

I’ve got a long black rectangle, and three colored circles. What colors do I have? Red, yellow, and green. Look at what these shapes make all together!
Action/Flannel Rhyme: Green Means Go (BB) (TB) (FT)
Green means “GO!” Go! Go! Go! (roll arms quickly)
Yellow means “Slow.” Slow… slow… slow. (roll arms slowly)
Red means “STOP!” (ASL sign for stop: one hand making a chopping motion onto flat opposite hand)
Go! Go! Go! (roll fast)
Slow… slow… slow. (roll slow)
Stop! (ASL sign for stop)
Credit: Jbrary

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Read: Toot, Toot, Beep, Beep by Emma Garcia (BB) (FT)

Read: Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney (TB)

Loved this take on Clean and Dirty Pigs (itself a take on Green Speckled Frogs, of course) by Jessica over at Storytime in the Stacks. I also really enjoyed the process of designing the flannelboard pieces in Canva – you can read more about that (and download a copy of the template!) at my post here!
Counting Song: Five Cars So Squeaky Clean (TB)
(tune of Five Green and Speckled Frogs)
Five cars so squeaky clean,
Shiniest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go out for a drive, BEEP, BEEP!
One drove into the mud,
Spun out with a great big THUD!
Now there are four clean shiny cars
(count down)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

These cars have mud all over their windshields! Let’s help them see with this rhyme:
Rhyme: Windshield Wiper (TB)
(move arms back and forth like a wiper)
Oh, I’m a windshield wiper, This is how I go
Back and forth, back and forth
In the rain and snow
Source: King County (WA) Library System

What else has a windshield wiper, and can carry lots of people? A BUS. Do you know a song about the bus?
There are so many verses, I usually only do 3-4. I ask the audience if they have a favorite. I also ask them to help me by doing the motions since my hands are occupied playing my instrument!
Ukulele/Action Song: The Wheels on the Bus (BB) (TB) (FT)
The wheels on the bus go round and round (circle arms)
Round and round, Round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

Additional Verses:
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish (wiper motion)
The doors on the bus go open and shut (open/close hands)
The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink (mime dropping a coin)
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep (push a horn)
The driver on the bus says “Move on back” (cock thumb back)
The people on the bus go up and down (bounce up and down)
The baby on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah” (wring hands)
The parents on the bus say “Shush, shush, shush.” (bring index finger to lips)
Source: traditional

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for The Wheels on the Bus

Time to go for a drive!
Bounce: A Smooth Road (BB) (FT)
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and sway baby gently)
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down)
A rough road! (x4) (even faster, bouncing and adding erratic swaying)
Oh, no! A hole! (tip over, lift up, and/or let them fall safely through your knees)
Source: Jbrary

Rhythm Rhyme: Hippopotamus on a City Bus (BB) (TB) (FT)
(slap thighs rhythmically until the last line of each verse)
A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on a city bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)

Additional verses:
A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus
Yes, a cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,“Mooooove over!”
(lean far to one side)
A snake…“Sssssssssit down!” (motion hand down or fall thru knees)
A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back)
Credit: Jbrary

Action Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Paper Plate Car (TB) (FT)
Inspired by this post at Glued To My Crafts, we made simple paper plate cars. I eschewed the headlight in front to simplify and just provided a half paper plate, two black circles for tires and two white quarter-circles for windows. We got out the dot markers to paint, but you could use anything to color the body of the car.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (BB) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
My Bus – Byron Barton
Truck, Truck, Goose – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring
Vroom! – Barbara McClintock
The Babies on the Bus – Karen Katz
Race! – Sue Fliess & Edwardian Taylor
Love Is a Truck – Amy Novesky & Sara Gillingham
Bunnies On the Bus – Philip Ardagh & Ben Mantle
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car – Kate Dopirak & Mary Peterson
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – Mo Willems
Car Wash – Sandra & Susan Steen & G. Brian Karas

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/29, 8/30, & 8/31/22.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Flannelboard: Five Cars So Squeaky Clean

Posted on August 5, 2022August 31, 2022 by msemilylibrary

I have a three week break between my last summer program and the next one in August, so I’m working ahead! Here’s a project I’ve had a lot of fun playing with.

Inspired by this post at Storytime in the Stacks, I’m planning to use this rhyme at an upcoming transportation storytime. Searching Canva for simple cartoon cars, I found an adorable series of art featuring animals driving cars. An idea was hatched.

Using simple shapes in the Canva app, I was able to alter the animals faces to give them all surprised looks to really emphasize a difference between the “clean” and “dirty” sides, and cover the cars and the animals with dirt splotches. Their faces crack me up!

Several of the cars in the series were red, so in order to have five different colors I worked some editing magic to put the mouse in a blue car instead of the original. And I wish the giraffe’s car was more green than teal, but that’s okay. The “clean” side had more of the original artwork, with the exception of the bear in the taxi, whose “surprised” face was the original, and I replaced the giraffe’s big eye with a small one for the clean side. Otherwise, I made eyes bigger and gave them open-mouthed expressions. I was liberal with the mud splotches, too!

Want to download your own copy? Find it here!

Notes on construction – I printed single-sided on cardstock and held the two sides up to the light to match up one car at a time (printing back-to-back will NOT line up the cars, sorry), then put a small piece of rolled tape between the two to keep them together while I cut around them. When each car was cut, I laminated and put a small adhesive velcro dot (or half a dot) on each side, hiding them on a white part.

Enjoy the rhyme!

Five Cars So Squeaky Clean
(tune of Five Green and Speckled Frogs)
Five cars so squeaky clean
Shiniest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go out for a drive
BEEP, BEEP!
One drove into the mud
Spun out with a great big THUD!
Now there are four clean shiny cars

(count down)
last line:
…Now there are no clean shiny cars!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Flannelboard: Pirate Jack Gets Dressed

Posted on April 27, 2022April 27, 2022 by msemilylibrary

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Pirate Jack Gets Dressed by Nancy Raines Day & Allison Black, check him out! This swashbuckler takes us through his morning dress routine, which consists of a long list of clothing items in a variety of colors, all in charming rhyme that begs to be read with a jaunty pirate-y accent. I love that there are some more unusual clothes, like a vest and sash, as well as colors often overlooked in books that focus on the rainbow, like gold and silver and brown. Hello, vocabulary!

A picture of the Pirate Jack Gets Dressed book cover.

Adding one clothing piece after another is a perfect fit for flannel adaptation. I first blogged about this set in a What We Wear/Clothing themed storytime and was inspired by a resource my state library put together on nominees for their Early Literacy Firefly Award (you can find their template in the 2020 program guide). I changed the set quite a bit, giving Jack his distinctive features from the book and lengthening his body so his sock and boot actually fit on his leg.

Photo of all the separate pieces of the Pirate Jack felt set, including gray long johns, a white shirt, yellow pants, a blue vest, a pink sock, a brown boot and brown peg leg, a red waist sash, an orange head sash, a silver (gray) hook, a purple coat, gold earrings, and a green parrot.

Thanks to reader Jennifer who asked about a template for this flannel set! I didn’t initially make a template, but scanned my finished pieces so you could recreate it if you wish. There are notes on the template that indicate where pieces might be layered, and a scan of a few of the back pieces to see how a couple of the trickier pieces are put together. One more note – my pieces are a little small. I think if I were doing this again, I would enlarge it a bit just to make it easier to see and work with. You should be able to use your printer dialog box to enlarge (probably anywhere from 20-50% might be good) and print on tablet (11×17) sized paper instead of the default letter (8.5×11).

Photo of Pirate Jack flannel with all the pieces put together so he is "dressed"

Pirate Jack is a great multi-use flannel. You could use this one for a Clothing theme, as I did, one for Pirates or the Ocean, or, of course, Colors. It’s a great fit for the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s Oceans of Possibilities theme for summer 2022. Enjoy!

Download the Pirate Jack template here!

thumbnail of 2 of 4 pages of the Pirate Jack template

Family Storytime: Feeling Thankful (2021)

Posted on February 8, 2022November 30, 2023 by msemilylibrary

I haven’t repeated storytime themes very often, but I find it comforting to do this theme every year in November, just tweaking my books and activities from year to year. With the tumult of the pandemic, I’m not sure how many of my families have actually experienced all three versions of this, but I’m finding it’s a worthy repeat. You can see the version I did in 2020 here (I hadn’t been blogging in 2019, but perhaps someday I’ll write up those older sessions.)

As in the past, I prefer not to focus on the American Thanksgiving tradition, culturally and problematically wrapped up in false narratives and violent colonialism, but on gratitude as a concept. I also like to use this opportunity to highlight Native authors and illustrators. This year I also talked kindness and family get-togethers (both of which I’m thankful for) as segues into our books.

Additionally, this was a significant storytime for me, as it was my last one at this library. I accepted another position (still doing storytime!) and this was a great theme for me to say goodbye and express my appreciation for all the storytime friends I’ve made and the library as a whole. More on that transition in an upcoming post!

You can see the plans for every year I’ve done this theme here.

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

Early Literacy Tip: When we are warm, and fed, and snuggled with someone we love, our brains release a chemical called serotonin. This makes us feel good, but it also has the effect of helping us learn. When you snuggle with your child and sing and read together, their brains soak up the language they hear and the serotonin helps make that learning permanent. Snuggling, talking, and singing with your child helps get them ready to read.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Our new repeated warm-up rhyme.
Warm-Up Rhyme: Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap clap!
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap!

Creepy, crawly, Creepy, crawly
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them In, in, in!

Higher, higher, Higher, higher
Almost to the sky, sky, sky
Then like little birdies
Watch them Fly, fly, fly!

Lower, lower, Lower, lower
Almost to the ground, ground, ground
Quickly pick them up again
And turn them round and round:
Faster, faster, faster!
Slower, slower, slower.

Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap clap
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap!
Source: adapted from King County Library System (WA)

Talk: What does it mean to feel thankful? When would you say “thank you” to a person? Let’s practice with this fingerplay

Figuring out how to do this rhyme without the middle finger AND using it to do the ASL sign for I love you is one of my proudest moments. 🙂
Fingerplay: Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin, Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am, Here I am,
How are you today, Friend?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

(repeat with pointer, pinky, then all three)
Where are three friends, Where are three friends?
Here we are, Here we are,
How are you today, Friends?
Very well, we thank you.
I love you, I love you.
Source: adapted from the traditional rhyme by Ms. Emily

Lyrics to Where are Three Friends with silhouettes of two hands with thumbs up and two hands showing the ASL "I Love You" sign.

I am always thankful when people are kind to one another. This book is by two Native American creators. Monique Gray Smith is of Cree, Lakota and Scottish descent, and Nicole Neidhardt is Diné, also known as Navajo.
Read: When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith & Nicole Neidhardt

Song: The More We Get Together
See ASL movements here: https://youtu.be/YZLlZoD3gU8
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends
and my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be

The more we read together, together, together
the more we read together
the happier we’ll be.
Read big books and small books
Read short books and tall books
The more we read together
the happier we’ll be.
Verse 2 Source: Story Time Secrets

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing
Time for a mindful breathing break. I asked the kids to imagine they were holding a bowl of their very favorite soup, and asked what kind they liked. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl of soup if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners

One more repeated activity.
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
(hands scrape past each other rhythmically)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip (fingers walk up arm)
Climb aboard my rocket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF! (crouch, then jump!)
Source: Jbrary

I’m thankful for time to get together with family! This grandma has a tiny house, but a BIG family!
Read: Grandma’s Tiny House by JaNay Brown-Wood & Priscilla Burris

Ukulele Song: If You’re Thankful and You Know It
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands
If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands
If you’re thankful and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands

Additional Verses:
Stomp your feet, Shout “hooray”, Do all three
Source: adapted from the traditional

This flannel was made from the template created by Mel at Mel’s Desk! I go over the lyrics first and add the flannel pieces, then play the song (recorded or ukulele). I encourage kiddos and parents to snuggle and hug, or kiddos can snuggle with a stuffed animal during this song. Afterwards is a good time to mention today’s early literacy tip.
Flannel/Ukulele Song: Thanks a Lot
Thanks a lot, Thanks for Sun in the sky
Thanks a lot, Thanks for clouds so high
Thanks a lot, Thanks for whispering wind
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the birds in the spring
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the moonlit night
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the stars so bright
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the wondering me
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the way I feel
Thanks for the animals, Thanks for the land,
Thanks for the people everywhere
Thanks a lot
Thanks for all I’ve got
Thanks for all I’ve got
Source: From the Album “Baby Beluga” by Raffi

Thanks a lot flannel set with a yellow sun, white cloud, red bird, blue swirl for wind, yellow crescent moon, purple star, single person figure with arms raised, pink heart, elephant, evergreen tree, and group of three people of various skin tones with arms to the side.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Thanks a Lot” here!

thumbnail of Thanks A Lot ukulele songsheet

Craft: Thankful Tree
The concept is very similar to the “Thankful Wreath” from last year. Each craft packet had several leaf shapes in various fall colors (red, yellow, orange, brown), and a piece of sky blue construction paper with a brown bare tree shape printed on it. I added the heading “I am thankful for…” at the top, and kids could write (with or without help) or draw the things they’re grateful for on the leaves and paste them on.

Download a PDF of the tree and leaves here!

Thankful tree craft - a dark brown bare tree figure on light blue paper with a heading, "I am thankful for..." and fall colored leaves listing gratitudes: books, love, storytime friends, feeling safe, family, and music.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Let’s Be Kind by Ekaterina Trukhan
The Blue Table by Chris Raschka
Thanks a Ton! by Sabrina Moyle & Eunice Moyle
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Source: King County Library System

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 11/23/21.

Storytime Handout:

Family Storytime: Bedtime

Posted on January 21, 2022January 13, 2022 by msemilylibrary

Bedtime is a perennial favorite storytime theme, so I challenged myself to craft a session using only NEW bedtime books – ones that have been published in 2021. I had lots of options, and I loved being able to showcase some titles that caregivers may not have seen yet.

This is another reason why I’m happy with my decision to booktalk books rather than read them in full on my permanent YouTube videos. This allows me to have a book-centered virtual program that does not violate copyright laws (and I don’t have to jump through publisher hoops), AND I get to highlight six books instead of the two or three I’d have time to read in their entirety. When I get back to in-person storytimes, I’ll be sad to not get to share as many great titles with families. I always put a list on my handout, but I’m not sure how effective that is.

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

Early Literacy Tip: When we talk about the sequence of our days with our children, they have a chance to hear vocabulary words in context and begin to learn how to put events in order… both skills that help with comprehension when they are readers.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Intro: Let’s talk about Bedtime! For some, it’s their favorite time of day (parents?) For others, it may be a chore. But I’d like to share some rhymes, songs, and books that show that bedtime can be lots of fun! And when we get enough sleep at night, we feel refreshed and ready for our day in the morning. If you have a light scarf, bandana, or even a tissue, grab it now and we’ll be using it in our songs later.

Fingerplay: Here Is a Baby
Here is a baby (raise pointer finger)
Ready for a nap
Lay her down in her mother’s lap (place finger in palm)
Cover her up so she won’t peek (curl fingers around pointer)
Rock her till she’s fast asleep (rock)
Source: Library Village

Read: Brown Baby Lullaby by Tameka Fryer Brown & AG Ford

Scarf Song: This Is the Way We…
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we wash our face (rub scarf on face)
Wash our face, wash our face
This is the way we wash our face,
When we get ready for bed!

Additional verses:
Wash our toes // wash our arms // wash our tummy //
Read a book // give a hug // snuggle and drift
Source: Library Village & Handley Regional Library (VA)

Aside: Another great action song that ends in bed is Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear. Check out this version by Jazzy Ash, which will tire you out! (Linked in the YouTube video description and on the handout)

Song: Look at All the Bunnies
Look at all the bunnies sleeping til it’s nearly noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
Oh so still! Are they ill?
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Stop little bunnies, stop, stop, stop… and FREEZE!
Source: King County Library System

Sydney Hanson is the master of cuteness!
Read: Five Fuzzy Chicks by Diana Murray & Sydney Hanson

I just love this song! I use my laminated pieces for “Ten Yellow Chicks” (originally from Sunflower Storytime) to illustrate it on the flannel board, and explain what is happening before singing 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!
Flannel Song: Los Pollitos Dicen
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
Source: traditional – watch here: https://youtu.be/a7zUbmjUtDM

Printed and laminated flannelboard pieces showing a brown chicken and ten yellow chicks.

One more repeated activity. This has always been a favorite song, and it actually fits with our theme this week!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
(hands scrape past each other rhythmically)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip (fingers walk up arm)
Climb aboard my rocket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF! (crouch, then jump!)
Credit: Jbrary

Lullabies are a must for a bedtime storytime!
Lullaby: Twinkle, Twinkle
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star How I wonder what you are!
Source: traditional, I used the motions from Jbrary

Ukulele Lullaby: Hush, Little Baby
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word,
Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won’t pull,
Mama’s gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Mama’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover
And if that dog named Rover won’t bark
Mama’s gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that horse and cart fall down,
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
Credit: traditional

Download a Ukulele songsheet for Hush, Little Baby

thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for "hush little baby"

Craft: Night Sky
A super simple craft this time – I cut out crescent moon shapes from white cardstock to glue to a piece of black construction paper, and gave each kid some sparkly star stickers to make their own night sky. On the craft how-to sheet, I posed some questions to encourage kids and caregivers to talk. “Can you imagine your stars make shapes like constellations? What stories might you tell about these shapes?” Idea (and photo, I didn’t make a sample) borrowed from Library Village.

A white paper crescent moon glued to a piece of black construction paper with sparkly star stickers to make a night sky scene — image from Library Village blog

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes & Elizabeth Zunon
Close Your Eyes by Lori Haskins Houran & Sydney Hanson
It’s So Quiet by Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tony Fucile
Sloth Wasn’t Sleepy by Kate Messner & Valentina Toro

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 11/16/21.

Storytime Handout:

Family Storytime: Boxes

Posted on January 14, 2022December 20, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Another theme on a “concept” that has been treated well in children’s picture book literature is boxes! Imaginative play in or using cardboard boxes, as well as the shape concepts of square and cube, the related idea of block play – all are great early learning tools and fun to riff on at storytime.

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

Find another version of this theme from 2024.

Early Literacy Tip: Playing helps children’s brains grow and develop in so many ways! When we pretend and act out stories, like pretending that a box might be a rocket ship, and what we might do on a space adventure, we’re using problem-solving skills and it prepares us to write stories of our own someday.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

I started using a new warm-up rhyme this week. I’d known the first two verses for many, many years, but saw the “Higher” and “Lower” verses and decided to expand! I chant this, though I think some librarians sing it.
Warm-Up Rhyme: Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap clap!
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap!

Creepy, crawly, Creepy, crawly
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them In, in, in!

Higher, higher, Higher, higher
Almost to the sky, sky, sky
Then like little birdies
Watch them Fly, fly, fly!

Lower, lower, Lower, lower
Almost to the ground, ground, ground
Quickly pick them up again
And turn them round and round:
Faster, faster, faster!
Slower, slower, slower.

Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap clap
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap!
Source: adapted from King County Library System (WA)

Intro: Oh, do you like my hat? What do you mean it’s not a hat? It’s a box! That’s the wonderful thing about a box. It can be a hat… or a mixing bowl … or a hiding place!

I used a variety of animal puppets in an old paper box – I chose that since it has a lid rather than just flaps.
Puppet Rhyme: Here is a Box
Here is a box where something is hid
I wonder whatever is under the lid?
Let’s listen for a shout
And see who comes out!
(make animal noises and have kids guess who is in the box before opening)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

screenshot from virtual storytime showing a chicken puppet that has just emerged from a cardboard box.

Read: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

This was a really fun flannel that I saw on several storytime blogs – Fun With Friends at Storytime got super fancy with three different shades of felt for each box to make them look more three dimensional. I stuck to one color per box, but I did include a front and back piece, gluing the front piece to just three sides of the back, so the box would create a little “pocket” I could put small laminated pictures in that were “in” the box. The lid was another separate piece that could be removed. I used the template shared by Anne’s Library Life but the rhyme came from One For the Books blog. The small mystery items were different brightly-colored toys and animals that I found on Canva. I was sure to include a “jack in the box” as one of the mystery items, since I wasn’t sure how familiar modern kids would be with this old-fashioned toy. “Jack” features prominently in our song “Turn Around” later in storytime, so I got this picture out again to remind kids who Jack was and why he was in a box.
Flannel Game: Mystery Boxes
Little [pink] box let me look inside and see
What’s inside? Ready? 1, 2, 3! (lift the lid)
Source: adapted from One For the Books blog

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 at each “snap”)
He snapped at a minnow, and he snapped at me!
He caught that mosquito, he caught that flea (clap with each “caught”)
He caught that minnow
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Source: Jbrary

I really liked the idea of this one-verse song that I found on Anne’s Library Life, but wanted to expand it! Of course, you can shorten/remove verses to fit your audience as needed.
Ukulele Song: Wiggle Box
(tune of Buffalo Gals)
Let’s open up the wiggle box, the wiggle box, the wiggle box
Let’s open up the wiggle box, and wiggle our cares away!

Additional verses:
There’s a lot of wiggles in the wiggle box… so wiggle and dance today!
There’s a lot of giggles in the wiggle box… so wiggle and laugh today!
Now throw all your wiggles in the wiggle box… And lock that box up tight!
(slowly, relaxed)
Now that the wiggle box is closed up tight… We’re ready for a story today!
Source: Verse 4 from Anne’s Library Life, remainder by Ms. Emily

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Wiggle Box” here!

This has really interesting illustrations if you have a small group that can appreciate them. I liked that the text was pretty simple and short, too.
Read: What to Do With a Box by Jane Yolen & Chris Sheban

It’s pretty unusual for me to do two ukulele songs in one storytime, but it worked out here. This is from Sue Schnitzer, who I was connected to through the ukulele community, and I didn’t even realize she put out children’s song albums because she was also a librarian! She graciously shared the chords for this song with me. Check her out! One more note – be sure to practice this one ahead of time! I didn’t realize how difficult it was to spin in a circle and play ukulele and sing all at the same time, and it took me a couple of tries to get the rhythm down!
Ukulele Song: Turn Around
Can you turn around with me? (spin in place)
It’s as easy as can be
Round and round and round just so
Then ker-PLOP! Down we go! (fall to the floor)

(tacit) Jack is quiet – shhh! (fingers to lips)
In his box… (arm covers head)
Open the lid… (slowly open arm out)
And up he… POPS! (jump up)
Source: Sue Schnitzer, from the album “Wiggle and Whirl”

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Turn Around” here!

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing
After all that turning and falling and jumping, I was ready for a breathing break. I asked the kids to imagine they were holding a bowl of their very favorite soup, and asked what kind they liked. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl of soup if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners

One more repeated activity. This has always been a favorite song!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
(hands scrape past each other rhythmically)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip (fingers walk up arm)
Climb aboard my rocket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF! (crouch, then jump!)
Credit: Jbrary

Craft: Blocks Craft and Box Coloring Page
Two crafts today! I used an idea from Storytime Katie for a very simple 2D blocks craft, making some random squares, rectangles, triangles, half circles, and “bridge” shapes (a rectangle with a half circle cut out of it) from different colored construction paper, and a plain white sheet to glue them to. (Photo from Storytime Katie’s blog)
I also created a Box Imagination sheet, which just has a plain box in the middle with lots of white space around, in which kids could color whatever they imagined the box to be. (I made mine a treehouse as an example.)

You can download the sheet here!

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
A Box Can Be Many Things by Dana Meachen Rau & Paige Billin-Frye
Boxitects by Kim Smith
Big Box, Little Box by Caryl Hart & Edward Underwood
Blocks by Irene Dickson

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 11/9/21.

Storytime Handout:

Family Storytime: Breakfast

Posted on January 7, 2022December 30, 2021 by msemilylibrary

Mmmmm. Breakfast (and breakfast food) might be my favorite meal of the day. And there are some fun and cute books out there about breakfast items.

This was my first back-to-virtual-only program after a summer and fall of outdoor in-person sessions. I missed seeing the families in person and sometimes wonder what the actual impact of virtual programming is, but the days were getting colder and we were not doing indoor in-person programs at the library.

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

Early Literacy Tip: As you go about your day, stop for a moment and listen to the sounds around you. Ask your children what they hear. Talk about what you hear. Try to imitate the sounds. Even little activities like this one help your children develop phonological awareness – the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(Try other motions such as jump, twirl, stretch)
Source: Jbrary

Intro: My favorite meal of the day is breakfast! What are some things that you like to eat for breakfast? Discuss and suggest. I added flannel parts from Flip Flap Jack to the board (randomly, not to build the “man”) as I talked through (realizing that probably the most common and favorite food for kids is probably cereal, which is not part of the flannel…) In the future, I might add things like eggs and cereal (hot or cold) to my set just so they are represented. Our rhymes and songs started with toast!

Chant: Bread and Butter
Bread and butter,
marmalade and jam
Let’s say “Breakfast”
as quiet as we can – “Breakfast!”

Other verses:
Loud, Slow, Fast, High, Low
(you can change the word as well as the adverb)
Source: traditional

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster
I’m toast in the toaster,
I’m getting very hot
Tick tock, tick tock,
UP I pop!
Source: Jbrary

Read: Early One Morning by Mem Fox & Christine Davenier

Fingerplay: Five Fat Sausages
Five fat sausages (show five fingers)
frying in a pan (lay fingers in the flat opposite hand)
The grease got hot (wiggle the “sausage” fingers)
and one went BAM! (clap!)
(count down)

No fat sausages frying in a pan.
The grease got hot and the pan went BAM!
Source: Jbrary

Action Rhyme: Mixing Pancakes
(mime actions)
Mixin’ pancakes, stirrin’ pancakes
Pour ’em in the pan
Frying’ pancakes, flippin’ pancakes
Catch ’em if you can!
Source: Adapted from poet Christina Rossetti via Jbrary

Read: Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

For this one, I chose the names of five of my regular in-person kids to pick a doughnut. And I had to include my favorite kind of doughnut in the flannel – jelly-filled!
Flannel Song: Five Colored Doughnuts
Down around the corner at the bakery shop
There were five little donuts with frosting on top
Along came [name], hungry for a treat,
And s/he picked the [color] one to take home and eat!
(count down)
Source: Literary Hoots

Flannel showing 4 traditional doughnuts (with light green, lavender, pink, and brown icing) and one jelly-filled doughnut with white icing and a small pink dot of jelly at one end.

Breathing Break: “Soup” Breathing – Which became “Oatmeal Breathing!”
Instead of using a bowl of soup as we have been in the last couple of weeks, today we imagined our favorite hot cereal in our bowls in front of them. I suggested oatmeal, porridge, cream of wheat, and grits! You could also go into what kinds of toppings and mix-ins they like, if you wanted to prolong the discussion. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot cereal. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners

This was another instance where I had two versions of the flannel props. I’d originally planned this theme earlier in the fall, when I would be doing it outdoors in person, but moved things around so it was my first virtual-only theme in November. One set is actually made of flannel, that I purchased from Storytelling Fun. It is nice to have a detailed felt set, but I was disappointed that the the images, which seemed to be ink-jet printed onto white felt, seemed very pixelated. I also made a larger paper version that was photocopied from the book by Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis, who wrote the song. I colored and laminated it, and it turned out pretty well, so I’ll have to make a reason to use it at some point.
Flannel Song: Flip Flap Jack
Intro:
There was a man made of food (Made of food?) Made of food!
There was a man made of food and his name was Flip Flap Jack!

Chorus:
And he danced upon the table, the table, the table.
He danced upon the table, and his name was Flip Flap Jack!

Verses:
His head was a pancake (A pancake?) A pancake!
His head was a pancake and his name was Flip Flap Jack
His hair was made of whipped cream (whipped cream?) Whipped cream!
His hair was made of whipped cream and his name was Flip Flap Jack

(Do two verses between each chorus repetition, and repeat the intro at the very end as an outro)
His eyes were blueberries / His nose was a strawberry / His mouth was a sausage / His ears were oranges / His body was a waffle / His arms were two bananas /His legs were made of bacon / His feet were made of French toast /His bellybutton was a raspberry
Source: Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis from the book Ready to Go Storytimes: Fingerplays, Scripts, Patterns, Music and More. To get the tune in my head and an idea of movements, I used this video from Klamath County Library (OR).

Craft: Paper Plate Pancake
This was a take on a craft I saw on the What Happens in Storytime blog. The kids got a paper plate, three light brown circles, three yellow squares, some brown yarn, and red and blue pom poms. They could then build their pancake breakfast however they liked. In the instructions, I noted that kids could glue down their creations if they wanted to make “art,” but they could also leave the pieces loose and treat it like play food, taking orders from different family members and extending the activity to do some dramatic play.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio & Eric Wight
Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison & Brianne Farley
Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen
Pancakes with Grandma by Kathryn Smith & Seb Braun

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 11/2/21.

Storytime Handout:

Family Storytime: The American Southwest

Posted on December 31, 2021December 21, 2021 by msemilylibrary

Sometimes life inspires storytime! I was planning to take a two week vacation to visit family in Arizona and do some sightseeing as well, so the week before I was to be off, storytime was all about the Southwest! It was fun to do some learning before the trip as well as incorporate things I love about the region, such as the animals and plants that live there. I also wanted to highlight the fact that Native peoples have lived there continuously, as well as it once being a part of Mexico, so there are many wonderful traditions and stories from the region, and they are told in many languages. I had trouble finding a book that was short and simple enough to share from a Native perspective, but I tried to offer some of the longer options on my take-home reading list.

This was also my last outdoor in-person storytime of the season, though I picked up virtual programming again when I returned home in November. It was really nice to be able to offer outdoor programs, but the weather was turning colder and more unpredictable as far as the rain and wet.

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

Early Literacy Tip: The American Southwest has been (and still is) the home of Native American nations for centuries including the Lakota, Navajo, Hopi and many other nations. It was also once a part of a Spanish territory, and then Mexico, before becoming part of the United States. This means a rich collection of stories about the Southwest exists in English, Spanish, and Native languages. Your child can build good speaking and listening skills and habits when they listen and talk to people who are fluent in any language.
Source: Adapted from this Storytime Starter document from the Madison Public Library (WI)

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello!
Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]!
Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello!
(ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”)
Source: Glenside Public Library District

I handed out shaker eggs at the beginning of storytime and we used them for several songs. For this one, we wiggled our eggs, rolled them (rolled our arms), and made a big circle in front of us.
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(Try other motions such as jump, twirl, stretch)
Source: Jbrary

Anytime a rhyme uses “left” and “right,” I make a point of telling the crowd to “mirror me” and I do the opposite.
Fingerplay: Two Desert Tortoises
(tune of Two Little Blackbirds)
Two desert tortoises walking at night
One turns left, the other turns right
Come back tortoises, don’t go away
Come back here, it’s time to play
Source: Brevard County Libraries (FL)

This storytime took place at the tail end of Hispanic Heritage Month, so I mentioned that both Pat Mora and Francisco X. Mora are of Mexican heritage. I read the title in English and Spanish, and mentioned that the book is bilingual, but that I’d only be reading the text in English today.
Read: Listen to the Desert/Oye al desierto by Pat Mora & Francisco X. Mora

Shaker Rhyme: Mr. Rattlesnake
I wish that I could rattle and shake
Just like Mister Rattlesnake!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And shake, shake, shake
Just like Mister Rattlesnake!
Source: MCLS Kids Wiki

I kind of shoehorned this song to be a “shaker” song. Kids could hop like a rabbit, or make their egg shaker “jump.” For the coyote verse, the shaker could be the moon we howled at. The cactus verse didn’t really incorporate it, though!
Shaker Song: In the Desert
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The jackrabbit in the desert can hop like this,
Hop like this, hop like this
The jackrabbit in the desert can hop like this,
All night long!

Additional verses:
The coyotes in the desert can howl…
The rattlesnakes in the desert can rattle…
The saguaro in the desert can stand like this…
Source: Literary Hoots

I really enjoy using my frog rasp instruments with a song written by a fellow librarian and posted on Storytime Underground – Three Frogs in a Bog. I rewrote it so I could have some desert toads! I used the rasps, but encouraged the kids to use their shakers.
Shaker Song: Three Toads
There was a big toad (shake, shake)
Lived in a cactus by the road (shake, shake)
He hopped in the desert (shake, shake)
Croaked his hellos (shake, shake)
Big toad (shake, shake)
By a big road (shake, shake)
Croaked a big hello (shake, shake)
(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)

And then one day (shake, shake, shake)
The toads got together (shake, shake, shake)
Hopped in the desert (shake, shake, shake)
In the hot dusty weather (shake, shake, shake)
Three toads (shake, shake, shake)
Three friends (shake, shake, shake)
The end! (shake, shake, shake)
Source: adapted by Ms. Emily from Ada Moreau Demlow

Three wooden frog rasp instruments, large, medium, and small

Shaker Collecting Song: If You Have a Red Egg
(tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man)
If you have a red egg, a red egg, a red egg
If you have a red egg, please bring it up here!
Repeat with other colors of eggs.
Source: adapted from this ALSC Blog post

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing
Since the weather was turning colder, I brought back our soup breathing visualization. I asked the kids to imagine they were holding a bowl of their very favorite soup, and asked what kind they liked. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma of their very favorite soup through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. We repeated about 5 times. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl of soup if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners

The main reason I chose this one is that it was short and showed some different animals. I wish there were more short titles on this topic!
Read: Way Out West Lives a Coyote Named Frank by Jillian Lund

Book cover for Way Out West Lives a Coyote Named Frank

I *love* this song. It has a great tune and everyone likes howling and snoring! I had fun making a flannel for this one, but generally flannels are too small for the outdoor crowd. Instead, I used a larger template from Nancy Stewart to make bigger coyotes that stuck with magnets to my book cart. The tune I learned is slightly different from Nancy’s original, which a librarian friend Rebecca taught me. You can hear it in the video link above.
Counting/Flannel Song: Five Coyotes
Five coyotes, sittin’ on a hill
Just sittin’ and a howlin’ at the moon
Aahh-ooo!
One coyote had his fill
So he went to sleep and snoozed
Snore!
(Count down)
Source: adapted by Rebecca Ballard from Nancy Stewart

For the regular-sized flannel, I had plans to make them double-sided, with the reverse showing the coyotes curled up and sleeping, but ran out of time. Someday I’ll add that! I also did my best to make the moon look realistic, with craters in the right place. 🙂

Craft: Saguaro Cactus
Inspired by Literary Hoots, this was an easy yet really attractive craft, with some nice 3D elements. Cactus trunks and arms can be cut from construction paper, and the kids can glue them down however they like. I snapped toothpicks in half to make spines they could glue on, and picked out some magenta tissue paper squares they could crumple and glue to the tops. (I learned later that saguaro blooms are white/yellow – oops.)

Craft of a saguaro cactus, with one main trunk and two arms, glued on a sandy colored paper. Toothpicks are glued on as spines, and pink tissue paper flowers are glued to the top of the trunk and arms.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Big Moon Tortilla by Joy Cowley & Dyanne Strongbow
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard & Juana Martinez-Neal
The Seed and the Giant Saguaro by Jennifer Ward & Mike K. Rangner
She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain by Jonathan Emmett & Deborah Allwright

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented in-person and virtually on 10/12/21.

Storytime Handout:

Family Storytime: Fire Trucks

Posted on December 24, 2021November 24, 2021 by msemilylibrary

Another theme culled from the Chase’s Calendar of Events, October is Fire Safety Month in the US. I called our local fire station and asked if they would be able to be guests for my Tuesday and/or Saturday program for this week. They said they could for Tuesday, and they would *try* for Saturday, since they were short staffed and would be on call.

I’m a planner and like to have all the contingencies covered, so this was hard for me! Even for the Tuesday program, I didn’t get a lot of information about what to expect or what the firefighters themselves would be expecting when they arrived, despite my tentative ask. I figure the fire chief is pretty busy and probably doesn’t have a lot of attention for working out details for a volunteer appearance, so I didn’t make myself a nuisance and follow up. It was a good time for me to practice going with the flow.

photo of firefighters in front of their truck, explaining their gear, with storytimers looking on.

My solution was to plan a storytime as if the guests wouldn’t show at all, and just be prepared to drop some or all of it as needed. This worked well – I ended up using about half of my plan when the firefighters showed up 10 minutes late on Tuesday, and didn’t show up at all on Saturday. (And of course, I wouldn’t have them available for the virtual version at all.) I had what I needed, but was able to adjust. Their visit turned out great, too. I “made” one of them help me tell the book I was in the middle of when they arrived (making sound effects). The two others that didn’t get roped into this snickered in the background, but my “victim” was very good-natured about it all. And during the fire truck show and tell, the grownups were just as entranced (if not more) and asked lots of questions!

This storytime also had a TON of props – most of which I didn’t use in the outdoor session. It’s nice to have them on hand though, for when we’re back indoors.

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

Early Education Tip: We talk about possible emergencies not to scare anyone, but to be prepared! It’s important that children know what a fully dressed firefighter looks and sounds like, as well as what to do if they hear the fire alarm, and have practiced a fire escape plan. While we hope we’ll never need to use it, it’s better to have those skills in our brains ahead of time in case there is a fire emergency.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Intro: Firefighters are people who are trained to put out fires and help people who may be hurt or stuck. They use a big truck that has special equipment just for fighting fires. It’s important for us to talk about who they are, what they do, and what YOU can do if there’s an emergency.

I didn’t end up using this one outdoors, but it was a nice backup. The flannel printout is generously provided on the Literary Hoots blog!
Song: If You’re Going to Fight a Fire
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re going to fight a fire,wear your helmet
If you’re going to fight a fire, wear your helmet
Firefighters feeling steady
Very quickly let’s get ready!
If you’re going to fight a fire, wear your helmet
(repeat with gloves, boots, hat, etc)
Source: adapted from Literary Hoots

printed and laminated picture of a firefighter, with removable helmet, gloves, and boots.

In the virtual version, I used this rhyme and firefighter flannel template from Storytime in the Stacks in place of the above song. He’s really cute in his red boxer shorts!
Flannel Rhyme: Here Is a Firefighter
Here is a firefighter!
Here are his pants.
Here is his coat,
and here is his hat.
Here are his gloves,
Here are his boots.
Here is his mask,
And his fire hose too!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

photo of flannel set with a bald firefighter in red boxer shorts, with pieces for a coat, pants, gloves, boots, hat, mask, and hose. Inset shows all the pieces together.

This one is told almost entirely in sound effects. I love the bold illustrations and diverse firefighters.
Read: Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin

I made a large version of this that I could stick on my bookcart for the outdoor version, and a smaller one for the flannelboard. That’s a definite advantage to printed out flannels – they’re scalable!
Counting Rhyme: One Brave Firefighter
One brave firefighter putting out the fire
Swoosh goes the water,
But the flames climb higher
The firefighter calls for a friend with a shout:
“HELP ME PUT THIS FIRE OUT!”

Count up, last verse:
Four brave firefighters putting out the fire.
Swoosh goes the water
And the flames start to expire!
The firefighters clap their hands and shout:
“HOORAY, we put the fire out!”
Source: Madelyn’s Library Programming Blog

printed and laminated flannel set with four different firefighters holding hoses.

I originally learned this song to the tune of “10 Little Indians,” which I no longer use. I was happy to discover that the Old Town School of Folk Music has a version that uses a different melody.
Action Song: Hurry, Hurry
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck (turn a steering wheel)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (ring a bell)

Additional verses:
Turn the corner (lean far left and right)
Put the ladder up, (climb a ladder)
Spray the fire hose (hold a hose and move it back and forth)

Last verse, we drive the fire truck back to the station:
Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck
Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck
Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (ring a bell)
Source: adapted from Old Town School of Folk Music from the Songs for Wiggleworms album

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing
Since the weather was getting cooler, I returned to the soup breathing for our breathwork visualization. I asked the kids to imagine they were holding a bowl of their very favorite soup, and asked what kind they liked. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl of soup if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners

This is a sillier story!
Read: Firefighter Duckies by Frank W. Dormer

The next two songs got cut for the in-person sessions.
Song: Fire Safety
(tune of What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor)
What do you call if there’s a fire (x3)
Call 9-1-1!

What do you do to plan for fire (x3)
Have a fire drill!

What do you do if your clothes are on fire(x3)
Stop, drop and roll!

Who comes in a truck if there’s a fire (x3)
It’s the firefighter!
Source: Johnson County Library (KS)

The flannel and song both came from the Making Learning Fun site – I adjusted the truck so it would fit on one piece of felt.
Song: The Wheels on the Truck
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The wheels on the truck go round and round
Round and round, round and round!
The wheels on the truck go round and round
When they fight the fire

Additional verses:
Door- open and shut; Siren- woo, woo, woo;
Ladder- up and down; Hose-woosh,woosh,woosh
Source: Making Learning Fun

Flannel set of a fire truck. Accessories include a door, wheels, headlight, siren light, ladder, hook, mask, hatchet, and hose.

Craft: Fire Truck
Adapted and simplified from Busy Bee Kids Crafts. The ladder became a rectangle of yellow, and I encouraged the kids to draw themselves in the truck windows.

Picture of fire truck craft, with a yellow ladder. siren light is drawn with pink highlighter, wheels are drawn in black marker, and two firefighters are drawn on the white windows.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Firefighters! Speeding! Spraying! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell & Viviana Garofoli
Fire! ¡Fuego! Brave Bomberos by Susan Middleton Elya & Dan Santat
Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty & Pascal Lemaitre
I’m Brave! by Kate & Jim McMullan

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented in-person and virtually on 10/5/21 & 10/9/21.

Storytime Handout: