Hispanic Heritage – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

gallery showing salsa lullaby and kitchen dance book covers

Storytime: ¡Bailemos! Let’s Dance! (Hispanic Heritage Month)

Posted on October 10, 2025October 11, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I don’t think I did a Hispanic Heritage Month storytime last year, so it was time! This year, I focused on dancing! I found a couple of fantastic new books to use, although I am using a lot of the songs and rhymes that I have in the past. Thankfully, they fit! As always, I am very careful to let my storytime families know that I am not a native speaker, but I am a learner (910 day streak on Duolingo!) I have worked with some of my Spanish-speaking friends and storytime families to get advice on songs and rhymes to include, as well as checking my pronunciation – though all mistakes I end up making are mine! There are so many great books by Spanish-speaking and Latine-heritage authors and illustrators it’s always fun to discover new ones and showcase them to storytime families, whether they are Spanish speakers at home or not.

Find posts on past Hispanic Heritage Month storytimes here!

salsa lullaby book cover with an illustration of a family (mother, father, baby) dancing with musical notes streaming above them

kitchen dance book cover, showing a family (father, mother, son, daughter) dancing in a kitchen

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. And giving your child the gift of two or more languages and cultures is one they will appreciate their whole life. If you aren’t bilingual, that’s okay! You can still model an attitude of learning and respect for others by being curious about other languages and cultures. As long as you expose them to words in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap benefits.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet*
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. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept 15-Oct 15. Hispanic means Spanish-speaking. I’m not a native Spanish speaker, but I’m a learner! Today we are going to celebrate Spanish and Spanish-speakers. And we’re going to celebrate with dancing! In Spanish, the word bailar means “to dance.” And bailemos means – “Let’s dance!”

Let’s start by dancing with our hands. Can you flip your hand back and forth?
Song: La linda manita
La linda manita (flip hand back and forth)
que tiene el bebé
qué linda, qué bella
qué preciosa es
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

La linda manita thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of an adult hand holding a baby's hand. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

I heard this story at a storytime at my home library with my little one earlier in the month. Yay for learning from other librarians! I put it on hold to use in storytime and placed a book order for my library immediately. It is mostly in English, but has key verbs and phrases in Spanish. The fact that it is about a family dancing was lovely.
Read: Salsa Lullaby by Jen Arena & Erika Meza

My backup title is one my library already had though I just discovered it. I love that it is about an Afro-Latino family. Again, it is mostly in English, but has Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout. Lots of noises to make and the illustrations show fantastic movement.
Read: Kitchen Dance by Maurie J Manning

Here’s a traditional (and silly!) counting song about the elephant. He is having fun balancing and dancing on a …spiderweb! Can you imagine a spiderweb strong enough to hold an elephant?
Counting 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.

Tres … Quatro…

Cinco elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
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 spiderweb made from pipe cleaners and 5 colored felt elephants, orange, blue, yellow, green, and purple.

Canción de los elefantes thumbnail, with a graphic of a spiderweb in the corner and below two elephants walking tight-rope style on a line. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s bring out the music that’s in our bodies so we can DANCE!
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música
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

mi cuerpo hace musica thumbnail, with a graphic of two kids, a brown skinned girl and a lighter skinned boy. Next to the words for the body parts are close ups of those parts from the kids - hands, feet, and mouth. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a circle song – similar to Ring Around the Rosie. (Translate song lyrics) At the end we fall down and go to sleep!
Circle Song: A la rueda, rueda
(walk in a circle, and fall down and pretend to sleep at the end!)
A la rueda, rueda, De pan y canela
Dame un besito, Y vete para la escuela
Spoken: Si no quieres ir, Acuéstate a dormir!

To the wheel, wheel, of bread and cinnamon
Give me a kiss, and go to school
If you don’t want to go, Lay down to sleep!
Source: traditional, watch here: https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2792

a la rueda rueda thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown-skinned baby laying with their head on their arms. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Confession: I am not a big fan of this song, in any language. I know the kids like it, though, so we did it in English first and then in Spanish.
Action Song: Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies
(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

cabeza y hombros rodillas y pies thumbnail, with a graphic of four kids, touching in a line, their head, shoulders, knees, and toes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now to get our shakers out and get to dancing.
Shaker Practice: Shake Your Shaker High
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You shake your shaker high
You shake your shaker low
You shake your shaker fast, fast, fast
And then you shake it slow!
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

shake your shaker thumbnail, with a graphic of three shaker eggs: blue, purple, and yellow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up
Egg shakers up
Egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders
Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees
And tuck them into bed (tuck shaker under your arm)
Source: adapted from the traditional Tommy Thumbs

egg shakers up thumbnail, with a graphic of four egg shapes: red, blue, green, and yellow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I showed the video, and encouraged them to dance with their shakers.
Body Song: Baila, baila
Cuando un amigo baila, baila, baila, baila!
Pies = Feet
Rodillas = Knees
Caderas = Hips
Manos = Hands
Cabeza = Head
Source: Baila, Baila

baila baila thumbnail, with a graphic of diverse kids dancing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lastly, we got out the bubbles! This was a free dance with shakers and bubbles.
Recorded Song: Pop, Pop, Pop
by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little”

Album cover for Dream a Little/Sueña un poquito from Nathalia.

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft:
My library is going through a transition, where our interim programmer who covered my maternity leave is no longer doing the Monday/Tuesday sessions while the new person who will be the permanent full time programmer is getting onboarded. Because we were down two sessions that are often full, I offered to do a second session back-to-back on Wednesdays. So, no crafts in the month of October. Crafts will be back in November!

Play Time
I put out a laundry basket of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older toddlers and siblings, we have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, plastic farm animals, and lacing cards and I rotate among a few of these options each session. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. The clean up bit is good practice for them – I often say “it’s hard to say goodbye to toys, so that’s why we practice every storytime!” I think that helps the grown ups who may be embarrassed that their kid is crying or refusing to put a toy away. So much of what we do in storytime is practicing skills, and I don’t expect the kids to “do it right’ every time, or even most times.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Fiesta Babies – Carmen Tafolla & Amy Córdova
How do you say? /¿Como se dice? – Angela Dominguez
Hola amigo! / Hello, Friend – 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios
Téo’s Tutu – Maryann Jacob Macias & Alea Marley
My Name is Celia / Me llamo Celia – Monica Brown & Rafael López
A Song of Frutas – Margarita Engle & Sara Palacios
La Guitarrista – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Jazz for Lunch – Jarrett Dapier & Eugenia Mello
Bailando con Abuelito – Linda Bozzo & Mudassir M Abid
Feel the Beat: Dance Poems that Zing from Salsa to Swing – Marilyn Singer & Kristi Valiant
How Do You Dance? – Thyra Heder

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/8/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF

Storytime: La música (Hispanic Heritage Month)

Posted on September 29, 2023October 7, 2025 by msemilylibrary

September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage month, and I enjoy taking that opportunity to highlight Latine authors, illustrators, and Spanish language songs and rhymes. I am extremely fortunate to have several regular storytime families who speak Spanish, and who helped suggest some new songs for us to do, and who helped me read the Spanish portions of the two bilingual books we read. I was a French major in college, but have always enjoyed learning a little Spanish here and there. This past year, I got a little more systematic about it and have been doing Spanish lessons on a language learning app consistently. It’s been great to learn more, and I love having some new songs and rhymes to share. I had chosen the theme of “La música” several months ago, not really exploring books yet, but wanting a theme I knew could go with a lot of my songs. It was a very loose theme!

See other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2022.

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 expose them to foreign words in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap the benefits.

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

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (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 it was shoulders and ears.

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

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TB) (FT)

Intro: Hispanic Heritage Month just started, and runs from September 15 – October 15. Hispanic means Spanish-speaking. Today we are going to celebrate Spanish and Spanish-speakers, and the contributions they make, including authors who write in both English and Spanish, & illustrators from Spanish-speaking countries.

This is a sweet and simple song that is good to get us started. I ask the kids to take a good look at their hand and admire it – what a pretty hand it is! We do this twice, switching hands on the second repetition.
Song: La linda manita (TT) (TB) (FT)
La linda manita (flip hand back and forth)
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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

I had a Spanish-speaking volunteer for two of my three sessions. For the first session, I went with the “music” theme and this reinterpretation of Mary Had a Little Lamb. I read the English and she read the Spanish.
Read: Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita by Angela Dominguez (TT)

book cover for Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita

My second session volunteer was the one who was my primary helper. She suggested songs and this book specifically. It’s a little longer than Maria, which is why I chose a different one for the first/younger session. I pointed out that this was written by the musical group 123 Andrés, and that the book was based on a song they could look up.
Read: Hola amigo! / Hello, Friend by 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios (TB)

Book Cover for Hello, Friend/Hola, Amigo

Alas, though I did put out a email call for anyone signed up in my third session, no one felt comfortable volunteering to read. I chose this book because the majority is in English, with Spanish words sprinkled throughout, which I felt I could handle on my own.
Read: Sonrisas for Baby by Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez (FT)

Let’s bring out the music that’s in our bodies!
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música (TT) (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

This was a new one to me, which was suggested by my volunteer. I found lots of videos of it, many of them the strange robotic animated children’s song ones that have taken over YouTube in the last few years. I finally found the one linked below on Mama Lisa’s World, which is a great resource for international music. I love that it’s a home video showing a family doing the song, which sounded natural, so that’s how I learned the tune.
Here’s a circle song, similar to Ring Around the Rosie. I explained the song lyric translation. At the end we fall down and go to sleep! I encouraged grownups to make a circle with their little one (like in the video) rather than trying to wrangle everyone into a big circle.
Circle Song: A la rueda, rueda (TT) (TB) (FT)
(walk in a circle, and fall down and pretend to sleep at the end!)
A la rueda, rueda, De pan y canela
Dame un besito, Y vete para la escuela
Spoken: Si no quieres ir, Acuéstate a dormir!
To the wheel, wheel, of bread and cinnamon
Give me a kiss, and go to school
If you don’t want to go, Lay down to sleep!
Source: traditional, watch here: https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2792

Confession: I am not a big fan of this song, in any language. I know the kids like it, though, so we did it in English first and then in Spanish.
Action Song: Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (TT) (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

This was another suggestion from my volunteer. I showed the video for one session, and I think it would have gone better just singing. It runs a bit long, with lots of instrumental breaks, and the group got restless. I ended up skipping it for the last two sessions.
Action/Body Song: Con tu dedito (TT)
Con tu dedito, con tu dedito, con tu dedito: tap, tap, tap!
Ponlo hacia arriba,
Ponlo hacia abajo,
Ponlo en tu cabeza
Continue moving your finger and tapping different parts of your body. Try:
Nariz = Nose
Mentón = Chin
Brazo = Arm
Pierna = Leg
Pie = Foot
Source: Canta con Jess

We then got out shakers. We have regular shaker eggs that we use regularly, but I noticed we also have some maraca style shakers with a handle, clear bowl and multicolored pieces inside which I’d never used before. OMG, they are LOUD. So loud. It was difficult to hear myself think, much less sing. I nixed them for the last session.
Shaker Practice: Shake Your Shaker High (TT) (TB)
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You shake your shaker high
You shake your shaker low
You shake your shaker fast, fast, fast
And then you shake it slow!
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

This one I heard about from another library at a conference this year. I showed the video, and encouraged them to dance with their shakers (for the group that had them).
Body Song: Baila, baila (TB) (FT)
Cuando un amigo baila, baila, baila, baila!
Pies = Feet
Rodillas = Knees
Caderas = Hips
Manos = Hands
Cabeza = Head
Source: Baila, Baila

And we ended with bubbles. This is the bubble song I use every session in the summer, so my groups were familiar with it.
Recorded Song: Pop, Pop, Pop (TT) (TB) (FT)
by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little”

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

Craft: Papel picado Craft (TB) (FT)
I’ve seen instructions on how to make simplified papel picado, but that’s still too advanced for my group. Instead, I printed out papel picado coloring sheets from the Greenville (SC) County Library and provided dot markers and tissue paper squares to decorate them with. It was a hit! In both sessions, I had kids working on their craft for much longer than they usually do, even after I’d gotten the toy bins out! I had saved coloring sheets from a previous year from Greenville, which I’m not seeing on their website. I’ve uploaded them here for you to use.

Craft of a papel picado banner, saying "Hispanic Heritage/Herencia Hispana" at the top, and showing two birds flying, among decorative flower, square, and lacy shapes. It's decorated with colored dots and multicolored scrunched up tissue paper squares.

Play Time
The toddlers 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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Fiesta Babies – Carmen Tafolla & Amy Có rdova
Los pollitos dicen / The Baby Chicks Are Singing – Ashley Wolff
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Gracias / Thanks – Pat Mora & John Parra
My Name is Celia / Me llamo Celia – Monica Brown & Rafael López
A Song of Frutas – Margarita Engle & Sara Palacios
Paletero Man – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Brrrum, brrrum, brrrum / Zoom, Zoom, Zoom – Annie Kubler
Eso es mio / That’s Mine – Sumana Seeboruth & Ashleigh Corrin
Nosotros Means Us – Paloma Valdivia
Téo’s Tutu – Maryann Jacob Macias & Alea Marley
Just Ask! – Sonia Sotomayor & Rafael López
¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes – Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Alice Schertle, & Viví Escrivá

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/18, 9/19, & 9/20/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

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

Preschool Storytime: Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on November 13, 2020October 7, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I wanted to showcase Latinx and Hispanic authors and illustrators for this storytime, as well as some historic and important Hispanic Americans. After all, authors and illustrators are MY rock-stars and their contributions are found in storytime throughout the year. They deserve some recognition, too!

I was a French major in college, and never took Spanish (I wish I had!) I think if we were doing in-person programming and/or I was a little more savvy with technology, I would have invited a Spanish-speaking friend to co-present with me. As it was, I listened very closely to native speaker videos for the songs and rhymes and did my best. I was nervous, so I tried to address that as a teachable moment, too. I explained that I wasn’t an expert, but it’s fun to learn a new language and that I knew that my storytime friends would be understanding if I made a mistake. I asked them to take a couple big breaths with me, and let them know that I felt better afterward. Hopefully, modelling what to do when you’re nervous will be helpful to a little one!

For the songs, I made myself a sheet with the phonetic pronunciations and practiced, practiced, practiced. You can download my sheet if it is helpful to you. It’s not written out in any standard or consistent way, just what worked for me. Some words I knew and didn’t need to spell phonetically (que=kay). I also had to make some notations regarding syllable breakouts and stresses and for Los pollitos dicen where the tune went up so I could remember the melody. Pretty me-specific, but it may be a start if you need help with these. The videos I used were really great – especially the YouTuber UkeleCanta. I believe she is Chilean and as such she pronounces her ll with a j sound instead of a y. I just went with it. But check out her videos for the great songs, energy, and even ukulele tutorials!

One last thought. I am always trying to be aware of my biases and the limits of my worldview. I realized after doing this storytime that all of my comments and asides were directed toward single-language English-speaking families, and I didn’t even think about Spanish-speaking or bilingual families as I was commenting. That was a mistake and a serious one. I will keep working to change my own habits and be the inclusive and welcoming librarian and person I aspire to be.

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

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. As long as you expose them to foreign words in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap the benefits. Read more: https://bigthink.com/laurie-vazquez/the-sooner-you-expose-a-baby-to-a-second-language-the-smarter-theyll-be

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Song: La linda manita (The Beautiful Little Hand)
La linda manita (flip hand back and forth throughout song)
que tiene el bebé
qué linda, qué bella
qué preciosa es
Credit: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

In our first book, we’ll be talking about opposites. Let’s practice with this rhyme.
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big
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)
Credit: Mel’s Desk

In this book, Marta discovers she is both big and small, slow and fast, loud and quiet. How can that be?!
Read: Marta Big & Small by Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez

“What was big in that book? The elephant! What was small? The bug! In this traditional song from Mexico, a big elephant balances on a spiderweb. What do you think will happen? We’ll be counting to 5 in Spanish. Will you count with me?” I reused my flannel for 5 elephants in the bathtub and made a spiderweb from pipe cleaners. It didn’t stick too well to the flannelboard, but I was able to hook it over the edge and that worked! I also realized after a practice run that I really needed to learn the colors of my elephants in Spanish!
Counting Song: Un elefante (An Elephant)
Un elefante se balanceaba,
sobre la tela de una araña, (swing 1 finger back and forth)
como veía que resistía, (veía=point at eye, resistía=flex muscles)
fue a buscar a otro elefante! (cup hands at mouth)
Oh, elefante!

Dos elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña, (swing 2 fingers)
como veían que resistía, fueron a buscar otro elefante.
Oh, elefante!

Tres elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía, fueron a buscar otro elefante.
Oh, elefante!

Cuatro elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía, fueron a buscar otro elefante.
Oh, elefante!

Cinco elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
la telaraña se debilitó, (shake hands/body)
¡y todo al suelo se cayó! (hands fall like elephants!)
Credit: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/I0IW4101ew0

5 flannel elephants (purple, green, yellow, blue, and orange) with a white pipe cleaner web.

Another song about animals. These little chicks say “pio!” in Spanish! They have lost their mother, and they’re cold and hungry! But their mother is very good, so she finds food for them, corn and wheat, and tucks them all under her wing so they are cozy. BUT – these silly little chicks do the same thing the next day! This “flannel” is from the printable made by Sunflower Storytime for the rhyme Ten Fluffy Chickens.
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

laminated printout of 5 chicks and separate laminated printout of a brown hen.

Pura Belpré was a librarian, author and storyteller, and is one of my heroes! She worked hard to make sure that the kids who came to her library had books in their own language and stories from their homelands.
Read: Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise & Paola Escobar

Did you notice that the book compared stories to seeds, and Pura did a lot of story planting? Let’s do a rhyme about seeds growing up.
Rhyme: Be A Seed
Be a seed, small and round
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground.
Shake your leaves for all to see
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree!
Credit: Jbrary

I also loved Pura’s story about the beautiful cockroach Martina and the gallant mouse Perez. It reminded me of this fun rhyme about a mouse.
Clapping Rhyme: Little Clapping Mouse
(clap for each *)
Behind the tree * *
And under the house * *
There lived a teeny * *
Tiny mouse * *
She loved to sing * *
She loved to tap * *
But most of all * *
She loved to clap * *
She clapped all night * *
She clapped all day * *
She clapped to frighten * *
The cat away! * * * * * * * *
Credit: Jbrary

In Mexico, el día de los niños (Children’s Day) is celebrated in April. Bilingual children’s author Pat Mora decided to bring that festival to the United States, and to tie it to love of books, so created el dia do los libros (Book Day). This is the book she wrote to celebrate that.
Read: Book Fiesta! by Pat Mora & Rafael López

When I celebrate, I like music and dancing! This song is about how our bodies can make music. (translate song)
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música (My Body Makes Music)
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!
Mi cuerpo hace: cha, cha, cha!
Credit: Sol y Canto, from the album El Doble de Amigos. Watch with motions at Jbrary

Bilingual Lullaby: Yo te amo (I Love You)
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!
Credit: Jbrary

I also booktalked these alternative titles.
Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor & Rafael López
Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes & Yuyi Morales
Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita by Angela Dominguez

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 10/13/20.

Storytime Handout: