STEM – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

book covers for everybody in the red brick building, squeak, rumble, whomp whomp whomp, and Sounds all around

Storytime: Sounds

Posted on November 14, 2025November 13, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I did this theme in 2020 when we were doing virtual-only storytimes, and had not repeated it since. It was a fun one to get out and retry with kids in person. I really enjoyed looking through all our library cabinets for musical instruments as well as bringing a selection of percussion instruments from home (including my favorites, the frog rasps and cabasa!) It made for a very noisy but fun time. There are so many great noise books, too! It was difficult to choose which to read. There’s a STEM element in talking about how sound is made and perceived, and also an opportunity to talk a little about the opposites of loud and quiet.

See another version of this theme from 2020.

everybody in the red brick building book cover, showing an apartment building with different scenes in each window.

squeak, rumble, whomp, whomp, whomp book cover, with a picture of a Black boy playing a trumpet with a black cat looking in the background.

sounds all around book cover, with an illustration of three kids playing instruments.

Early Literacy Tip: Studies show that, without guidance, a 4-year-old will give 95% of their visual attention to a book’s pictures. One way to support early literacy is to help children recognize that print has meaning. When we talk about the words on the page as we read them, children are making the connection between the written word and the meaning of the word. A great place to begin is by pointing out where sounds are written out differently from the other words. adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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: This is a program where I’m going to need a lot of help. Are you good at being noisy? Oh, thank goodness! I am going to need your help making a lot of noise today, because we’re going to be talking about SOUND! So, let’s all shout: HOORAY together. Louder! Even louder! Now quieter. Now whisper. Great job! When we talk or sing or clap our hands, we’re making sound. What else makes sound? How do we hear sounds? WHY do we hear sounds in our ears?

I showed two page spreads (pgs 12-15) and read snippets about both how our vocal chords work to make sound (touching our throats as we hum and fall silent, and noticing the difference in vibrations) as well as how our ears work to hear sound. I noted that of course we don’t expect little ones to understand all the science right away, but it’s great to explain because we share new vocabulary and concepts and start the seed of understanding.
Read: (selection from) Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer & Anna Chernyshova

Sounds can be all kinds of things! Sometimes they are loud, sometimes quiet. This rhyme will challenge you – can you clap without any sound?
When I first saw this rhyme, it made no sense to me, until I realized that the clap and tap were muted. So we practiced clapping and tapping our laps without sound before we started the rhyme and it worked really well!
Action Rhyme: Loud and Quiet
Quietly, quietly not a sound
I’m listening and I’m listening As I look around
No sounds as I nod, No sounds as I clap (mute clap)
No sounds as I tap my hands on my lap (mute tap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
All that noise, well fancy that!
Source: Storytime Katie

loud and quiet thumbnail, with a graphic of hands with brown skin clapping, and feet with white skin stomping. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

I love how this story is circular: as the noises wake everyone, we meet all the occupants of the building, then a round of quiet noises lull everyone back to sleep. Plus, Oge Mora’s artwork is superb. I had a thought that this would make a great flannel story, but I didn’t have the time to make it.
Read: Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter & Oge Mora

This one is a fun romp through lots of noises – definitely preview it before you start because they aren’t all easy to do! I like how Marsalis groups similar sounds – a squeak could be a screen door, a mouse, or a amateur saxophonist!
Read: Squeak! Rumble! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! by Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers

Our next rhyme has some sounds I hope you’ll help me make. The sound of a clock is tick tock! Can you tick tock by patting your lap? And then we hear a knock, knock on a door – can you knock by clapping your hands?
You could do this with flannel animals or puppets like I did. The original used rhythm sticks, but it worked just as well with puppets and making the sounds with our bodies. I used a cow, chicken, frog, bear, and lastly, a mouse! The mouse gave us a segue into the next rhyme.
Puppet Rhyme: Tick Tock Goes the Clock
Tick, tock, tick, tock goes the clock
Waiting for someone to… Knock, knock, knock!
Gasp! Who’s at the door? It’s a… (moo) A cow!
(try with any animal sounds you like)
Source: Jbrary

Photo of animal puppets - a chicken, cow, frog, bear, and mouse.

tick tock goes the clock thumbnail, with a graphic of a door and a clock. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I did this fingerplay on my left hand with my thumb and on my right hand with the mouse puppet. The first time out popped the mouse, the puppet was flung off of my finger and into the air – but I caught her! Very exciting. I was a little more careful with the popping the second time through.
Oh, that mouse is so cute. But very quiet.
Fingerplay: Quiet Mouse
Here’s a quiet little mouse (show thumb)
Living in a quiet little house (tuck thumb in fist)
When all was quiet as could be
OUT! popped she! (pop out thumb)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

quiet mouse thumbnail, with a graphic of a mouse peeking out of a hole in a tree stump. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This was a great hit during our Jingle Jam storytime, and seemed like a perfect fit for sounds, too.
One of my favorite ways to make sounds is to make MUSIC!
Action Rhyme: The Parade
Clap your hands! (clap, clap, clap)
Stamp your feet! (stomp, stomp, stomp)
The parade is coming down the street
Bum, bum, bum: a great big drum
Root-a-toot: a horn and flute
Bang, bang, bang: Cymbals clang
Ding-ding-ding: triangles ring
Clap your hands! (clap, clap, clap)
Stamp your feet! (stomp, stomp, stomp)
The parade is coming down the street
Source: King County (WA) Library System

the parade thumbnail, with a graphic of six marching band players with various instruments. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s an instrument that LOOKS like an animal. What does it sound like?
I was kind of amazed, but it was dead silent during this rhyme – everyone was rapt with the frog rasps. I highly recommend them! I decided to do three sounds throughout the song this time – in the past I’d done two for each individual frog and then three on the last verse.
Rhythm Instrument Song: Three Frogs in a Bog
There was a big frog (big sound, big sound, big sound)
Lived in a big bog (big, big, big)
He swam in the water (big, big, big)
Played on a big log (big, big, big)
Big log (big, big, big)
Big bog (big, big, big)
Big frog (big, big, big)

(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)

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

frogs in a bog thumbnail, with a graphic of three realistic illustrations of frogs, big, medium, and small. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out our instruments! There are a lot of choices – which will you pick?

instruments including shakers, bells, maracas, a drum, rain stick, ukulele, and more. — Library instruments! I didn’t get a picture of my personal instruments, but they were all offered in a square laundry basket.

Let’s get to know our instruments a bit with this next song.
It was a bit chaotic, but it worked. I changed the original words (shake/shaker) to fit (play/instrument), but I didn’t update the rhyme sheet.
Instrument Song: Can You Play?
(tune of London Bridge)
Can you play along with me?
Along with me, along with me?
Can you play along with me?
Put your instrument on your… knee!
Source: Jbrary

can you shake thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue and a green egg shape with motion lines around them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We were way over on time already, so I skipped this one. I think handing out instruments took longer than usual. I was going to choose instruments for the extra verses – egg shake, a drum beat, a triangle tingle, etc.
Instrument Song: Have You Ever Heard a Bell Ring?
(tune of Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?)
Have you ever heard a bell ring, a bell ring, a bell ring?
Have you ever heard a bell ring,
Ding dong, ding, ding, dong
Try with other sounds:
the wind blow, a clock tick, a car horn, an egg shake, a cow moo, etc.
Source: STEM In Libraries

have you ever heard thumbnail, with a graphic of a string of jingle bells on green ribbon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s make some noise!
Recorded Song: Alabama, Mississippi
Alabama, Mississippi
Alabama, New Orleans
Alabama, Mississippi
Shake it on down to New Orleans

Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake it, baby
Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake it, baby
Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake it, baby
Shake it on down to New Orleans
Source: from the album Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes

alabama mississippi thumbnail, with a graphic of jazz instruments: trumpet, tuba, sax, harmonica, drum, bells, and trombone. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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: Noisemaker
For an easy noisemaker, we decorated toilet paper tubes – I did my sample with regular washable markers, but put out the dot markers day of – they provide easier coverage! I also had foam shape stickers. We filled the tubes with generic cheerios to make the noise and stapled them shut. I made sure to note that it works best if the stapled shut ends are perpendicular to each other, to keep the middle open and prevent the tube from collapsing. I had pre-stapled one end before storytime and provided staplers for caregivers to close them after filling. To make it even easier, you could pre-fill and provide the finished noisemaker to decorate only.

photo of noisemaker craft - a toilet paper tube stapled at both ends (perpendicular angles) and decorated with markers and foam stickers.

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)
It’s So Quiet – Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tony Fucile
Let’s Be Bees – Shawn Harris
Noisy Night – Mac Barnett & Brian Biggs
What Does Little Crocodile Say? – Eva Montanari
Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump! – KL Going & Simone Shin
Song in the City – Daniel Bernstrom & Jenin Mohammed
Atticus Caticus – Sarah Maizes & Kara Kramer
Rumble & Roar: Sound Around the World – Sue Fliess & Khoa Le
Jazz for Lunch! – Jarrett Dapier & Eugenia Mello
Swish Slosh – Deborah Kerbel & Jacqui Lee
A Perfect Day – Jennifer Yerkes
Listen – Gabi Snyder & Stephanie Graegin
Boom Boom – Sarvinder Naberhaus & Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Quiet Down, Loud Town! – Alastair Heim & Matt Hunt
After the Buzz Comes the Bee – Rachel Isadora & Robie Rogge

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/12/25.

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

book cover gallery of let it grow, pumpkin day, and it's a pumpkin

Storytime: Pumpkins

Posted on October 17, 2025October 17, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I’m blogging out of order today. This past week I did a “Things that Go” storytime, but this upcoming week is Pumpkins! I figure that might be more helpful and relevant in case you have a pumpkin theme coming up, too, and need a little inspiration or one more song.

As I’ve said before, to be inclusive I don’t do “holiday” programs. Not everyone celebrates, and I’ve found that I really don’t need to focus on a specific holiday. Instead, I try to find something that is tangential but universal. So, in October, pumpkins are perfect! I’ve also done Cats & Bats, Dress-Up, Monsters, Owls, and the Moon to evoke those Halloween/Spooky/Fall vibes. There are a couple of references to Jack-o-lanterns in my activities below, but that’s as close as we get to Halloween.

See other versions of this storytime from 2020 and 2022.

let it grow book cover, showing a large pumpkin still on the vine, with a bee and white flower.

pumpkin day book cover, showing a Black boy holding a pumpkin and sitting on a pile of them, with a farm scene in the background.

book cover of It's a Pumpkin, with various woodland animals surrounding a large pumpkin

Early Literacy Tip: Narrative skill is one of the six skills identified as being important for early literacy. It has to do with learning how to describe things and being able to tell stories. Little stories, like the one in the Pumpkin on the Ground rhyme, are great for little ones to start learning how stories work. “First the pumpkin is a seed, then it is a plant, then it is a pumpkin!”

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Intro: It’s pumpkin time! Pumpkins are great big gourds that get ripe around this time. They are very tasty and are good for you – AND they can be fun to carve a face into! But how do pumpkins grow? That’s what this song is asking.

The ASL sign for “pumpkin” is like this…
Show the sign – flick your finger onto the back of your opposite hand, as if you were thunking a pumpkin to check for ripeness.
Fingerplay: Pumpkin, Pumpkin on the Ground
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (ASL pumpkin sign)
How’d you get so big and round? (arms circle over head)
Once you were a seed so small (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball (arms circle in front)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (ASL pumpkin sign)
How’d you get so big and round? (arms circle over head)
Source: Storytime Katie

pumpkin on the ground thumbnail, with a graphic of a large orange pumpkin. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I found a video of this song by a Montessori school but had some trouble finding the original provenance – the video said the song was by Mary Ann Hall, but I also saw Marcia Louis credited (and I did find a YouTube video of hers, so that’s pretty credible.) In any case, I was able to figure out the chords, changed the key to fit my voice better, and now it’s available as a ukulele songsheet for you! I originally used this prop with the book Mystery Vine by Cathryn Falwell, (as seen in the photos) but my current library does not own this book. Big kudos to Rebecca from Sturdy for Common Things for her inspiration for this prop, as well as excellent photos of the process of making it.
So how do pumpkins grow, in between being a tiny seed and a big gourd? Can you help me plant a pumpkin seed, let some rain fall down, let the sun shine, and then… we wait! And wait and wait and wait and wait and THEN! a little pumpkin vine appears!
Ukulele Song: Pumpkin Vine
I looked out my window and what did I find?
Green leaves growin’ on my pumpkin vine
Green leaves, Green leaves are growin’
Green leaves, Green leaves are growin’
Green leaves, Green leaves are growin’
Green leaves are growin’ on my pumpkin vine

Additional verses:
…yellow flowers growin’
…honey bees buzzin’
…green pumpkins growin’
…orange pumpkins growin’
Source: Montessori de Terra Linda

Download a ukulele songsheet for Pumpkin Vine!

Thumbnail for Pumpkin Vine ukulele songsheet

photo of mystery vine prop extended - a big plastic pot with brown felt, and a green vine with felt leaves, flowers, pipe cleaner vines, a green pumpkin, and two orange pumpkins made of fabric.

an animated gif of the pumpkin vine prop, showing the progression.

pumpkin vine thumbnail, with a graphic of a pumpkin vine with yellow flowers, a green and orange pumpkin, and bees. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

This book also goes through the life cycle of the pumpkin – seed to vine to leaves to flowers to fruit. It’s cleverly written, has a BIPOC character/family and even goes beyond the expected Jack-o-lantern size pumpkin – they let theirs grow to be a GIANT pumpkin, which they take to the fair and then use in the pumpkin regatta!
Read: Let it Grow by Mary Ann Fraser & Riley Samuels

A leveled reader backup (I’m still waiting for Let it Grow to come in on hold!) but this is a solid choice. To shorten just a bit I paperclipped one rhyme set near the beginning of the book, (about the ponies and goats).
Read: Pumpkin Day! by Candice Ransom & Erika Meza

I do one evening program a month, and I change the age level to 0-5. I have noticed in the last couple months that I’m getting more older kids, so I decided to do a longer book for them.
Read: It’s a Pumpkin! by Wendy McClure & Kate Kronreif

Oh, look! I’ve found some pumpkins! Let’s sit them up on this gate. How many do we have? Do you have five pumpkins on your fingers?
Counting Fingerplay: Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins, sitting on a gate (hold up 5 fingers)
The 1st one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late!” (point to wrist)
The 2nd one said, “There are bats in the air” (flap hands)
The 3rd one said, “But we don’t care!” (shake head)
The 4th one said, “Let’s run, run, run!” (jog arms)
The 5th one said, “I’m ready for some fun!” (wiggle)
Then WHOOOOSH went the wind (curve hand in air)
And OUT went the light (clap hands together loudly)
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! (roll arms)
Source: Adventures in Storytime

five little pumpkins flannel pieces, with a brown rectangle topped with five pumpkins of varying orange hues. in the upper right is a full yellow moon with a black bat flying across it.

five little pumpkins thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I saw several versions of this rhyme in various places, including my predecessor’s files, so I decided to combine them!
Maybe YOU can be a pumpkin sitting on a wall.
Rhyme: Pumpkin, Pumpkin Sitting on a Wall
Pumpkin, pumpkin, Sitting on a wall (bounce)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, Tip and FALL! (lean to side)

Pumpkin, pumpkin, Bouncing down the street (bounce)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, TICKLE those feet! (tickle)

Pumpkin, pumpkin, Bumping down the hill (bounce)
Can I catch you? Yes, I WILL! (big hug)
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System

Pumpkin, pumpkin thumbnail, with a graphic of a happy pumpkin sitting on a rock wall. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

One of these pumpkins has gotten out of control! Can you roll your arms like a pumpkin rolling down the hill?
I love this one – it always goes over well.
Action Song: Roly Poly Pumpkin
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Oh, the roly-poly pumpkin (roll arms, gradually speed up)
Went rolling down the hill
Once it started rolling It couldn’t keep still
It rolled and rolled Until it bumped into a rock (clap)
Then the roly-poly pumpkin (roll slowly)
Rolled to a stop (hands up)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

roly poly pumpkin thumbnail, with a graphic of a small pumpkin bouncing down a large brown hill. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I saw that Mel’s Desk created a rhyme/game reminiscent of the Brown Bear, Brown Bear books. She started hers with Brown Bat, but I decided to make mine Orange Pumpkin. Mine is also circular – I start and end with the same flannel piece, which is a plain pumpkin on one side and a jack-o-lantern on the other, so I just flip it over as we say the last line.
Flannel Rhyme: Orange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin, What Do You See?
Orange pumpkin, orange pumpkin, what do you see?
I see a red leaf looking at me!

Continue with:
Red leaf > Black cat > Gray owl > Brown bat > Yellow moon > Orange Jack-o-Lantern

Flannel for Orange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin, What Do You See, with an Orange pumpkin, red leaf, black cat, gray owl, brown bat, and yellow crescent moon. An inset shows the reverse side of the pumpkin, which shows a yellow jack-o-lantern face.

what do you see thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling orange pumpkin and a red maple leaf looking at the pumpkin. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I didn’t realize this was a traditional rhyme before I had already changed the words and made my own rhyme sheet for it. I wanted to de-gender the pumpkin, use the emotions I had puppets for, and I thought the end felt a little gruesome. Knowing it’s a traditional rhyme – maybe I wouldn’t have changed it, but I didn’t want to take the time to redo what I had already done. I’m including the traditional words as well for your benefit! I first showed my Jack-O-Lantern stick puppets and talked through the emotions. The puppets were originally created by Sunflower Storytime, which is no longer active on the web. You can download my copy of the PDF here! At the end of the rhyme, I plan to show the surprised pumpkin – maybe it will get some laughs?
Look at all these Jack-o-lanterns! Can you tell how they feel by their faces?
Puppet Rhyme: Pumpkin Happy
(make a face to match the emotions)
This is pumpkin happy, This is pumpkin sad
Now you see it silly, Now you see it mad
But roast a pumpkin – My, oh, my
My favorite pumpkin is pumpkin pie! (rub belly)
Source: adapted from the traditional Jack-O-Happy

Traditional Rhyme: Jack-O-Happy
This is Jack-O-Happy,
This is Jack-O-Sad,
Now you see him sleepy,
Now you see him mad!
This is Jack in pieces small,
But in a pie he’s best of all!

five jack o lanterns printed and laminated and mounted on jumbo craft sticks. They show a happy, sad, surprised, angry, and silly face.

pumpkin happy thumbnail, with a graphic of a happy jack o lantern and a slice of pie. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Pumpkin is so tasty, and can be made into so many different things. Let’s do the pumpkin chant!
Action Rhyme: Pumpkin Chant
(For each line, pat lap twice, clap twice, pat twice, then do action)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin bread! (hands flat in front, one on other)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin head! (hands on head)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin pie! (hands in a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin eye! (hands around eyes)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin cake! (hands flat in front, one about 5 inches above the other)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin shake! (shake fists by head)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin stew! (pretend to stir)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin BOO! (do a peek-a-boo)
Source: Jane Willis Johnston, via Jbrary

pumpkin chant thumbnail, with a graphic of a happy jack o lantern. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Runaway Pumpkins – Teresa Bateman & Stephanie Fizer Coleman
How to Help a Pumpkin Grow – Ashley Wolff
Mr. Pumpkin’s Tea Party – Erin Barker
Hello, World! From Seed to Pumpkin – Jill McDonald
Pumpkin Eye – Denise Fleming
The Great Pumpkin Contest – Angie Rozelaar
Stumpkin – Lucy Ruth Cummins
Amara’s Farm – JaNay Brown-Wood & Samara Hardy
Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch – Mary Peterson & Jennifer Rofé
Pumpkin Trouble – Jan Thomas
Penguin and Pumpkin – Salina Yoon
Mystery Vine – Cathryn Falwell

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/22 & 10/23/25.

Storytime Handout:

*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

It is time, a butterfly is patient, and the very hungry caterpillar book covers

Storytime: Butterflies

Posted on September 19, 2025September 18, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I had always associated butterflies with springtime – the flowers are blooming, the world is becoming more colorful and warm – it just seems like butterfly time. But a friend of mine is a monarch enthusiast and she associates butterflies with autumn, since monarch butterflies migrate south in the fall. So my coworker and I decided to do our butterfly theme this month in September. She planned this one, so there were some new-to-me rhymes and songs, which is always fun.

A butterfly theme is perfect for incorporating your scarves, so flutter away!

it is time book cover, showing a boy looking at a green caterpillar on a plant.

a butterfly is patient book cover featuring a big blue butterfly as well as several other smaller ones and caterpillars

The Very Hungry Caterpillar book cover, showing a green and red caterpillar

Early Literacy Tip: When we say rhymes, play rhyming games with children, and point out the rhyming words, it helps them hear the smaller sounds in words which will help them later when they try to sound out words to read.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Intro: Today we’re talking about butterflies! These wonderful creatures begin their lives as tiny eggs, then hatch into caterpillars. After that, they create a cocoon or chrysalis where they spend 1-2 weeks transforming into butterflies! Butterflies love the sun and have delicate wings that make beautiful patterns.

Butterflies are not born with wings. Let’s use our hands to go through the life cycle of a butterfly!
Fingerplay: My Friend Caterpillar
My friend caterpillar (fingers crawl up arm)
Made its cocoon one day (close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked)
And quickly flew away (flap hands)
Source: Storytime Katie

my friend caterpillar thumbnail, with a graphic of a monarch butterfly flying away from a leafed branch where there is a caterpillar and a chrysalis. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

This is an excellent and very simple primer on the life of a caterpillar. I always enjoy Lizzy Rockwell books. I did have a moment of difficulty, though, during the book. She says “A pupa is there” when referring to the chrysalis. I kind of tried to explain that a pupa and chrysalis and cocoon are all similar, but I was sure there were scientific differences. I just hadn’t checked before the program, which I regret. I learned later that a pupa is that particular stage (not the structure that holds it.) A chrysalis is the pupa of a butterfly, and moths spin cocoons from silk – a cocoon surrounds a pupa but it is not the same thing. More info at Wikipedia!
Read: It Is Time: The Life of a Caterpillar by Lizzy Rockwell

My backups. A Butterfly Is Patient is such a beautiful book, and I appreciate that it can be read on several levels. You can just read the larger text and give a very concise explanation, or you can read the smaller text as well which gives more detail.
Backup titles: A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long OR The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

Does anyone know what butterflies eat? They drink sweet juice from flowers called nectar. Let’s count to 10 while we pretend to feed a butterfly.
The hand motions for this one are a bit simple, but it worked.
Action Rhyme: Butterfly Food
(tune of 1, 2, Buckle my Shoe)
1, 2, Nectar for you! (point outward)
3, 4, Find some more! (searching motion)
5, 6, Plants by sticks! (pretend to hold sticks)
7, 8, Nectar is great! (thumbs up)
9, 10, Let’s eat again! (eating motion)
Source: Carla @ Preschool Powol Packets

butterfly food thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange butterfly eating from a pink flower. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The butterfly song is about waiting for a caterpillar to make his transformation into a butterfly.
I pointed to each stage on the flannelboard, but also tried to add some volume dynamics. “Oh, oh, oh” was very soft and anticipatory, then louder on “out of the chrysalis.” I had created the butterfly and caterpillar flannel pieces for another set, and my colleague completed the life cycle by making the eggs and chrysalis and arrows!
Flannel Song: The Butterfly Song
(tune of Up on the House Top)
First comes the butterfly and lays an egg
Out comes a caterpillar with many legs
Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin
A little chrysalis to sleep in
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see
Out of the chrysalis, my oh my
Out comes a pretty butterfly
Source: Storytime Hooligans

flannel showing a monarch butterfly, a leaf with eggs, a monarch caterpillar, and a green chrysalis. gray arrows show the circular flow.

butterfly song thumbnail, with a graphic of the four butterfly life stages - egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I skipped this one for time.
Fingerplay Song: Caterpillar
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Caterpillar, caterpillar (wiggle index finger)
In the tree, in the tree (spread arms like branches)
First you wiggle this way (wiggle finger to one side)
Then you wiggle that way (wiggle finger to other side)
Look at me, look at me (finger “looks” at you)
Source: Palatine Public Library District

caterpillar thumbnail, with a graphic of a realistic yellow, black, and white monarch caterpillar. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

When I hand out a prop, I generally will do a “practice” song – something that gets them using the prop and following directions, and doesn’t necessarily go with the theme.
Scarf Song: Let’s All Twirl
(tune of Mulberry Bush)
Let’s all twirl our scarves today
Scarves today, scarves today
Let’s all twirl our scarves today
All around the room
(toss, scrunch, shake)
Source: Library Village Blogspot

let's all twirl thumbnail, with a graphic of a dancing unicorn. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, my scarf has turned into a butterfly! Can you turn your scarf into a butterfly? Where will it fly?
Demonstrate pinching the scarf in the middle to create “wings” on both sides. This one was fun because they got to toss their scarf up and catch it. Getting the tune right was tricky for me, so I had to practice a few times pre-storytime.
Scarf Song: A Butterfly is Landing on my Nose
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
A butterfly is landing on my nose
On my head, and on my toes
Now the butterfly is landing on my knee
She’ll fly away when I count to three:
1… 2… 3…! (toss scarf)
Source: The Loudest Librarian

a butterfly is landing on my nose thumbnail, with a phot of a dog with a butterfly on its snout. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Next, let’s use our scarves to wiggle, munch, and flutter!
The original song had a “big fat” caterpillar in the second verse. In addition to the syllables being awkward to sing, why fat-shame our poor caterpillar?!
Ukulele/Scarf Song: There’s a Tiny Caterpillar on a Leaf
(tune of If you’re happy & you know it)
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf: wiggle, wiggle
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf: wiggle, wiggle
There’s a tiny caterpillar, there’s a tiny caterpillar
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf: wiggle, wiggle

additional verses:
There’s a big caterpillar on a leaf: munch, munch
There’s a pretty butterfly on a leaf: flutter, flutter
Source: Storytime with Miss Jennifer

there's a tiny caterpillar on a leaf thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling green caterpillar on a leaf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Download a ukulele songsheet for If You’re Happy And You Know It here!

thumbnail for happy and you know it ukulele songsheet

Another one I skipped for time!
Scarf Song: Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Flutter, flutter, butterfly
Floating in the summer sky
Floating by for all to see
Floating by so merrily
Flutter, flutter, butterfly
Floating in the summer sky
Source: Storytime with Miss Jennifer

flutter butterfly thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink cartoon butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Craft: Coffee Filter Butterfly
We used dot markers to decorate. I’ve also done washable markers and sprayed with water to make a watercolor or tie dye effect, but this time just markers! Clip it with a wooden clothespin and add a little bit of pipe cleaner for antenna, and you are set!

coffee filter butterfly craft, showing a white coffee filter pinched in the middle to create two wings. It's decorated with blue yellow, and purple dots, and secured with a wooden clothespin.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Ten Little Caterpillars – Bill Martin, Jr. & Lois Ehlert
Hello, Little One – Zeena Pliska & Fiona Halliday
Winged Wonders – Meeg Pincus & Yas Imamura
The Digger and the Butterfly – Joseph Kuefler
Señorita Mariposa – Ben Gundersheimer & Marcos Almada Rivero
Binkle’s Time to Fly – Sharmila Collins & Carolina Rabei
Goodnight, Butterfly – Ross Burach
Waiting for Wings – Lois Ehlert
Bianca and the Butterfly – Sergio Ruzzier
Papilio – Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, & Andy Chou Musser
Becoming Charley – Kelly DiPucchio & Loveis Wise

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/10/25.

Storytime Handout:

*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: Clouds

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

I’m dreaming of warm sunny days with soft puffy clouds drifting, although this spring has brought much more dark rainclouds and overcast skies. Clouds are like that, though! Clouds are a theme you can take in a few directions, obviously weather, but also shapes, or even imagination! There are a few newer titles on clouds, as well as classics like It Looked Like Spilt Milk, so I was able to find plenty of books for display and take-home.

Our craft this session, making cloud dough, was quite messy, but every so often I do like to tackle a messy craft. After all, I am on the clock so I’m getting paid to clean up!

book cover for ploof, showing a white cloud with big eyes and a small smile on a light blue sky

book cover for little cloud, showing a white scribbled cloud with abstract eyes, nose, and smile.

Early Literacy Tip: Playing with playdough, kneading bread dough, or squishing a soft ball are not only fun activities with a unique sensory component, they also help strengthen the hand muscles. These muscles will be important when your child is learning to write later on!

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. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.

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

Intro: Last week we talked about springtime, and how much the weather changes in the spring. Today we’re talking about clouds, which play very important role in our weather. They can also be beautiful to look at, and come in all different shapes and sizes!

Can we pretend to be clouds? What does your cloud look like?
Song: I’m a Little Cloud (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little cloud up in the sky
You can find me way up high
Sometimes I’m puffy,
Sometimes stretched out
I just love to float about
Source: Jen in the Library

I'm a little cloud thumbnail, with a graphic of a white cloud with a smiling face and pink cheeks. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

A fantastic interactive read that touches not only on clouds, but also feelings and shapes. I see there’s a new one in the series, too, Paint with Ploof, which would be awesome if you’re doing the CSLP theme Color Our World this summer. So good I did it for all four of my sessions!
Read: Ploof by Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser (TT) (TB) (FT)

This was a backup title for me but I didn’t end up using it.
Read: Little Cloud by Eric Carle

If you were a cloud way up high in the sky, what might you see?
I was inspired by Abby the Librarian, but used either felt pieces that I already had or ones that we have a die cut for to make creating the felt easy and quick. I wanted to end with the sun, as a transition to the next rhyme.
Flannel Chant: Fluffy Cloud, What Do You See? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Fluffy cloud, fluffy cloud,
What do you see?
I see an orange butterfly looking at me!

What else might a cloud see? Try making up your own!
…green kite …white airplane …red rocket …yellow sun
Source: adapted from Abby the Librarian

flannel of fluffy cloud what do you see, with three white clouds, an orange and black butterfly, a green kite, white airplane, red rocket ship, and yellow sun.

Fluffy cloud what do you see thumbnail, with a graphic of a light blue cloud with a smiling face next to a monarch orange butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I imagine that the sun and the clouds are good friends.
Action Rhyme: Big Round Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Big round sun in the summer sky (circle arms overhead)
Waved to a cloud that was passing by (wave)
The little cloud laughed as it started to rain (wiggle fingers down)
Then out came the big round sun again (circle overhead)
Source: Mel’s Desk

big round sun thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling yellow and orange sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I ended up not using this one, but I reimagined my “Find the Moon” hide and seek game for the sun. There were just too many fun things to fit them all in!
Here come some clouds, it’s getting overcast! The sun is playing peekaboo
Flannel Rhyme Game: Find the Sun
Yellow sun, yellow sun,
Come out to play!
Which cloud are you hiding behind today?
Source: original

find the sun flannel, showing four big cloud shapes - blue, purple, mint green, and peach colored, with a yellow sun peeking from behind the blue one.

find the sun thumbnail, with a graphic of four clouds - teal, purple, pink, and mint green, and a sun with a face peeking from the blue one. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

And again, just not enough time for everything. I have done this one in the past and it’s fun to do, with the whooshing at the end! I would have used the large colored clouds shown in the “Find the Sun” rhyme above.
Counting/Flannel Fingerplay: Five Little Clouds
Five little clouds up in the sky (five fingers up)
Drifting, floating, way up high (drift hand)
When a big gust of wind came blowing through – Whoosh! (blow on hand)
One disappeared from the sky so blue (lower a finger, count down)
Source: Jen in the Library

five little clouds thumbnail, with a graphic of five different white cloud shapes outlined in black. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get our scarves out. The weather is turning windy!
I do this two or three times, hiding my scarf in different places. They especially like it when I put it under my shirt or up a sleeve!
Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf (TT) (TB) (FT)
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary

one bright scarf thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow scarf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We did this rhyme last week with our parachute. Let’s try it with our scarves this week!
Scarf Song: Rain Is Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain is falling down, SPLASH!
Rain is falling down, SPLASH!
Pitter patter pitter patter,
Rain is falling down, SPLASH!

Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Peeking here, peeking there,
Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Source: Jbrary

rain is falling down thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling cartoon raincloud with a sun peeking from behind it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, no! The weather is turning stormy! Can you make your scarf big?
Scarf Song: Big Dark Clouds (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
Some big dark clouds, Some big dark clouds (hold hands apart)
Raindrops falling from (wiggle fingers down)
Some big dark clouds (x2)

A thunderclap – BOOM! (clap) A thunderclap – BOOM! (clap)
Raindrops falling from some big dark clouds (x2)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

big dark clouds thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark gray stormcloud with a lightning bolt and raindrops. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The rain is going away, and now it’s time for the sun to come out again. Can your scarves be little puffy clouds floating in a beautiful sunshiny sky?
Scarf Song: Mr. Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you
Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mr. Sun” here!

Mr. Sun thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Cloud Dough (TB) (FT)
Some days we go big on the craft. Cloud dough is fun but very messy! I did my best to control it, but it was inevitable. I meant to take pictures of the setup and the aftermath, but didn’t even get any pictures of my finished product! The recipe came from Southern Plate, and it’s basically 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part hair conditioner. I bought six 12 oz boxes of cornstarch and three large (28 oz) bottles of Suave conditioner and that lasted me through 50+ portions. I pre-measured 1/4 cup of cornstarch in big bowls we had in storage (they’re Halloween candy bowls!) so they had lots of space to mix. Then I pre-measured 2 Tbsp conditioner into small disposable bowls and gave everyone a plastic spoon. I did mention to grownups that if they were doing this at home, I would encourage them doing the measuring with their kid as it’s a great way to get some math and spatial skill practice in, but with the big group I didn’t want big scoops of cornstarch or conditioner going everywhere. Everyone got a small snack sized plastic bag to take their cloud dough home. Clean up was a lot, but, hey – I’m getting paid to clean up the mess!

photo of a hand gripping cloud dough, a white fluffy play-dough-like material. — Photo from Southern Plate blog

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)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
It Looked Like Spilt Milk – Charles G. Shaw
Partly Cloudy – Deborah Freedman
Cloudette – Tom Lichtenheld
Cloudy – Alice K Flanagan
When Cloud Became a Cloud – Rob Hodgson
Clouds – Marion Dane Bauer & John Wallace
Weather Together – Jessie Sima
The Little Cloud – Pam Fong
Cloudland – John Burningham
Moongame – Frank Asch
The Little Cloud – Pam Fong
Paint with Ploof – Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/24, 3/25, 3/26, & 3/27/25.

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:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

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

Storytime: Penguins

Posted on January 31, 2025January 30, 2025 by msemilylibrary

Penguins are just undeniably cute! I had done a penguin theme much earlier in my career, before starting this blog, so I’m glad to finally document this one. We had so much fun with this program, and it’s the first time in a long time that the plan seemed to go really, really, well for every single session. Each activity flowed well into the next and everyone seemed to keep focused and interested the whole way through. That’s rare – usually I do some tweaking from one session to the next, or realize that this song or that rhyme didn’t work well. This one was a pleasure start to finish for three days straight.

Well done mommy penguin book cover (illustration of adult and baby penguin hugging)

hello penguin book cover (photograph of penguin on beach)

Early Literacy Tip: Factual books, or nonfiction books, are a great way to expand children’s knowledge about the world. You can read the whole book or choose certain pages your child might be interested in. One great way to share these books with young children is to look at the pictures or photographs and read the captions.

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

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

Intro: Today we’re talking about an animal that lives where it is cold outside – Penguins! Penguins mainly live in Antarctica, but there are some that also live in Africa and South America. Penguins are birds, but they can’t fly in the air. Instead, they “fly” in the water – they swim! They have short legs and waddle around on land. Let’s find out more.
I had one kiddo insist when I said they live in Antarctica that no, they live in the South Pole. I was so impressed! We talked briefly about how that land may have different names, but that he was right.

Here I showed 3-4 pages from this very short nonfiction title and talked about the photographs.
Book: Hello, Penguin! by Kathryn Williams

Can we get two penguins out on our fingers?
Fingerplay: Two Little Penguins (TT) (TB) (FT)
(style of Two Blackbirds)
Two little penguins sitting on a hill
One named Jack and one named Jill
Waddle away Jack, waddle away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill

Two little penguins sitting on the ice
One bows once, the other bows twice
Waddle little penguins, waddle away
Come back, penguins – time to play!
Source: Storytime Katie

two little penguins thumbnail, with a graphic of two emperor penguins facing each other. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This book hit all the high marks – it had noises, a repeated phrase, humor, drama, and a happy ending!
Read: Well Done, Mommy Penguin by Chris Haughton (TT) (TB) (FT)

Our penguins are playing with their friends in the water. Can they jump on the shore like Mommy Penguin?
My flannelboard has a black background, which works well most of the time. But occasionally I need a different color! I made a dark blue background (basically just a felt piece the size of board) that can go on top of the black when needed. That was a great color for the “sea,” and I added an ice shelf. My five penguins started in the ocean, then hopped up to the ice on the “pop.” This goes a little beyond counting up or counting down, since there are a number of penguins still swimming and a number that have hopped up and we can talk about both numbers.
Flannel/Counting Song: Five Penguins Swimming (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five little penguins swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water
Five little penguins Swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble …POP!
(count down)
Source: adapted from All the Fish from Caspar Babypants

five penguins flannel, showing a two layer ice bank of light blue behind white felt. Three felt penguins are on the ice bank, and two are "swimming" beside it.

Five little penguins thumbnail, with a graphic of five identical cartoon penguins, each with a number 1-5 on its belly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I think it’s time for penguin puppets! Can you come up and pick a puppet?
The kids love to have something to move around, and simple cardstock and craft stick puppets are an easy and cheap way to give them an extra somatic element.

Three paper penguin puppets - a white oval is attached to a craft stick, and a black die-cut penguin is glued to the white oval.

Can you hold up your penguin? Oh, we just landed on Antarctica – I see penguins all over!
Puppet Action Rhyme: Penguins Everywhere (TT) (TB) (FT)
The penguins are here, the penguins are there
the penguins, the penguins are everywhere!
The penguins are up, the penguins are down
The penguins, the penguins are all around!
The penguins are in, the penguins are out
the penguins, the penguins are all about!
The penguins go low, the penguins go high
The penguins, the penguins all wave goodbye!
Source: One Little Librarian (link no longer working)

penguins everywhere thumbnail, with a graphic of six small penguins, each dressed in winter accessories (hats/scarves) and doing winter play such as sledding, making snow angels, etc. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Reinforcing the facts learned in our nonfiction title as well as in our story:
What do penguins eat? Fish! Let’s do the penguin cheer!
At the “splash” our penguin puppets dove down to catch a fish. We did this three or four times!
Puppet Chant: Penguin Cheer (TT) (TB) (FT)
I like fishies, Yes, I do!
When I want fishies, Here’s what I do:
One, two three… SPLASH !
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Penguin cheer thumbnail, with a graphic of one penguin diving and a second standing with a fish in its mouth. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I debated doing this one on ukulele or just singing and ended up just singing. That way I could model moving the puppet around.
Let’s let our penguins play.
Puppet Song: The Penguin Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of My Bonnie)
The penguin slides over the ice bank
The penguin jumps into the sea
Look at her black and white feathers
That penguin’s as cute as can be
Swim fast, swim fast,
Oh, swim fast my penguin to me, to me!
Swim fast, swim fast
Oh, swim fast my penguin to me!
Source: Johnson County (KS) Library (link no longer working)

Download a ukulele songsheet for The Penguin Song

thumbnail for penguin song ukulele songsheet

penguin song thumbnail, with a graphic of a wavy ocean at the bottom of the page, with a penguin seeming to jump out of the waves. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

At this point I let everyone know that we were going to do a next-level exercise. We would be *trading in* our penguin puppet for a shaky egg. Everyone did a really good job of putting the puppet away in one bin and picking out an egg in the other.
Remember penguins are birds. And how are baby birds born? From eggs!
Shaker Rhyme: Eggs Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
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

This one was good because I was sure to end with shaker on your feet (I think I did knee, elbow, tummy, then feet). Then we talked about how daddy penguins take care of the eggs before they hatch and keep them on their feet so they stay warm. We tried walking around with shaker on feet like a daddy penguin, to varying degrees of success, but high hilarity!
Shaker Song: Can You Shake? (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of London Bridge)
Can you shake along with me,
Along with me, along with me?
Can you shake along with me?
Put your shaker on your… knee!
(repeat with different body parts)
Source: Jbrary

Oh, did you hear that? Our penguin eggs are ready to hatch! Let’s listen carefully!
After hatching our eggs a few times, we returned our shaky eggs back to the “nest” bowl and moved on to Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.
Shaker Rhyme: Egg So Quiet (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg so quiet (keep shaker egg still)
Egg so still
Will it hatch?
Yes, it will! (shake vigorously!)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

egg so quiet thumbnail, with a graphic of a large white egg with a crack across the middle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Heart Penguins (TB) (FT)
I found a sample of this penguin in my predecessor’s files, and it was an easy one to recreate. The two main parts were made by folding and cutting like you do a heart (though the black body was not heart shaped but more bullet-like. The white face and belly was the widest heart shape I could make on a half-sheet of white construction paper (so I would fold into fourths and then cut the shape and get two in one sheet). We have a paper die that’s for a heart border, which has four heart shapes strung together, with a smaller heart cut out of the middle. Cutting these into individual hearts made the feet, and the inner heart made the beak. My predecessor also was uncomfortable with googly eyes for kids under 2, so she printed out pairs of eyes on label paper. I have a lot left, so the eyes are just these stickers. They turned out very cute and were minimal work for me to prep.

penguin heart craft - a black penguin body with an elongated white heart shape for the face and belly. Sticker eyes and a small orange heart beak make the face and two larger orange hearts make the feet.

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Waiting for Mama – Gianna Marino
Flora and the Penguin – Molly Idle
What’s in the Egg, Little Pip – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Baby Penguins Love Their Mama! – Melissa Guion
If You Were a Penguin – Florence Minor & Wendell Minor
A Penguin Story – Antoinette Portis
The King Penguin – Vanessa Roeder
Vampenguin – Lucy Ruth Cummins
Harriet Gets Carried Away – Jessie Sima
Grumpy Pants – Claire Messer

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/13, 1/14, & 1/15/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhymes, 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

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

Storytime: Eggs

Posted on April 20, 2024April 19, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Eggs are so intriguing! What’s inside? Who lays eggs? We explored eggs and the animals that lay them this week in storytime. (You could also do some breakfast-y type things, but I didn’t go that route.)

This was also a theme that lent itself very well to flannels. I made two new flannels and reused an old one for this theme!

Early Literacy Tip: Children are so curious about the world around them. Take advantage of this curiosity to help them develop background knowledge. When we talk with our children about things that interest them and when we share books to broaden their knowledge, all this learning they have about the world, big ideas and little facts, will help them later understand what they read.

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. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.

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

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* I’ve actually stopped doing this one in general, but keep it in my flip display of rhyme and song lyrics so I can use it as a backup at any time.

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: (point out eggs on the flannelboard) Oh, my, what are these? Eggs! A lot of animals are born from eggs. I wonder what is inside these eggs?

This is an old standby – I use it a lot!
Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five eggs and five eggs, And that makes ten
Sitting on top is mother hen
Cackle, cackle, cackle, And what do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks as yellow as can be
Source: Mel’s Desk

Flannel from Sunflower Storytime, now defunct. You can download it here.

ten fluffy chicks thumbnail, with a graphic of two clutches of five eggs with a brown hen on top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Tickle: Chicken in the Barnyard (TT) (TB) (FT)
Chicken in the barnyard (circle baby’s hand or tummy)
Staying out of trouble
Along comes a turkey (move fingers up arm or chest)
Gobble, gobble, gobble! (tickle under arm or chin)
Source: Jen in the Library

chicken in the barnyard thumbnail, with a graphic of a small yellow chick running away from a turkey. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri (TT)
This one was nice and simple, but I wished there were turtle eggs or something that was non-avian.

Read: Egg by Kevin Henkes (TB) (FT)
The surprise factor was fun! I also appreciated how there were opportunities to talk about emotions. The last (twist) page didn’t quite hit home for my group, but overall the book worked.

Do you know a famous rhyme about a big egg who sits on a wall?
A bit of a mash-up: I did the full body movement I found on the intellidance video, while giving the option to rock in a lap as well. I didn’t do the “and crack” she does at the end, but launched straight to “Humpty Dumpty fell in a puddle…” My flannel is double sided, so a quick flip shows Humpty cracked.
Action Rhyme: Rock on the Wall (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rock and rock and rock on the wall (rock side to side)
Rock and rock and hope we don’t fall…
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (bounce up and down)
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! (tilt back or thru legs)
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men (bounce or rock fast!)
Couldn’t put Humpty together again
Humpty Dumpty fell in a puddle
Humpty Dumpty needed a cuddle (give baby a big hug)
Source: Felt-tastic Flannelboard Funtime & Intellidance (see it here as a lap rhyme, and here as a full body action rhyme)

flannel of rock on the wall, with a piece of dark red felt with brown bricks. Two eggs are superimposed, one sitting at the top of the wall with a smile and a big red bowtie, the second on its side at the bottom of the wall frowning, with cracks and tie askew.

rock on the wall thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon humpty dumpty sitting on the wall and another at the bottom, cracked. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I worked HARD on this flannel, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. To get the heathered look on the duck and duckling, I started with a heathered gray felt and painted it with watercolors. It worked, though it took a long time to dry! I also painted the duck egg a light blue/teal. I wanted all three eggs to look different, and the ducks to be a little more realistic.
Wow, here are some more eggs! They look different, don’t they?
Flannel Story: Three Eggs in a Basket (TT) (TB) (FT)
There were three eggs in a basket.
The first egg started to rock. Tap, tap, CRACK! Out came a little chick.
The second egg started to rock. Tap, tap, CRACK! A duckling popped out.
The third egg began to rock back and forth. Tap, tap, CRACK! Out popped a little turtle! (Did you know turtles came from eggs?)
Along came a mother hen. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby?
Along came a mamma duck. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby?
Along came a mamma turtle. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby?
All of the mothers have found all of their babies! Yay!
Source: Librarian Is on the Loose

flannel for three eggs in a basket, showing a simple brown basket with three eggs - a brown one with a yellow chick showing on top, a larger blue egg with a duckling, and a round white egg with a turtle. ARound the basket are a large brown/gray duck, brown hen, and green turtle.

Turtles aren’t the only reptiles that hatch from eggs. Did you know dinosaurs also hatched from eggs?
Action Rhyme: Inside Her Eggshell (TT) (TB) (FT)
Inside her egg shell, white and round
Baby dinosaur is safe and sound
But she wants to come out into the light
So she pushes and shoves with all her might
Her shell soon cracks and creaks and pops
One big jump and out she pops!
Source: Yogibrarian

inside her eggshell thumbnail, with a graphic of a dinosaur sitting in a cracked egg. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Activity: Dino Eggs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Can you find any eggs around our room? See if you can find an egg and bring it to your grownup. Then we’ll see what’s inside!
I “hid” plastic eggs with felt dinosaurs made from our die cutter around the room. There aren’t many places to hide things, so this was mostly on top of the chairs that remain at the tables, and a couple in the windowsills. The kids loved finding eggs and bringing them up to the mini-flannelboard (we use with outreach) that was low enough for them to reach (mine is up higher). After the scrum of kids retreated, we counted how many dinos they found.
Source: Falling Flannelboards

Now let’s come up and pick out an egg shaker!

Couldn’t do an egg program without some egg shaking!
Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
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!
Source: Jbrary

egg shakers up thumbnail, with a graphic of four different colored egg shapes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one actually didn’t work that well. The kids were confused about rolling the egg on the floor, even though I was demoing. I nixed it for the third group.
Shaker Rhyme: Little Egg (TT) (TB)
Once there was a little egg that jumped down to the floor
It started rolling all around then rolled right out the door
Little egg, roll, roll, roll, Roll all around
Little egg roll, roll, roll, All across the ground
Source: Jen in the Library

little egg thumbnail, with a graphic of a grassy hill with a gray egg rolling down it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This was a backup and came in handy when I didn’t do the Little Egg rhyme.
Shaker Song: Shake Your Shaker (FT)
(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 different colored egg shapes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We ended with a recorded song.
Recorded Song: I Know a Chicken (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album Whaddaya Think Of That?

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

Craft: Egg Babies (TB) (FT)
Inspiration for this craft came from Krokotak, but I wanted the option to choose what egg baby was inside your egg. I used Canva to find outline images of animals that hatch from eggs, and sized them and an egg shape to fit. There were enough egg babies for each child to choose several, and they could switch them out in their egg or glue one down.

Download the egg template here. Download egg babies here.

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

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

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. 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)
An Egg Is Quiet – Dianna Aston & Sylvia Long
Guess What Is Growing Inside this Egg – Mia Posada
Egg – Amy Sky Koster & Lisel Jane Ashlock
Hatch! – Roxie Munro
Where Are the Eggs? – Grace Lin
Tillie Lays an Egg – Terry Golson & Ben Fink
First the Egg – Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Hello, I’m Here! – Helen Frost & Rick Leider
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur – Kallie George & Oriol Vidal
Mother Bruce – Ryan T. Higgins

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/25, 3/26, & 3/27/24.

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:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Rain

Posted on April 12, 2024April 9, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Rain is a great storytime theme for any time of year, but it feels especially apt in the springtime. I’ve done general weather programming in the past (pre-blogging days!), but there’s enough material to focus on rain, and some excellent books to highlight.

Early Literacy Tip: The Itsy Bitsy Spider is more than just a fun song. It describes the natural world. In simple words, we learn that after rain makes everything wet, the sun will shine and dry out the wet areas. What an enjoyable way to learn about what happens after it rains! Often our songs and rhymes describe how the world works.

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. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.

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

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

Intro: This week we are enjoying some rainy weather (if not in reality, in our storytime!) We often get a lot of rain this time of year, and sometimes that means we stay inside. Sometimes we might play outside. But either way, rain is important for our world – can you think of what needs water? (Everything needs water!)

Let’s sing what’s maybe the most famous song about rain!
After singing this in a regular way, we invited Itsy Bitsy’s cousins, Very Quiet Spider (very small hand motions and whispers) and Great Big Spider (whole hand spider and booming voice) to the party.
Action Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again
Source: traditional

the itsy bitsy spider thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon spider next to a rain gutter attached to a red brick wall. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: Let’s Go Puddling! by Emma Perry & Claire Alexander (TT) (TB) (FT)
This worked so well I went ahead and used it for all three sessions. It’s a sweet book with the possibility of engaging the crowd with motions and a few sound effects. There are a couple of spots where the text finishes a sentence on the next page spread, so definitely do a little practice run before reading live. A bonus for us, this is one of the five titles on the ballot this year for our state’s Early Literacy Firefly Award. They always release a program guide which has lots of great ideas, and you can see the archived guides going back to 2018.

Read: Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre
A backup title in case Puddling didn’t come in on time. As with all of Sayre’s books, it integrates very simple rhyming text with gorgeous nature photography.

Can we make the sound of a rainstorm?
Activity: Make a Rainstorm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Though this works best with a very large group (like a whole auditorium), it was not bad in our smaller groups of 25-40. The adults were able to switch a little faster than the kids, so there was a good amount of overlap from one motion to the next, which is actually good!
Here’s what we did:
Two fingers making circles on opposite palm
Rubbing hands together
Snaps
Light claps
Hard claps
Jump up and say “Kaboom!” for thunder a couple times during hard claps
Light claps
Snaps
Rubbing hands
Two fingers
Hands up – what a beautiful rain we made!

Fingerplay: During the Spring (TT) (TB) (FT)
During the spring, it often showers (flutter fingers down)
Or… the sun shines for many hours (form circle with arms)
Both are very good for the flowers! (cup hands, extend arms)
Source: Storytime Katie

during the spring thumbnail, with a graphic of a sun and rain cloud above three flowers. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Look at all this rain! Let’s pull on our rain boots and stomp some puddles.
Action Song: Stomping in the Rain (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
We’re stomping in the rain,
We’re stomping in the rain
We can’t go yet, we must get wet
We’re stomping in the rain
(repeat: clapping, jumping, turning, tiptoeing, etc)
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

stomping in the rain thumbnail, with a graphic of four children jumping in a puddle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s time to get in the car and go. But how will we see out the windshield?
Action Rhyme: Windshield Wiper (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m a windshield wiper,
This is how I go
Back and forth, back and forth,
In the rain and snow
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

Windshield wiper thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of windshield wipers and the pattern they leave on the glass. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out our scarves! Can we make the sound of the rain with our scarves?
Scarf Song: Rain Is Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain is falling down (flutter scarf down) –
SPLASH! (sweep scarf to the side)
Rain is falling down – SPLASH!
Pitter patter pitter patter (wave scarf up and down quickly)
Rain is falling down – SPLASH!

Sun is peeking out – PEEK! (hide behind scarf, then peek)
Sun is peeking out – PEEK!
Peeking here, peeking there,
Sun is peeking out – PEEK!
Source: Jbrary

Rain is falling down thumbnail, with a graphic of a sun peeking out from behind a raincloud, both with faces. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Rhyme: Falling Raindrops (TT) (TB) (FT)
Raindrops, raindrops, Falling all around (wave scarf in a circle)
Pitter-patter on the roof (wave high)
Pitter-patter on the ground (wave low)
Here is my umbrella (open scarf and put above head)
It will keep me dry
When I go walking in the rain (march)
I hold it up so high (reach high)
Source: Bayviews.org

falling raindrops thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow duckling walking with a green umbrella in the rain. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Song: Under My Umbrella (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie)
Come under my umbrella, umbrella, umbrella
Come under my umbrella, It’s starting to rain
With thunder and lightning
And lightning and thunder
Come under my umbrella, It’s starting to rain
Source: traditional

Under my umbrella thumbnail, with a graphic of a cloud with raindrops and a multicolored umbrella. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do some more stomping!
Recorded song: Boots (TT) (TB) (FT)
B-O-O-T-S Boots! B-O-O-T-S – black boots
In my black boots, In my black boots
I stomp around in my black boots
In my boots (stomp, stomp)
In my boots (stomp, stomp)
I stomp around in my boots!
Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album Victor Vito

Boots thumbnail, with a graphic of four pairs of boots: yellow and blue polka dotted, green frogs, red, and black. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Raindrop Stamping (TB) (FT)
Inspiration for this craft came from Adventures of a Bookworm! I had white clouds pre-cut and provided light blue paper for them to glue them on. Then, they used toilet paper tube stamps pinched on one side to make a raindrop shape to dip into darker blue paint.

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)
Rainy Days – Deborah Kerbel & Miki Sato
Welcome, Rain! – Sheryl McFarlane & Christine Wei
Raindrop, Plop! – Wendy Cheyette Lewison & Pam Paparone
Soaked – Abi Cushman
Singing in the Rain – Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown, & Tim Hopgood
The Blue Umbrella – Emily Ann Davison & Momoko Abe
When the Storm Comes – Linda Ashman & Taeeun Yoo
Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car – John Burningham
Puddle – Hyewon Yum

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/18, 3/19, & 3/20/24.

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:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Sun, Moon, Eclipse!

Posted on March 29, 2024April 1, 2024 by msemilylibrary

I don’t generally post my storytime plans until after they have occured, but I thought this one might be helpful to anyone else doing an eclipse program for the April 8, 2024 event.

We are in the path of totality, so my library is holding a lot of programming for all ages and making a big event of the day. I’ll be holding these Sun, Moon, Eclipse sessions the week before to get our little ones excited for the upcoming event.

I had done Moon storytimes before, so I figured I could adapt that and add some sun activities. I’m not usually good at coming up with original material, but I did think up a rhyme and a song to directly discuss the eclipse – “Eclipse-a-Boo” and “These Are My [Eclipse] Glasses.” You can see my renditions of these on my virtual program, Storytime Shorts (available to view April 1, 2024 at 9:00 am EDT). I also got a lot of inspiration from Lady Librarian Life, who did an eclipse themed storytime in 2017, when the last eclipse was visible from the US.

Early Development Tip: Hearing rhymes and patterns in sounds helps to trigger speech. Scientific evidence shows that early exposure to nursery rhymes and songs with strong sound patterns significantly enhances a child’s ability to hear the smaller sounds that words are made up of, which in turn helps develop early reading skills. When you engage your child with rhymes and songs, you help your child build a strong foundation for learning to read.

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

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

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

Intro: Our theme today is a special one – we’re preparing for an amazing and rare astronomical event, a total solar eclipse. This will happen one week from today, April 8, and we are in the right place to see it in its totality. This means that the moon will get in between the earth and the sun, casting its shadow and blocking our view of the sun for just a few minutes. Today we’re celebrating the main players – the sun and the moon.

So how do the sun and moon usually work? Who’s out in the daytime/at night?
Fingerplay: Sun and Moon (TT) (TB) (FT)
(One hand is the moon as a crescent and the other is the sun – spread five fingers for sun’s rays)
Moon comes out, Sun goes in
Here is a blanket to cuddle your chin (tickle chin)
Moon goes in, and Sun comes out
Throw off the blankets and bustle about! (fling arms wide and wiggle)
Source: Sunflower Storytime (no longer published)

Sun & Moon thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun and moon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Apparently this is adapted from a Romper Room tune, which is before my time. To get the tune, I found the link to a video of it being performed by Dany Rosevear of Singing Games for Children. She’s a great resource for songs and guitar/ukulele chords.
Let’s stretch up to the sky.
Stretch: Sky Stretch (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bend and stretch, reach for the moon!
Sway back and forth to our little tune
Bend and stretch, reach for the sun!
Sit down slowly now, our song is done
Source: Lady Librarian Life

Sky Stretch thumbnail, with a graphic of a sun and moon with multicolored hands reaching up. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: Our Friend Moon by Lea Redmond (TT) (FT)
It would be great to be able to read Eclipse, but I don’t think it will come in on time for me. I’m 3rd on the holds list right now and there’s only one week to go! Instead, I plan to read Our Friend Moon for the Monday and Wednesday groups, a lovely little board book that I helped Kickstart!

Read: A Day in the Sun by Diana Ejaita (TB)
A newer title with lovely illustrations, showing daytime activities around the world.

Have you ever seen the moon during the daytime?
Rhyme: Ms. Moon (TT) (TB) (FT)
Ms. Moon, Ms. Moon
You’re up too soon!
The sun is still in the sky
Go back to your bed,
And cover up your head,
And wait till the day goes by
In the morning
the sun wakes up,
And marches all the day
At noon he stands straight overhead
And at night? He goes away
Source: Lady Librarian Life

Ms. Moon thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling full moon surrounded by stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Flannel: Eclipse (TT) (TB) (FT)
This isn’t a rhyme or song, but I just made a simple sun and a black circle to represent the moon to try to show what the eclipse would look like. I pulled out a moon flannel from my “Five Coyotes” set, too. The plan is to just explain what happens and show the moon eclipsing the sun.

Flannelboard pieces of a realistic white moon with light gray craters, a bright yellow sun with short rays, and a black circle that would cover the sun but show the rays. The black circle is 80% covering the sun in this picture.

I was trying to think of a simple way to incorporate the eclipse into a rhyme, and the image just struck me of the sun and moon playing, and the rhyme practically wrote itself (except that last line, which, I realize, is a little awkward…)
During an eclipse, the sun and moon seem like they’re playing peek-a-boo!
Action Rhyme: Eclipse-A-Boo (TT) (TB) (FT)
The sun is playing peek-a-boo
Oh, look, the moon is playing, too
Peek a boo, goodbye, sun
Hide and seek is so much fun!
Peek a boo, hello, moon
I didn’t expect to see you so soon
Peek a boo, sun returns
Much fun with sun and moon in turns
Source: original

Eclipse-a-Boo thumbnail, with a graphic of a sun with a surprised face peeking out from behind a big smiling sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Another one that just came in a flash of inspiration. I was thinking about eclipse glasses, and Laurie Berkner’s song popped into my head. It took a little wrangling to make it work, but I am very pleased with the end rhymes of both verses!
It’s very important to protect our eyes while we’re watching the eclipse. There are special glasses we’ll wear to keep our eyes safe from the brightness of the sun.
Song: These Are My [Eclipse] Glasses (TT) (TB) (FT)
These are my glasses,
There is the sun
I put on my glasses before I look above
And I look, look, look
and I see, see, see
I take off my glasses
When we reach totality! …Oooh! Aaah!…

These are my glasses,
There goes the moon
I put on my glasses as the moon moves on
And I look look look
Until down the moon slips
I take off my glasses – What a cool eclipse!
Source: original, to tune of Laurie Berkner’s These Are My Glasses

These are my eclipse glasses thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of a boy and a girl wearing dark eclipse glasses. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

At this point I’m thinking I’ll get out shaky eggs for the group to accompany us as we sing.
Here’s a song I love to sing about the sun. Another librarian wrote some lyrics to celebrate the last eclipse, so listen carefully!
Song: Mr. Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you
Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me

Additional verses:
Ms. Moon, Moon, Ms. Silver Moon please shine down on me…

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please come out real soon
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind the moon…
Source: Raffi, with vs 2-3 by Lady Librarian Life

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mr. Sun” here!

I’ll probably put my ukulele down for this one to do the hand motions.
This song mentions the daytime and nighttime, but I love that it says you’re loved always
Song: Skinnamarink (TT) (TB) (FT)
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
I love you in the morning,
and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening,
Underneath the moon
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I… Love… you!
Boo-boopee-doo!
Source: traditional, see Jbrary doing motions

Skinnamarink thumbnail, with a graphic of small red hearts surrounding the words. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We only ever do the chorus in storytime, but the verses of this song really made me dislike it. It’s very controlling/unhealthy relationship! In my songsheet, I found some alternative lyrics from the children’s musician Bill Crosby (not Bill Cosby) that I like. BUT, for this storytime, I plan to just do the chorus a couple times.
Help me by shaking your shakers!
Ukulele Song: You Are My Sunshine (TT) (TB) (FT)
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear
How much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away
Source: traditional

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for You Are My Sunshine here!

thumbnail of You Are My Sunshine ukulele songsheet.

You Are My Sunshine thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Chalk Eclipse (TB) (FT)
It’s a simple craft, and not original, but it still makes a beautiful presentation. Use some black or dark construction paper, white or yellow chalk, and some thin cardboard or cardstock. Cut out a circle with the cardstock – I used a die cut, but you can also trace around a bowl to make a nice circle. Hold down the circle on your construction paper, or tack it down with a little bit of tape. Then draw a thick line around the circle with your chalk, and use your finger to smudge the chalk outward. Always start from the circle outward, then pick up your finger to do it again (don’t go back and forth). Then remove the cardstock circle and you have this cool image of an eclipse!

Picture of the chalk eclipse craft, showing the corona of the sun behind a black moon.

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)
Hello, Moon – Evan Turk
Kitten’s First Full Moon – Kevin Henkes
Moonlight – Helen V Griffith & Laura Dronzek
Moonday – Adam Rex
The Moon Remembers – EB Goodale
A Day in the Sun – Diana Ejaita
Sun Flower Lion – Kevin Henkes
May There Always Be Sunshine – Jim Gill & Susie Signorino-Richards
Sunny Days – Deborah Kerbel & Miki Sato
Stella Keeps the Sun Up – Clothilde Ewing & Lynn Gaines

This storytime will be presented in-person on 4/1, 4/2, & 4/3/24.

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:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Robots

Posted on November 25, 2023November 25, 2023 by msemilylibrary

As a theme, robots are fairly neutral – I don’t associate them with any holiday or season, so you can do this one any time of year.

When I shared what I’d be doing this week with my brother, he asked if the kids would even know what robots were! I am happy to report that robots were well received, and I even had one little girl who LOVES robots and was super excited to walk like a robot and do a robot craft. So never underestimate your little ones!

You can see another version of this theme from 2020 here.

Early Literacy Tip: Talk with your child about groups of objects. “Which robots have an antenna?” “Let’s put away all the toys with wheels.” This helps your child in classifying objects, which supports cognitive thinking.

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 & ears.

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

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

Intro: What is a robot? It’s a machine that helps do things for people – sometimes it looks like a person, sometimes it doesn’t. It can help out in situations that may be too dangerous for people, or can do things more easily or quickly than people can. We’re going to pretend to be robots during storytime today – one thing that robots have is a button or switch to turn them on or off. Where would your robot button be? Mine is right here on my shoulder. Power UP! Power DOWN!

Action Song: I’m a Little Robot (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little robot, short and strong (muscle pose)
Here are my handles (hands on hips)
Just turn me on (push a “button”)
When I get all warmed up, watch me go (shake body)
Sometimes fast (march in place fast)
Sometimes slow (march in place slow)
Source: AnnesLibraryLife

Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them (Robot Style) (TT) (TB) (FT)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them (make “pincers” with hands and open/shut)
Give a little bang, bang, bang (clap)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Press your button, clang, clang, clang! (touch “button”)
Turn your gears: now fast, now slow (roll arms)
Blink your lights from high to low! (hands “blink” open and shut, fingers splayed, moving downward)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little zap, zap, zap (pointer fingers jab outward)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Power down now, just like that! (sit or slump over slowly)
Source: original, adapted from the traditional rhyme

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

This book only seems to be available in a Little Golden edition right now – my previous library had it in the original full sized hardcover. The little one is small! I do like the fact that this one talks about actual robots, like robot vacuums and the Mars rover, though the last page is a little odd.
Read: Robots, Robots, Everywhere by Sue Fliess & Bob Staake (TT)

I found this one and really loved how simple it is – who doesn’t love to sing Happy BIrthday in the middle of a story?! There is a lot of interest in the alien Mars landscape while still celebrating our own curiosity here on Earth. My only complaint is that this is also a very small book!
Read: Birthday on Mars! by Sara Schonfeld & Andrew J. Ross (TB) (FT)

We did three or four verses each session.
Action Song: The Robot (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The legs of the robot go up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
The legs of the robot go up and down,
As it walks around the room (march around like a robot)

Optional verses:
Head: goes side to side…
Arms: go back and forth…
Buttons: go beep, beep, beep…
Lights: flash on and off…
Feet: go clickity clack…
Antennas: go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle…
Source: Northwest Regional Library System (OH)

This is a fun take on the hiding game. My groups really love when I make a big deal of the reveal – I usually count down and then quickly take a colored gear off. There are “aws” when nothing is there, and excited squeals when they finally find the hidden item! I used the smallest robot from another flannel, Five Little Robots, for this.
Flannel Rhyme: Where Is Robot? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Robot, robot, we know you’re here!
Are you behind the (color) gear?
Source: Lady Librarian Life

flannel showing five different colored gears: yellow, green, red, gray, and blue. The blue one has revealed a small wheeled robot underneath.

I wanted another activity that was more suitable for younger kids, and inspired by the Curiosity Rover in both books, wrote this little bounce. It was fun!
Bounce: Robot Rover (TT) (TB) (FT)
Robot, robot, roving over Mars (bounce)
Robot, robot up among the stars (lift)
Bouncing here, bouncing there (bounce to left and right)
Finding rocks that are so rare
Robot check your locator
So you don’t fall into a crater! (lower or tilt to side)
Source: original

Action Rhyme: Robot, Robot (TT) (TB) (FT)
Robot, robot, Turn around,
Robot, robot, Touch the ground
Robot, robot, Turn left and right,
Robot, robot, Flash your lights
Robot, robot, Bloop and beep,
Robot, robot, Go to sleep
Source: Storybook Stephanie

I tend to not use a lot of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” songs, since our transition song (“If You’re Ready for a Story”) uses that tune, but I had this one ready in case we needed another song to do. We didn’t need to fill the time, however.
Song: If You’re a Robot and You Know It
If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils (clap, clap)
If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils
If you’re a robot and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils

Additional verses:
…clunk your gears (stomp feet)
…do a dance (dance like a robot!)
Source: Future Librarian Superhero

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

Craft: Shape Robots (TB) (FT)
Shape crafts are great – everyone can do their own thing, there’s no pressure to follow a model, and hopefully there are some discussions about “where is the rectangle,” or “which is the bigger circle?” I had construction paper large rectangles, squares, long skinny rectangles, and circles, then also provided smaller random foam piece shapes for buttons and features and short lengths of metallic chenille stems for antennae or arms. There were scissors on the table in case anyone wanted to trim or modify the shapes, but they aren’t necessary. I tried to emphasize that although my robot had wheels, yours might have legs, and you can arrange the shapes however you wanted. We got a lot of variety!

shape robot glued to a piece of black construction paper, with a long orange rectangular body, two blue arms, a light blue square head, purple metallic squiggly antennae, three yellow wheels, and variously colored buttons, eyes, and mouth.

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)
Boy + Bot – Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino
Doug Unplugged – Dan Yaccarino
Bitty Bot – Tim McCanna & Tad Carpenter
Spare Parts – Rebecca Emberley & Ed Emberley
Stop! Bot! – James Yang
Buddy’s Bedtime Battery – Christina Geist & Tim Bowers
Clink – Kelly DiPucchio & Matthew Myers
Fix this Mess! – Tedd Arnold
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots – Michael Rex
RoboBaby – David Wiesner

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/13, 11/14, & 11/15/23.

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

STEM Storytime: Windy Days

Posted on October 21, 2023October 21, 2023 by msemilylibrary

Every so often it’s nice to mix things up a little! This week, I went back to a training I’d attended in 2019 about incorporating STEM into storytimes, created by the Franklin Institute, a science museum in Philadelphia. They put together a packet of material called “Leap into Science” and made it available for free! This focused on plans for a preschool, elementary, and family program that incorporated literacy/storytime with the science of wind. Since then, there have been two other topics, Light & Shadow and Balance. You can find the free materials, including training videos and the full PDF curricula, at http://leap.fi.edu/resources.

In the past, I had presented this to a slightly older audience, more preschool age, as well as a separate program for families with all ages of child, and basically followed the outline in the curriculum for these programs. With my current group of kids up to age 3.5, I simplified, and ran the program as a half-storytime, half-science-station situation. It worked well, and I think my kids enjoyed the novelty and the hands-on elements.

Early Literacy Tip: You can encourage scientific thinking by asking children to observe, ask questions, make predictions, test their ideas, and learn from repeated attempts. These practices strengthen critical thinking skills that are essential in both science and literacy learning. Focusing on the process of science rather than a specific product or outcome frees children and to explore and take risks.

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

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

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

Intro: A few years ago I had the opportunity to do a training on incorporating STEM into storytime. The science part of today’s storytime was developed by the Franklin Institute, a science museum in Philadelphia. Our goal today is to have fun exploring the wind and to feel like scientists. So KIDS get to be scientists- explore and ask questions, make predictions, and test and explore possible answers. Caregivers –your job today is to help your scientists. Ask them open ended questions, give them help if they need it, but allow your kiddos to take the lead!

Science Talk: Breeze Vs. Gust (TT) (TB) (FT)
We had a discussion about what they already know about wind, and introduced the vocabulary of “breeze” vs. “gust.”
Have you ever been outside on a windy day?
How did it feel?
What did you see?
Let’s make our own wind! – hold your hand in front of your face and blow into it – 3, 2, 1, GO!
What did you notice? How did it feel?
Who made a soft, gentle wind? What did that feel like? A soft, gentle wind is called a breeze.
Who made a strong, hard wind? What did you notice? A strong, hard wind is called a gust.
Okay, everyone blow a breeze – gentle.
Now everyone blow a gust – strong.
Stand up – let’s see what kind of wind we can make with this. I used a large plastic tub lid to wave a gentle breeze at the group.
How did that feel? What did you see?
Look at clothes and hair as I do it again.
Predicting – if I wave a strong gust toward you, how will it feel different?

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

As I introduced both books, I asked if the group could tell it’s supposed to be windy, and what clues on the cover let them know.
Read: Like a Windy Day by Frank Asch & Devin Asch (TT)

This one is great since it uses the language of breeze and gust. And the illustrations are gorgeous.
Read: Windy Days by Deborah Kerbel & Miki Sato (TB) (FT)

We handed out scarves for our rhymes.
Scarf Rhyme: Wind, Oh Wind (TT) (TB) (FT)
Wind, oh wind, Oh wind I say
What are you blowing away today?
Scarves, scarves, scarves, I say
I am blowing the scarves away, today
What else might the wind blow? Leaves, hats…?
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Scarf Rhyme: Windmills (TT) (TB) (FT)
The wind blows high (wave scarves/hands high)
And the wind blows low (wave scarves low)
Round and round the windmills go (roll arms or wave scarf in a circle)
Sometimes fast, and sometimes slow (roll fast, then slow)
And that is how the wind blows (wave scarf/hands)
Source: Adventures in Storytime

Scarf Rhyme: I See the Wind (TT)
(mime the object with scarves)
I see the wind when the leaves dance by
I see the wind when the clothes wave “Hi!”
I see the wind when the trees bend low
I see the wind when the flags all blow
I see the wind when the kites fly high
I see the wind when the clouds float by
I see the wind when it blows my hair
I see the wind ‘most everywhere!
Source: Mild-Mannered Librarian

Scarf Song: Noisy Wind (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
I like the noisy wind, I like the noisy wind
It roars and mutters and shakes the shutters
I like the noisy wind!

I like the noisy wind, I like the noisy wind
It flaps the flag and rustles my bag
I like the noisy wind!
Source: Mild-Mannered Librarian

Science Stations
After doing a few songs and rhymes, we brought our scarves back to put away, and I explained the stations. My Toddler Time group doesn’t usually do a craft, so they had the first three stations only, but Teddy Bears and Family Time also included making wind detectors.

Station 1: Leaf Blower (TT) (TB) (FT)
Fabric leaves, foam leaves, flat paper, and crumpled paper were available to move using a paper fan, a folded fan, squeeze bottles, and fish squirter bath toys. I also provided a yardstick in case they wanted to measure how far their leaves blew.

Station 2: What Moves? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Using the same tools (paper fan, folded fan, squeeze bottles and fish squirters), kids could test different objects and sort them into “easy to move” and “hard to move” bins. I collected random objects such as plastic eggs, tissues, pompoms, cotton balls, feathers, and fabric leaves for the “easy to move” items, and rocks, large 2″ buttons, binder clips, plastic turtles, clothespins, little bottles of bubble solution, and trees and signs from our train set for the “hard to move” items.

Station 3: Race the Wind (TT) (TB) (FT)
Boats with different kinds of sails float in a plastic tub of water. Handheld battery powered fans were available to test them out (not pictured). This was a science experiment on my part – I originally made boats with household sponges (which I’d seen instructions for online), but unfortunately my boats just instantly absorbed water and sank. I guess there are different densities of sponge and mine just didn’t work. Instead, I used these small plastic yogurt containers that I had a large stash of. After taping the mast and sail to the front, I had to counterbalance them with coins taped to the other side. It was a bit of a nail-biter to figure it all out, but in the end, the boats worked well for our station. Definitely reinforces the fact that programmers need to try it out before putting it out for the kids!

Station 4: Flying Colors (TB) (FT)
This station acted as our craft, and the idea is to make something that detects a breeze and a gust in different ways. The example I made and was featured in the curriculum is a craft stick with a feather, crepe paper streamer, and piece of yarn. The idea being that maybe only the feather will move in a very light breeze, and the heavier yarn may only move in a strong gust. For older kids, I may not have created an example, letting them be creative and test different designs, but our group only had a limited amount of time and I wanted them to leave with a finished wind detector. There was a larger fan with variable speeds available for them to test their creations.

Science Debrief:
How did you move things with wind today?
How did you make a breeze? A gust?
Did anything happen that surprised you?
How did you feel like a scientist today? When did you make a guess about something and test it? Was there a time when you tried something over and over? Did you have fun?
Thank you for doing great work as scientists. In the next few weeks – remember to keep your scientist hats on and notice and observe how objects move in the wind outside or at home.

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

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)
Kite Day – Will Hillenbrand
The Wind Blew – Pat Hutchins
Gusts and Gales – Josepha Sherman & Omarr Wesley
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind – Liz Garton Scanlon & Lee White
I Am the Wind – Michael Karg & Sophie Diao
Wild Is the Wind – Grahame Baker-Smith
Windblown – Édouard Manceau
The Windy Day – G. Brian Karas
Someone Bigger – Jonathan Emmett & Adrian Reynolds

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/9, 10/10, & 10/11/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhymes and songs, questions to encourage your scientist, and try it at home: bathtime sponge sailboats.

*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