vehicles – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

animals go vroom and on the go awesome book covers

Storytime: Things That Go

Posted on October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 by msemilylibrary

Returning to the theme I skipped last week – Things that Go! Honestly, with this theme the challenge is choosing what NOT to include. There are so many rhymes, songs, books and activities that go along with cars, trucks, busses, planes, boats, and trains. And that’s not even including the construction and work equipment that could fall into the mix!

So, I tried to highlight each of the main categories of vehicles and use rhymes and songs that I like. I also broke out the rhythm sticks for this program! We use shakers and scarves regularly in storytime, but less often rhythm sticks. This age group (0-3.5) find them a little harder to manipulate, and my own cache of rhymes and songs that use them is slim. But I had a windshield wiper rhyme I’ve been wanting to use, as well as the motions from Jbrary for Wheels on the Bus that worked perfectly for the theme. Keeping a few props that are less used isn’t a bad thing, either. It increases the novelty and fun factor when they do come out.

See other versions of transportation storytimes here.

animals go vroom book cover, showing an adult snake driving a yellow car with a younger snake wearing headphones in the backseat.

on the go awesome book cover, showing a busy city street with lots of cars and trucks, planes in the air, and a subway under the road.

Early Literacy Tip: The use of small percussion instruments such as bells, shakers, drums, and rhythm sticks helps children with muscular development and coordination, and games that give them the opportunity to stop and go and do specific movements help them develop their impulse control to follow directions! 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: What goes vroom, vroom, and beep beep? Cars! What about Chugga choo choo? Splash, splash? It’s so fun to think about all the ways we can get around – with things that go!

I’ve got a long black rectangle, and three colored circles. What colors do I have? Red, yellow, and green. Look at what these shapes make all together! If you’re driving in your car or truck, you might see this on the road.
We go over the ASL sign for stop before we start, and it’s a good time to mention that freeze rhymes/songs are great for practicing impulse control!
Action/Flannel Rhyme: Green Means Go
Green means “GO!” Go! Go! Go! (roll arms quickly)
Yellow means “Slow.” Slow… slow… slow. (roll arms slowly)
Red means “STOP!” (ASL sign for stop: one hand making a chopping motion onto flat opposite hand)
Go! Go! Go! (roll fast)
Slow… slow… slow. (roll slow)
Stop! (ASL sign for stop)
Source: Jbrary

green means go thumbnail, with a graphic of a traffic light. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

The fun of this title is that the sound and die-cut showing an animal turns out to actually be the sound of the vehicle the animal is driving/riding in! Clever and fun. The pictures are a bit small and complex, so it’s a difficult book to share with a large group.
Read: Animals Go Vroom! by Abi Cushman

This is a new-to-me book that I just happened to see on the shelf in my library. It’s simple and exciting and covers a range of vehicles. We pretended to be in each vehicle as it came up, with toots and chugga-chuggas and airplane arms.
Read: On the Go Awesome by Lisl H Detlefsen & Robert Neubecker

Time to go on a trip! How will we get there? Let’s start on this boat!
I love when I can build flannels from pieces I already have. The car is from “Five Cars so Squeaky Clean” and the plane is from “Guess Whose Shadow.” I just had to add a boat and bus to make it complete.
Action/Flannel Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat/Car/Plane/Bus
Row, row, row your boat (row arms)
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream!

Drive, drive, drive your car (steering wheel with hands about 6″ apart)
Gently down the street
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a treat

Fly, fly, fly your plane (airplane arms)
Gently in the sky
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Watch the clouds go by

Drive, drive, drive your bus (steering wheel with hands about 12″ or more apart)
Gently down the way
Stop to let some people out
To ride another day
Source: Grandview Heights Public Library
(this is the source I had in my notes, but I’m not finding a link now)

Row your boat flannel, featuring printed and laminated pieces of a rowboat with two oars, a red car driven by an alligator, a commercial passenger plane, and a green bus with people inside.

row your boat thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I am so glad that I saw Jessica’s post at Storytime in the Stacks with some new verses for this classic bounce rhyme. I use them often with my little one, and it inspired me to come up with a few more! They have been fun to share with my library kids both here and in my Book Babies programs. We don’t always do all of the animals, but it’s fun to take suggestions for the audience.
Speaking of taking the bus, there’s an animal that likes to get on!
Rhythm Rhyme: Hippopotamus on a City Bus
(slap thighs rhythmically or bounce baby until the last line of each verse)
A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on a city bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)

Additional verses:
A cow… “Mooooove over!” (lean far to one side)
A snake…“Ssssssit down!” (fall thru knees)
A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back)
A chicken… “Buk-buk-buckle up!” (hug over waist)
A horse… “Howdy, neigh-bor!” (wave)
A pig… “Oink we glad to see you!” (snuffly kisses)
A bee… “Buzz off!” (buzz and tickle)
Source: Jbrary, Storytime in the Stacks (chicken/horse), and original verses (pig/bee)

hippo on a city bus thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue cartoon hippo. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We haven’t yet talked about one of my favorite things that go – trains!
I encouraged them to think about whether they want to use their arms or legs the first time we went through this one. Then before the second time, I said they could choose a different limb, OR they could see if it’s okay to do the rhyme on their grownup’s arm or leg. We had a couple of enthusiastic older kids who chose the latter! And since I had a full train flannel set, I went ahead and put up a short train so we could talk about the caboose before the next song, too.
Tickle Rhyme: This Little Train
This little train ran up the track (walk fingers up arm or leg)
It went Choo! Choo! (tap nose or belly button)
And then it ran back (walk fingers back down)
The other little train (other arm or leg) ran up the track
It went Choo! Choo! And then it ran back
Source: King County (WA) Library System

train flannel made of printed and laminated images of a short train consisting of a black engine and coal car, a purple box car, and a red caboose.

this little train thumbnail, with a graphic of a toddler in a sleeper. a tiny train is on their right arm and an adult's hand is walking up the left. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Which car goes at the end of the train?
This is a fun song – and it inspires great chugga motions! Our program room is right next to the preschool one, and we often coordinate programs at the same time. One of the moms popped her head in after their session and asked “Did you do the train song?” Apparently her kiddo (who had formerly been one of my regulars) heard it in the other room and recognized it from my virtual program on trains! She said, “We probably account for half of your views on that video!” LOVE.
Ukulele Song: Little Red Caboose
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on its back, back, back, back
Coming down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Always at the end, end, end, end
Comin’ round the bend, bend, bend, bend
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Always on time, time, time, time
Comin’ down the line, line, line, line
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train
Never running late, late, late, late
Comin’ through the gate, gate, gate, gate
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!
Source: Lindsay Munroe, from the album I Am Kind

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Little Red Caboose” here!

little red caboose thumbnail, with a graphic of a red train engine on the left and a red caboose on the right. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhythm Stick Intro: Let’s practice! Can you make your sticks go Fast & Loud? Slow & Quiet? In a Circle? Rest them on your shoulders? Tap the ground? Okay, listen carefully! Fast, Quiet, Shoulders, etc.
Our rhythm sticks are actually just unsharpened pencils, which are more manageable for little ones (and less likely to hurt when accidentally bonking someone else.) I learned this intro and practice from the Laptime and Storytime blog.

Okay, it’s time to get in the car. Let’s fasten our seatbelts and car seats! We’re ready to head out – wait, it’s raining! What can we do when it’s raining?
Rhythm Stick Rhyme: Windshield Wipers
It’s a rainy day and down the street we go
It’s only raining a little bit so the wipers are going SLOW
(Swish…swish…swish…swish)

It’s starting to rain more now but it’s not a disaster
We know what we need to do: Make the wipers go FASTER!
(swish, swish, swish, swish)

Oh no, it’s really pouring now We hope that it won’t last
Turn those windshield wipers up and they’ll go FAST-FAST-FAST!
(Swish-Swish-Swish-Swish!)

The rain is slacking off again We’re not sad to see it go
We’ll turn those windshield wipers down and they’ll go back to SLOW
(Swish…swish…swish…swish)

Oh, look, is that the sun I see? And here comes one last drop
The rain has stopped now, Yessiree, and we turn our wipers OFF!
(Swish…ker-chunk!)
Source: One for the Books blog

first page of windshield wipers thumbnail, with a graphic of a head-on green car in the rain with wipers going. click the image to download a non-branded PDF — Page 1 of 2 pictured, PDF includes both pages

Okay, I think you’ve proven that you are ready. Can you be a bus driver? Let’s get into the bus!
All the verses below work well with rhythm sticks, and I added a steering wheel one.
Rhythm Stick Song: The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town!

Additional verses:
The doors on the bus go open and shut…
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish…
The people on the bus go up and down…
The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink…
The driver on the bus says, “Move on back”…
The [steering] wheel on the bus goes turn, turn, turn…
Source: traditional, stick movements from Jbrary

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

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

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

SO many other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Towed By Toad – Jashar Awan
Beep! Beep! Vehicles on the Go – Byron Barton
Not Just the Driver! – Sara H Ackerman & Robert Neubecker
Listen Up! Train Song – Victoria Allenby
The Babies on the Bus – Karen Katz
Red Canoe Shows Up at Two! – Victoria Allenby
Never Take Your Rhino on a Plane – KE Lewis & Isabel Roxas
The Sleeper Train – Mick Jackson & Baljinder Kaur
Is This the Bus for Us? – Harriet Ziefert & Richard Brown
On This Airplane – Lourdes Heuer & Sara Palacios
Honk, Honk, Vroom, Vroom – Jennifer Shand & Barbara Vagnozzi
Snakes on a Train – Kathryn Dennis
Whose Vehicle Is This? – Sharon Katz Cooper & Amy Muehlenhardt
Vroom! – Barbara McClintock
Trucky Roads – Lulu Miller & Hui Skipp
Puppy Bus – Drew Brockington
Hooray for Trucks! – Susan Hughes & Suharu Ogawa
Harbor – Donald Crews
The Airport Book – Lisa Brown
Look Up High! Things That Fly – Victoria Allenby
Truck, Truck, Goose! – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring
Monster’s Trucks – Rebecca Van Slyke & Joe Sutphin

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/15/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Construction Zone

Posted on May 3, 2024May 2, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Anything involving big vehicles seems to be a hit for toddlers and preschoolers. Today we focused on the construction site, building and digging and rolling and dumping. We touched a bit on small scale building, too, with a rhyme about building blocks, as well as a DIY project with Five Little Nails. For a take entirely focused on building with blocks, see my post on Building Fun.

Early Literacy Tip: Building with blocks or Legos develops a child’s early math, science, and spatial reasoning skills. Through play, your child is discovering shapes, balance and gravity, what fits together, and learning experimentation by rebuilding after a fall.

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)

Intro: Today we are talking about construction – building things. Big things like buildings and skyscrapers, and even small things like block towers. Speaking of, let’s start out by building a tower with some blocks. And block towers sometimes (almost always!) fall down!

Action Rhyme: Tower
We’re making a tower (fists stack atop each other)
In our building-block town
Along comes the baby… (fingers wiggle)
…And it all falls down! (hands fall outward)
Source: original

Tower thumbnail, with a graphic of a stack of blocks with a baby looming in the background. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: Snakes on the Job by Kathryn Dennis (TT)
I always like the idea of these Snakes books by Dennis more than the actual books. The rhyme schemes are a little wonky and the interactive element (the hissing) doesn’t always make a lot of sense. It’s cute for sure, but awkward to read aloud.

Read: Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig by Emma Garcia (TB) (FT)
I’m a big fan of ALL Garcia’s books. They are so simple but they work incredibly well, and the artwork is bright and silly and appealing. I wish they were all available in a larger picture book format now instead of just board books.

Can we stretch up really high like a crane?
Stretch: Cranes Reach Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
Cranes reach up, Cranes reach down
Cranes reach out (reach straight out)
And all around (turn around)
Source: Jbrary

cranes reach up thumbnail, with a graphic of a crane lifting multicolored building blocks. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

With our tall crane, we can build a skyscraper.
Rhyme: Skyscraper (TT) (TB) (FT)
Brick by brick by brick by brick (fists stack atop each other)
My building’s so high it’s scraping the sky
Brick by brick by brick by brick
My building will sway when the wind blows this way (sway)
Brick by brick by brick by brick
Now I’m ready to stop and a flag goes on top (wave hand)
Source: Jen in the Library

skyscraper thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall building with lots of windows and a flag on top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Storytime Katie made some amazing flannels for this, but I didn’t have much time so just cut out printouts of the art from Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig. I had a lot of really interested kiddos right up at the flannelboard, trying to get as close as they could!
Can we name the machines we might see at the construction site?
Flannel: Red Crane (TT) (TB) (FT)
Red crane, red crane, what do you see?
I see a yellow digger looking at me!
…purple mixer
…orange roller
…blue dumper
…green ‘dozer
Source: Storytime Katie

printed pieces for "red crane" flannelboard, showing a purple cement mixer, yellow digger, red crane, orange road roller, blue dump truck, and green bulldozer.

Red crane thumbnail, with a graphic of the red crane and yellow digger from tip tip dig dig. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What if we wanted to build something at home? Maybe all we need is a hammer and five nails.
I found it easiest to go from pinky to thumb on this one.
Fingerplay: Five Little Nails (TT) (TB) (FT)
(start with five fingers up)
Five little nails, standing straight and steady
Here I come, with my hammer ready…
Bam, bam, bam that nail goes down (bend finger down)
Now there are just four nails to pound (count down)
Source: Mel’s Desk

five little nails thumbnail, with a graphic of a hammer and five nails sticking up out of a piece of wood. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We didn’t do all of the verses on this one, just measure, saw, stir, and paint.
If we were building a house what tools might we use?
Action Song: The Construction Worker Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we measure the wood
Measure the wood, measure the wood
This is the way we measure the wood
When we construct a building

Additional verses:
Saw the wood / Pound the nails / Drill a hole / Use a screwdriver / Stir the paint / Paint the walls / Stack the bricks
(What other verses can you think of?)
Source: Stratford (CT) Library

construction worker song thumbnail, with a graphic of a house frame under construction and a group of four multicultural workers in front of it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I didn’t end up using this one for time reasons, but always better to have too much than too little!
Action Rhyme: Here is a Steam Shovel
Here is a steam shovel (Forearm erect, hand drooping)
And here is the ground (two arms enclose area)
See the great boom (forearm moving side to side)
Swing round and round
It dips, it bites, (forearms dips, thumb and fingers grasping)
It lifts, it throws (forearm lifts, thumb and fingers spin)
My, how the hole in the ground grows! (hands make circle)
Digging, scooping, (mime)
Lifting, throwing,
See how the hill (peak hands)
Beside it is growing
Source: Jen in the Library

here is a steam shovel thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow steam shovel. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

For the falling down verse, we “fell” by leaning to one side or another. Then we built the bridge back up with sticks and stones, it fell again, and then we tried iron and steel.
Here’s a traditional song. What might we build it up with?
Song: London Bridge (TT) (TB)
London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down, my fair lady

Additional verses:
Build it up with sticks and stones / …wood and clay / …iron and steel / …silver and gold
Source: traditional

london bridge thumbnail, with a graphic of the iconic bridge spanning a river. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s a dump truck song that uses the pervasive and racist “Five Little” tune that I’ve used in the past but no longer. It’s a bounce with a tip at the end. To replace it, I found this rhyme, and I’m glad it has the same fun bounce and tip without the problematic tune.
Dump trucks are used to haul heavy loads of materials. Let’s bounce along like a dump truck.
Bounce: Dump Truck (TT) (TB) (FT)
Dump truck, dump truck (bounce or pat knees and clap hands)
Bumping down the road
Spilling gravel as we travel with our heavy load (sway side to side)
Dump truck, dump truck bumping down the road
Dump truck, dump truck, time to UNLOAD! (lean back or to the side)
Source: adapted from ImagineIf Libraries (MT)

dump truck thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon dump truck with a load of gravel in the back. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Dump Truck (TB) (FT)
I love a craft that seems impressive but was easy for me to assemble! Our library has the dump truck Ellison die, so it was quick work to cut some out of yellow construction paper. They glued the truck cab and trailer to a background sheet, then used a brad to attach the box bed so it could pivot upward to dump. There were tissue squares that could be glued to the bed for the load, and crayons for any other decorating or details.

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

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

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

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)
Skyscraper – Jorey Hurley
Go! Go! Go! Stop! – Charise Mericle Harper
Hooray for Trucks! – Susan Hughes & Suharu Ogawa
Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building – Christy Hale
Little Excavator – Anna Dewdney
Someone Builds the Dream – Lisa Wheeler & Loren Long
The Digger and the Duckling – Joseph Kuefler
Crane Jane! – Andrea Zimmerman & Dan Yaccarino
I’m Dirty! – Kate & Jim McMullan
Bulldozer’s Big Day – Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann
Who Made this Cake? – Chihiro Nakagawa & Junji Koyose

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/22, 4/23, & 4/24/24.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Color Wheel – Yellow

Posted on February 9, 2024April 4, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Before we get started with this theme, I have a question for readers! Would it be helpful for me to post my rhyme/song sheets? These are 11×17″ (tabloid size) sheets that I print and put on my easel for grown-ups to follow along. I tape them in a stack to the top and flip them as we progress. I usually try to do a cute graphic for visual interest (all made in Canva). I’ll include these today – click on the thumbnail to download a full sized non-branded PDF. If you like them, let me know!

Our third color of this series is Yellow. I was really happy with this plan – it was fun, it flowed smoothly, and was well received.

In planning these color-based themes, I brainstormed what is yellow (usually or always) and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s that list for yellow:

Bananas
Corn
Ducks
Chicks
Lemons
Dandelions
Sun/sunshine/Moon/Stars
School bus
Noodles
Sunflower
Pineapple
Bees
Cheese
Crown/gold
Bulldozers/construction equipment
Taxicabs

Last time, I felt that my transitions didn’t flow very well, so I made an intentional effort to work on those more this week. It paid off and I felt a lot more confident in moving from one song to another.

Early Development Tip: Rhymes, songs, and books often have vocabulary that we use more rarely in conversation. Sharing these withyour little one expands their vocabulary, and putting an action to the words (“mashing” or “chopping” bananas,for example) further reinforces the meaning behind the word.

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 thighs & heads.

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

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

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

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is yellow! Can you think of anything that is yellow? Write items on whiteboard in yellow pen. Is anyone wearing yellow today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

A round color wheel showing the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink, with a highlighted white outline wedge around blue, which can spin on a push pin in the middle.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Yellow, yellow is the color I see
If you’re wearing yellow, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your yellow and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

The Color I see thumbnail, with a graphic of a clothes rack with various colored clothing. The place where the color name is repeated is shown as a blank within the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This worked really well, with the anticipation of guessing and seeing what vehicle was teased.
Read: The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom (TT) (FT)

I have to keep reminding myself that toddler humor is not that advanced. On the surface, this seemed like a great book – funny, but short and not a ton of text. Unfortunately, they just didn’t really get it.
Read: Counting to Bananas by Carrie Tillotson & Estrela Lourenço (TB)

What kind of fruit is yellow?
In the first group, I got “lemon!” I gave some more clues to get us to banana.
Chant: Bananas Unite! (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bananas……unite!
Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas (x2)
(arms begin above head, and peel down one after the other)
Chop bananas, chop chop bananas (x2)
(make a chopping motion with one hand on the palm of the other)
Mash bananas, mash mash bananas (x2)
(smoosh the palms of the hands together)
Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas (x2)
(bring hands up to mouth as if eating)
Goooooooooo BANANAS! (arms go wild!)
Source: Jbrary

Bananas unite thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling banana. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Bzzz, bzzz – what’s that I hear? Some bees! Bees make honey. Who likes to eat golden yellow honey? Bears.
Tickle Rhyme: Bears Eat Honey (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bears eat honey
They think it’s yummy
In their tummy
But…
The bees don’t think it’s funny!
(Buzz, buzz, buzz!) (tickle)
Source: King County Library System via Storytime Katie

Bears eat honey thumbnail, with a graphic of a bear with a paw in a honeypot, surrounded by bees. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What’s another animal that is yellow? Quack, quack!
Action Rhyme: Yellow Duck (TT)
When a yellow duck walks down the street
Quack goes his bill and waddle go his feet
He comes to a puddle and with a bound
In goes the yellow duck and swims around!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Yellow duck thumbnail, with a graphic of a duck walking and a duck swimming. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I used the flannelboard set I originally got from Sunflower Storytime. It’s no longer published, so you can download it here.
Look at these – what are they? Eggs. Eggs aren’t yellow, are they?
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

Ten Fluffy chicks thumbnail, with a graphic of the flannelboard hen and 2 clutches of 5 eggs. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do a rhyme about a vehicle that is usually yellow. It’s a taxi cab! You might use a taxi cab when you are visiting a big city and need a way to get around.
For the Toddler Time (youngest) group, we just clapped and patted. For the other two groups, we passed out our “rhythm sticks” (aka unsharpened pencils) and tapped the rhythm.
Action Rhyme/Rhythm Stick Song: Taxi Cab (TT) (TB) (FT)
(in the style of Pat-a-Cake)
Taxi cab, taxi cab (pat and clap)
Driving day and night
We’ll visit the city And see all the sights!
We’ll roll… (roll arms)
And we’ll STOP! (two hands up)
(repeat a couple of times, varying how long you “roll” – this is the taxi being in traffic!)
We’ll get out and look around (return to pat and clap)
We’ll hail another cab
And be homeward bound – TAXI! (lift arm)
Source: original

Taxi cab thumbnail, with a graphic of a taxi at the top and a child sitting on their grownups shoulder's raising their hand at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A vehicle that’s usually painted yellow is a – school bus!
Rhythm Stick Song: The Wheels on the Bus (TT) (TB) (FT)
The wheels on the bus go round and round (circle sticks)
Round and round, Round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish (wiper motion)
The doors on the bus go open and shut (open/close sticks)
The driver on the bus says “Move on back” (sticks to shoulders)
The kids on the bus go up and down (bounce sticks)
Source: traditional, rhythm stick adaptations via Jbrary

Wheels on the bus thumbnail, with a graphic of diverse children in a yellow school bus. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a fun clapping rhyme we can do with our sticks.
This is a traditional clapping game, and like all traditional games, there are endless variations. Many of them end with kicking a boyfriend out of town, but I went with a can instead!
Clapping Game/Rhythm Sticks: Lemonade (TB) (FT)
Lemonade (clap, clap, clap!)
Crunchy ice (clap, clap, clap!)
Sip it once (clap, clap, clap!)
Sip it twice (clap, clap, clap!)
Lemonade, Crunchy ice,
Sip it once, Sip it twice
Turn around, Touch the ground
Now kick that can right out of town –
and FREEZE!
Source: traditional – these girls are adorable demonstrating

Lemonade thumbnail, with a graphic of a glass of lemonade at the top and a smiling lemon at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

So this one we’ll do at the end of each color session, too – so there are some familiarity bookending this series. I have rainbow colored scarves, and pass them out for everyone to wave around while we sing.
Scarf Song: Rainbow Colors (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
Rainbow colors way up high, Happy colors in the sky
Red and pink and green and blue
Yellow, orange, and purple, too
Rainbow colors way up high, Happy colors in the sky
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System

Rainbow colors thumbnail, with a graphic of pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple paint splotches. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Yellow Abstract Art (TB) (FT)
Another process art craft to focus more on creativity than on a finished product. I provide some art supplies and let the kids do what they wish. Each week, I’ll plan to use slightly different media, but hope to keep the craft very open ended. This week I provided yellow crayons, yellow paper shapes, glue sticks, yellow dot markers, and yellow stickers.

Yellow abstract art - showing a figure made of a cut paper shapes (squares and triangles) holding a crayon drawn banana next to a bunch of bananas, covered in yellow dots.

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)
A Seed Grows – Antoinette Portis
Thank You, Bees – Toni Yuly
Pineapple Princess – Sabina Hahn
5 Little Ducks – Denise Fleming
Five Fuzzy Chicks – Diana Murray & Sydney Hanson
B Is for Baby – Atinuke & Angela Brooksbank
Ducks Away! – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Beehive – Jorey Hurley
Truck Full of Ducks – Ross Burach
Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas – Aaron Blabey

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/22, 1/23, & 1/24/24.

Storytime Handout:

thumbnail of handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: Color Wheel – Red

Posted on January 26, 2024January 25, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Starting our Color Wheel series with the primary colors, last week was Blue, this week is RED. There are lots of great red things to build our storytime around.

First off, I brainstorm what is red (usually or always) and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s what I came up with for red:

Berries: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry
Apples
Cardinal bird
Tomato/Spaghetti/Pizza
Fire engines
Crabs
Ladybugs
Stop signs
Caboose
Barn
Hot/Bell Peppers

And thinking of extension activities, here are ones that came to mind:

One Red Sock flannel
Five Fat Sausages (my flannel shows the sausages as red)
Five Little Apples
Four Juicy Apples
Great Big Apple Tree
Green Means Go (? – uses three colors)
Little Apple Seed
Little Red Caboose
Little Red Train Going Down the Track
Hurry Drive the Fire Truck
Pat a Cake Pizza
Pick Berries High
Picked a Strawberry
Pretty Ladybug

I also searched other blogs for a red theme and got a few other ideas, then wove together a plan. I think I’m learning that the transitions are very important for these – it feels a little cheap to say, “oh, here’s another thing that’s red.” I didn’t do a great job with that this week, and I felt it during the program. It was a little disjointed and not as satisfying for me. Next week, yellow, I concentrated more on how to move from one topic to another and was a lot happier with the result.

Early Development Tip: Songs and rhymes that focus on body parts and their actions increase children’s awareness of how different parts of the body can start specific movements. By using their muscles to make the motions in a song, children develop both their gross motor skills and body self-awareness.

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

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

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

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is red! Can you think of anything that is red? Write items on whiteboard in red pen. Is anyone wearing red today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Red, red is the color I see
If you’re wearing red, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your red and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

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

A definite classic.
Read: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood (TT)

book cover of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

A much newer book, but one that really worked well. I decided to repeat it for my third session, even though they skew younger.
Read: Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman & Dan Yaccarino (TB) (FT)

I changed the song order around depending on which book I read – we did “Picked a Strawberry” first after the Little Mouse book, and “Hurry Drive the Firetruck” after Firefighter Flo.

Song: Picked a Strawberry (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Clementine)
Picked a strawberry, picked a strawberry
That was growing in the sun
Then I washed it, and I ate it
And I picked another one
Repeat with other red foods: apple, tomato, raspberry, etc
Source: Jbrary

This was a new to me apple rhyme, and a nice change from my usual Two Little Apples.
Action Rhyme: Little Red Apple (TT) (TB) (FT)
A little red apple grew high in a tree (raise fist above head)
I looked up at it, It looked down on me
“Please, please, please come down,” I said
And that little red apple fell right on my head! (bonk your own head with fist)
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

I can think of another food that doesn’t grow on a tree or a bush, but it has a delicious red sauce on it. Pizza!
Tickle Rhyme: Pizza Pickle Pumpernickel (TT) (TB) (FT)
Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel, (bounce)
My little one shall have a tickle! (tickle)
One for your nose, And one for your toes,
And one for your tummy, where the pizza goes!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Oh, there’s a tiny red bug over here. Do you know her name?
I used a flannel ladybug that I made for a bug storytime to fly around and land on my parts.
Body Rhyme: Ladybug, Ladybug (TT) (TB) (FT)
Ladybug, ladybug, Fly out of the farm
and land right on my little arm
Pair other rhyming places/body parts like:
Tree/Knee, Bed/Head, Rose/Nose
Source: Storytime Secrets

This one uses a problematic tune, so I try to sing it more like Old Town School of Folk Music. The actions are a lot of fun, and I always enjoy slowly driving back to the station.
Wee-oo, I hear a siren! What red vehicle uses a siren?
Action Song: Hurry, Hurry (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Additional verses: …turn the corner; …climb the ladder; …spray the water; Slowly, slowly, to the station…
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music

There’s another vehicle that’s usually painted red, and it’s at the end of a train.
This is always a fun song, which I play on ukulele, and use a wooden train whistle to do the Woo-woos at the end of each verse, encouraging the kids to woo along.
Ukulele Song: Little Red Caboose (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on its back, back, back, back
Coming down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Always at the end, end, end, end
Comin’ round the bend, bend, bend, bend
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Always on time, time, time, time
Comin’ down the line, line, line, line
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train
Never running late, late, late, late
Comin’ through the gate, gate, gate, gate
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!
Source: Lindsay Munroe

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Little Red Caboose” here!

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

Craft: Red Abstract Art (TB) (FT)
Another process art craft to focus more on creativity than on a finished product. I provide some art supplies (all red!) and let the kids do what they wish. Each week, I’ll plan to use slightly different media, but hope to keep the craft very open ended. This week I provided red crayons, red tempera paint, and red stickers.

Abstract art with red shapes made by different shades of red crayons, painted squiggles, and stickers of a red umbrella.

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)
Mine! – Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann
Apple Farmer Annie – Monica Wellington
One Fox – Kate Read
Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! – Mem Fox & Laura Ljungkvist
Firefighter Duckies! – Frank W. Dormer
One Red Sock – Jennifer Sattler
Pete’s a Pizza – William Steig
Llama, Llama Red Pajama – Anna Dewdney
Pizza Day – Melissa Iwai

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/15, 1/16, & 1/17/24.

Storytime Handout:

thumbnail of 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

Family Storytime: Fire Trucks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

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

Storytime Handout: