Back to Normal at the Library

Aaaah. I got to do all seven Storytimes, and I felt healthy! Yay! My heart went out to the poor little girl who got sick at Storytime. That stomach bug is so nasty!

Baby Time

One mom expressed concern that her baby who isn't walking yet isn't interested in staying in her lap for our baby rhymes. No, she isn't ready for Toddler Time if she isn't walking, and there's nothing to be concerned about. Even if she doesn't care about being bounced and tickled in your lap, she's still hearing the words, the rhythms, the melodies and the rhymes. It's sinking in. Plus the socialization with the other babies and moms is good for her, too.

Toddler Time

I just love how I've watched some little ones start out so hesitant about participating, just watching from Mom's lap, too young to say the words to the fingerplays, and now they're right up there in front singing at the top of their lungs, answering my questions during the story time, laughing at the pictures. A few of them I've known since birth, and it's so fantastic to watch them grow.

This week we read:

Lemons Are Not Red, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. The ones who were able to name the correct colors were so proud of themselves!

No, David!, by David Shannon. I love how this book is autobiographical. And I love the combination of fascination and laughter the pictures bring out. Everyone is transfixed by watching someone else be naughty.

Preschool Storytime

This week we were all about dogs. There are scads of good picture books about dogs. I had trouble choosing which ones to read, and I actually ended up reading a couple of different ones Tuesday and Wednesday.

Just Dog, by Hiawyn Oram. Dog is named "Dog" and thinks he needs something better. Until his family wants to name him things like "Pudding Face." He decides "Dog" is just fine. This one I read on Wednesday.

I Want a Dog, by Helga Bansch. I hadn't read this one before, so I tried it on Tuesday. I think it went over pretty well, but it may be better for an older group.

Pretzel, by Margaret Rey. I got a lot of giggles when I told the kids this was a LOVE story. I think it's adorable. It's dated, but the fun is all in how you tell it.

Katie Loves the Kittens, by John Himmelman. I read this on Tuesday, then it got buried in the closet and I missed it on Wednesday. Such a cute book about Katie, who loves the kittens SO MUCH she just has to chase them all over the room. Then she feels guilty for scaring them.

The Stray Dog, by Marc Simont. Two resourceful children outsmart the dog catcher!

I told the story Bark, George, by Jules Feiffer with a stuffed dog and some beanie babies in its belly. Lots of good laughs with that one!

We also sang the old camp song "Bingo."

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.

Oh yes - and the King song! It goes like this:

Oh, once there was a king.
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up the hill and
He marched them down again.

And when you're up, you're up.
And when you're down, you're down.
And when you're in between
You're neither up nor down.

The standing up and down quickly with this really helps get the wiggles out. Then we do it "Chinese" style - like the people on the other side of the world who are upside down. First line is "There was a chinese king..." We sit for going UP the hill, and stand for going DOWN the hill.