Storytime 101: Alien Ants and Spiderman Underpants

Superior Parents?

2012-02-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

I recently ran across this article titled "Why French Parents Are Superior." Well, I thought, who says? Offended as I was, I decided to read it. I was amazed! I think the title is purposely provocative to grab people like me and get me hooked. It worked.

I love the idea of teaching our children to wait and be patient. I love the idea of meaning what you say. I love the idea of giving your children firm boundaries, but allowing freedom within them.

Please read "Why French Parents Are Superior," and leave a comment telling me what you think.

So Much Fun!

2012-02-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Many many thanks to Ted Botsford for bringing TWO double basses to Storytime on Wednesday. He played his own beautiful instrument while I read Mole Music by David McPhail, and Rain Talk by Mary Serfozo. These two books are perfect for a stringed instrument. In the first, a mole gets a violin and spends years practicing until he can play beautiful music. In the illustrations, we see that above his underground home, his music is having wonderful, positive influences on the world, but he is unaware. There's a staff of musical notes from real compositions coming out of the tree above his tunnels, and Ted played them - everything from "Twinkle Twinkle" to "Ode to Joy" to "Brahm's Lullaby." In Rain Talk, Ted made rain noises by bouncing his bow on the strings, sliding his fingers up and down the fret board and tapping on the body. Very cool. He also played a wonderful short piece about a shepherd with his flock. He asked the kids to listen for the part where the shepherd dances, and several kids were excited that they heard it.

All this took only 15 minutes, and I was torn between reading another book and going straight to our "petting zoo" where the kids get to come up and play the half-size bass he brought for them. The group had gotten very squirrely (lots of rug-rolling), so I opted for the petting zoo. I felt a little bad that the story portion was so short, but because the group was so big, and so young, it seemed the best thing to do. We had handed out all 150 tickets to the audience, and I think there had to have been about 75 kids. It took the rest of the hour to give every child a chance to play the bass. Ted (and Monica Hayes, the program director) were wonderfully patient with them.

I hope to see you all next week for Karen Wagner and her oboe!

Symphony Storytimes Start Feb. 1

2012-01-31T13:57:00.000-08:00

Please join us Wednesday, February 1 and the next three Wednesdays after that at 1:00pm in the Community Room at the Sherwood Library for some very special Storytimes. First we have the Oregon Symphony's Ted Botsford joining us with his double bass, then Karen Wagner on the oboe, John Cox on the french horn, and Matt McKay on percussion. I promise these will be amazing experiences! Your child probably has very few opportunities to see and hear instruments like these, and even fewer where they get to actually touch and play them. I heard the symphony's principal bassoonist tell how she heard a bassoon played at a program similar to ours when she was 8 years old. That's when she fell in love with the instrument, nagged until she got lessons, then went on to play it professionally. You never know! Our Storytimes could be the start of something big for your child!

A Visit From Kaaren Pixton

2012-01-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

I discovered Kaaren Pixton's wonderful "Indestructible" books at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators retreat last fall. I knew immediately that they'd be wonderful for Baby Time. I asked the library to get sets for me, and we now have "Mama and Baby" and "Wiggle! March!" Kaaren wanted to visit a Baby Time when she could see her books in the hands (and mouths) of the babies, her "actual customers" as she put it.

We had about 14 babies today, and those books were a definite hit! The babies held them, mouthed them, crumpled them and yes, looked at them for longer than any book I've ever given them. The best part is, all that handling is perfectly okay because these books are tear-proof, chew-proof, sog-proof, non-toxic and completely washable. Can't beat that!

Several of the moms already had a few of the books and couldn't say enough good things about them. I bought a couple to give as welcome gifts to a couple of friends I know who are expecting babies. I think $4.95 is a very good price!

Thanks, Kaaren for the visit, and for your great talent!

New Stories

2012-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

I've posted some stories sent to me by a substitute teacher. See the "And then..." page. Very fun!

Symphony Storytimes Ahead!

2012-01-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Symphony Storytimes will return in February! They were a huge hit last year with parents, kids and me! Each Wednesday in February at the 1:00pm Preschool Storytime we will host a musician from the Oregon Symphony who will tell us about his/her instrument and accompany our stories for the day. After that, each child will have the opportunity to try out the instrument.

Our first week we'll have Ted Botsford on the double bass, followed by Karen Wagner on oboe, John Cox on french horn, then Matt McKay on percussion.

The events are free, but you need to pick up a ticket at the front desk. It's possible we'll have more attendees than we have room for, hence the need to limit the crowd with the tickets.

I hope to see you there!

2011-11-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

This blog/website is for parents who attend my Storytimes, and for those interested in my book Cliffhanger Writing Prompts.

In the labels you will find the words to all the fingerplays, songs and rhymes we do at Preschool Storytime, Toddler Time and Baby Time. There are also posts about how children participate, how parents can encourage their children, early literacy, funny stories, even my soapboxes discourses called "Opinionated Postings." In the past I listed the books I read every week at the various storytimes. Now, however, if you'd like to know the title and/or author of a book you heard, please send me an email or comment here, and I'm happy to give you that information.

From time to time I get to take my book of cliffhanger stories to a group of children. Often I come away with something hilarious or thought-provoking, and I'll post that here or on the "And then..." page.

Please feel free to give me your feedback on library happenings. Or if you're using my book in your classroom, let me know how it's going!

This Week at the Library

2011-10-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

I got the sweetest hug from a little guy at Toddler Time this week. I was squatting to discuss the colors of the maracas with a little girl, and he climbed up on my leg and wrapped his arms around me. It was the best hug I've had in a long time. Sure makes me look forward to grandchildren! Got a few more years to wait, though.

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Song and Dance," so we didn't have as many stories and did more singing and dancing. I had some cards with pictures on them that the children drew from a can. The picture reminded them of a familiar song, which they had to guess, and then we sang it together. There was a spider (Eentsy Weentsy Spider), a star (Twinkle Twinkle), a bus (The Wheels on the Bus), a teapot (I'm a Little Teapot - which many didn't know), and a rowboat (Row, Row, Row Your Boat).

We had all kinds of rhythm instruments which we made a racket with while we did the "Freeze Game" on the Greg & Steve CD.

Our books were:

Hen Lake, by Mary Jane Auch. This was the first time I've read this story. I really like it, but I think it's too long for Storytime. I had a lot of rug-rolling going on.

Dance Away, by George Shannon. We all did the "Right, two, three, kick" dance together and had a lot of fun. Except for the poor little girl who decided to stay seated and got stepped on.

Ballerina, by Peter Sis. This was a first time for this book, too. I'm not sure what I think of it.

Toddler Time

We brought back the "Little Leaves" finger play for the fall. You can find it in the labels section. Our books were:

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. This time I asked them, "Do you really say goodnight to your socks?" (or their mush or the air). They thought that was pretty funny.

Cat's Colors, by Jane Cabrera. A good book for practicing the names of colors.

Baby Time

We had a new set of adorable twins this week. If all the multiples came to Baby Time at once, we'd have three sets of twins and a set of triplets. That would be fun!

Our book this week was Bingo!, by Rosemary Wells. The text is the classic song, "There was a farmer had a dog...." The great thing about this book is that you can sing it to your baby and point to the letters as you sing "B-I-N-G-O."

I've found a couple of new rhymes for our babies:

Trot Trot to Boston

Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Better be careful
Or you might fall in!

Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Dover
Look out everybody
Or you might fall over!

This is Bill Anderson

This is Bill Anderson
This is Tom Trim
And Bill asked Tom
To play with him.

Bill over Tom
Tom over Bill
Bill over Tom
Tom over Bill
All the way down the hill!

New Idea!

2011-10-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

My little germ of an idea is sprouting and blossoming. (Do germs do that?) Maybe I should call it a "seed" for the proper metaphor. It came several months ago from my husband, who said that now I needed to write a book of story endings. I thought that sounded like fun, but today I finally wrapped my head around what angle to take and got started.

So students will read a story ending, and then write the story that leads up to it. There will be some stories for focusing on story arc, some for working on setting, and some for character development and getting to the emotional heart of a story.

When inspiration strikes, or the muse comes knocking, I can't seem to ignore it. And of course, at the time it all seems so brilliant and ingenious and unique! Sometimes I write it, put it away, come back a few weeks later and say, "What was I thinking?" But other times I'm pleased. If this idea sticks and I submit it, I just hope I don't have to wait five months for a response like last time. The wheels of publishing turn very slowly!

This Week at the Library

2011-10-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to say what a fantastic time I had at the Creative Writing Experiences the last four weeks. Ten children and I told countless stories about voices coming from root beer, bubble gum bubbles that carried us away into the clouds, cereal prize rings that granted super powers. The children's enthusiasm and imagination were impressive, and they did a super job diving in and coming up with some amazing stories. This type of event, whether at the library or in a classroom, is where I love seeing the stories in my book come to life in the hands of creative minds. It's immensely gratifying.

Now back to Storytime!

Baby Time

At the SCBWI retreat I was at last weekend, I met Kaaren Pixton, the author/illustrator of the "Indestructible" books. These books are designed to be chewed and crumpled by babies without harm to either the book or the baby. You can see them here. I'm delighted that our library is getting two titles for use at our Baby Time. When they arrive, Kaaren is looking forward to visiting us to see a whole batch of babies with her books in their mouths!

Our book this week was Baby Signs, by Joy Allen. I'm excited, too, that Dawn Prochovnik, author of many sign language books for children, will be visiting the Sherwood library on October 22 for a family "sign-along."

Toddler Time

If any of you can come to a time other than Thursday at 10:15, it would be appreciated! It's getting pretty crowded in there. I've never wanted to limit the number of children in the room. I've always thought it would be a dirty trick to tell a child he/she was going to Storytime, and get all excited, and then get turned away.

Our books today were:

Little Gorilla, by Ruth Bornstein. I finally figured out how to make the book more interactive, and I think it was successful at holding their attention.

Machines at Work, by Byron Barton. I think I had 20 toddlers completely still and silent today. They LOVE this book.

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was the Farm this week. We did the fingerplays "A Little Seed" and "Way Up High in the Apple Tree." We read:

The Very Busy Spider, by Eric Carle. We made lots of animal sounds and learned to say the repeated line. Good brain exercise for the little ones!

The Cow That Went OINK, by Bernard Most. This book kills my voice every time, but I enjoy the challenge!

Book! Book! Book!, by Deborah Bruss. How could I not love a book about the animals going to the library to find something to do?

I told the story Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens on the flannel board. There's a great storyprop for this book. Lakeshore Learning has several storytelling kits for some favorite books. Take a look here.

This Week at the Library

2011-10-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

I was at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Oregon chapter retreat at Silver Falls this weekend. I had a wonderful time! Authors, an editor, an agent and lots of talent! So since this is so late, here's a quick list of the books I read in case you're looking for a particular title.

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Birthdays."

The Fairytale Cake, by Mark Sperring
Happy Birthday, Mouse1, by David Wood and Richard Fowler
The Secret Birthday Message, by Eric Carle
Benny Bakes a Cake, by Eve Rice

I told the story Ask Mr. Bear on the magnetic board.

Toddler Time

Duckie's Rainbow, by Frances Barry
My Car, by Byron Barton

Baby Time

Baby Faces, by Margaret Miller

This Week at the Library

2011-09-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

We had another very fun time on Wednesday afternoon at the "Creative Writing Experience." We took turns adding on to "Ah-Choo!" with our poor main character transporting all over the world every time he sneezed. Actually, it started off well when he went to Paris, the Great Wall of China and Tokyo. But then he ended up on another planet, and I think he died an untimely death.

Then we read "Flower Power," and each group wrote one sentence on a piece of paper, passed it to the left, added another sentence to the paper they received, and so on until we ended the stories. Finally, everyone got to write their own ending to "Cookie UFO." We ran out of time, so unfortunately I didn't get to hear many of the endings.

More next week!

Preschool Storytime

We learned a few of the differences between alligators and crocodiles. We sang "Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree." I also told the story "The Monkey and the Crocodile" on the flannelboard. Sometimes the monkey is the smart one, sometimes the crocodile.

Our books were:

Clarabella's Teeth, by An Vrombaut. Poor Clarabella misses out on all the fun because she has so many teeth to brush.

Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile, by Won-Ldy Paye. A wonderful African folktale in which Mrs. Chicken "proves" to the crocodile that they are sisters.

There's an Alligator Under My Bed, by Mercer Mayer. Big brave boy solves the problem!

Toddler Time

On Thursday we had to have Toddler Time in the children's area of the library, but I thought it worked out fine. It's actually a very nice space. We couldn't use the CD's, but the parent "choir" was lovely!

How Do I Put It On?, by Shigeo Watanabe. The children think it's hysterical when the bear puts shoes on his ears.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, by Jane Yolen. I love the dinosaur lips when he kisses goodnight.

Baby Time

We had a set of triplets and twins today! Actually, we had SIX sets of twins attend the various Storytimes this week. Very fun. It's so great that parents get to share their trials and successes and find sympathetic ears at places like this.

This Week at the Library

2011-09-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

So many new faces this week! And back to big crowds, too. We had 34 children at the 10:15 Toddler Time today. Just children, mind you, with adults in addition to that. However, the record was 54, I think. That was a crazy day!

Toddler Time

With so many new parents and children, I thought it was important this week to remind parents that they are their children's first teachers. Toddler Time is very likely the child's first experience in a group setting, so the child is watching Mom or Dad for clues about how to behave. "Should I watch the teacher? Should I do what the teacher says? Is it okay to go play with another child instead?" Seeing the caregiver participate in the songs and fingerplays lets the child know that paying attention and engaging in the program are good and important.

Our books this week were:

Cookie's Week, by Cindy Ward. The first page is such a great hook! "On Monday, Cookie fell in the toilet."

Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails, by Nancy Tafuri. This is a good first guessing-game book.

Preschool Storytime

I just love doing "Folktales!" They're such fun to tell because there is no one right way as long as the major elements are there. We acted out "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and the actors were superb. That's such a simple and fun folktale to do at home. A couple of chairs and a couple of kids and you're good to go. One is the troll, one is all three goats, and the chairs are the bridge. The only lines to remember are:

"Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?"
"The little billy goat gruff." (or middle-size, or biggest)
"I'm coming up to eat you."
"Wait for my big brother." (or "I'd like to see you try.")
"Very well. Be off with you."

I used a three-way puppet to tell "Little Red Riding Hood."

I used a story prop to sing "This Old Man," and an ancient tape recording of "The Gingerbread Man" to use with the book. Finally, I read Who Is It? by Sally Grindley, a guessing-game book about folktales.

Baby Time

Sometimes I wish the room were surrounded with mirrors so parents could see their babies' faces when we do the lap-bouncy rhymes. The babies usually like to face out to see the action, but then the parents don't get to see their expressions. Their grins are so adorable, wide-eyed and wide-mouthed. I love it.

That Was So Much Fun!

2011-09-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

I conducted my first Creative Writing "Experience" today and had such a blast. I think the kids did too, since they went straight to the front desk afterwards and signed up for the next three sessions.

We heard about the giant time bomb shaped like a hamburger, the smurfs in the hole in the ground, and the squirrels that turned into chocolate covered sprinkles. The kids wrote about the wish the genie granted, and we shared a few of them out loud. So much fun! New stories and new activities to come!

Please spread the word so more can join us next week!

Creative Writing (Workshops) Experiences

2011-09-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to start my series of creative writing "experiences" tomorrow. "Workshops" sounds to school-ish, so I used a different word, hoping I don't turn off any kids who might be interested. 3:30 on Wednesday the 21st, and the next three Wednesdays after that. We'll be in the Community Room at the library. Spread the word to all the 3rd-6th graders!

This Week at the Library

2011-09-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

First of all - a reminder that I'll be at MudPuddles Toys and Books in Sherwood this coming Saturday at 2:00. I'll be sharing stories from my book Cliffhanger Writing Prompts and leading the children in creating some fun endings to the stories.

Next Wednesday I start my creative writing "experiences" with elementary age students after school at 3:30 at the library. We'll spend about an hour coming up with endings to the cliffhanger stories in lots of creative ways. The sessions are free, but you need to sign up at the front desk in the library. I'm really looking forward to it! Please spread the word!

Check out my new page, "And Then..." I've posted one of my cliffhanger stories and three endings some students came up with in class.

Toddler Time

Welcome to the many new children! If you're new to my blog, take a look at the labels to the right. You can find the rhymes, songs and fingerplays we do there, along with postings about my favorite picture books, my opinions on various subjects related to children ("opinionated postings"), and information on my book.

The stories we read this week were:

I Love Bugs, by Philemon Sturges. I seemed to have a lot of rug-rolling with this book. I'm not sure if it was the book, or the atmosphere this week with lots of new children. I'll try it again in a while.

The Chick and the Duckling,by Mirra Ginsburg. This could be called "My First Book of Peer Pressure."

Preschool Storytime

Our stories were about "Pockets and Kangaroos." We learned that a baby kangaroo is called a "joey" and is about the size of a bumblebee when it's born. Did you know that? We read:

Peter's Pocket, by Judi Barrett. "Portable pin-on pockets." Say that five times fast! We learned what "portable" means.

The Pocket Dogs, by Margaret Wild. We were SO worried about Biff!

Joey, by Jack Kent. I love the mom saying, "THAT WILL DO!!" I also love the antenna for the TV and the records for the record player.

I told the story, The Pocket Book, by Josephine Aldridge. I have a velcro "dress" that I stick the ten pockets on, and fill the pockets with the various objects.

Baby Time

We had an adorable five-week old baby today. He slept through most of it, but that's okay. He woke up when we all shook the maracas.

MudPuddles on Saturday

2011-09-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I'll be at MudPuddles Toys and Books in Sherwood at Langer Plaza. I love this toy store. They have a wonderful well-though-out collection of toys and a marvelous book section. At 2:00 Saturday, I'll be hosting some imaginative storytelling with elementary-aged kids using stories from my book "Cliffhanger Writing Prompts." My book is a collection of 30 cliffhanger stories, each ending with "And then..." It's up to the children (and adults with good imaginations) to supply the endings. We'll do some out loud together, in groups and individually. It will be a blast. Hope to see you there!

This Week at the Library

2011-09-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is always an interesting week - the first week back after school starts. First of all, I miss the five-year-olds who have gone on to kindergarten. I also see lots of new children, plus kids who haven't attended much over the summer. We had big groups again, especially Thursday's Toddler Time. It all makes for some great energy!

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Bears" this week. We went on a "bear hunt" and swished through grass, swam a river, squelched through mud, stumble-tripped through a forest and tiptoed into a cave. So exciting!

Our books were:

Where's My Teddy?, by Jez Alborough. Two identical, though different sized, teddy bears get swapped and the corresponding bear and boy have a frightful time getting their own teds back.

Big Black Bear, by Wong Herbert Yee. Big Black Bear turns out to be Little Black Bear, who's only three.

Bear's Picture, by Daniel Pinkwater. This is an odd story, but the illustrations are luscious and the final surprise is fun.

Bear's Shadow, by Frank Asch. Children love it when they know more than the main character in a book. This book demonstrates what happens to your shadow through the day, and the kids have a laugh over Bear trying to nail his down.

Toddler Time

Lots of little toddlers starting to come! I'm fine with 13-15 month old children coming. Even though they can't jump up and down or follow the fingerplays, they're learning so much! Just this week I watched a little guy trying very hard to get both feet off the ground when we were jumping. He almost made it!

Our books were:

Pete's a Pizza, by William Steig. The kids love saying the title, and laugh when I ask if they ever tickle their pizzas.

Dinosaur Roar, by Paul Stickland. This is one of those magical books that holds toddlers' attention so well.

Baby Time

We had a sweet four-week-old baby join us. I love having the tiny ones come. It illustrates so amazingly how much the children grow and change in one year. We see the almost-newborn next to the 7-month-old next to the one-year-old and marvel at how fast they develop.

Upcoming Creative Writing "Experiences"

2011-09-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be leading "And Then..." creative writing sessions for 3rd to 6th graders this fall. (I'm not calling them "workshops" in the hopes that I don't scare any kids away.) I'll be using the cliffhanger stories from my book to lead the students in some fun storytelling and writing activities. This will be very interactive and hands-on. There are four weekly sessions starting Wednesday, September 21, from 3:30 to 4:30 in the Community Room at the library. This is free, but you have to sign up at the front desk in the library. Come to one or all four sessions. Many thanks to the Friends of the Library for making this possible!

Please spread the word!

This Week at the Library

2011-09-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

I hope this summer weather lasts a while longer. I love sitting out here in my lounge chair with my computer in my lap, an iced tea beside me, birdsong in my ears. So nice.

This week I said a temporary good-bye to many children going off to Kindergarten and first grade. I probably won't see them until Christmas break or maybe longer. I tried to tell them they weren't allowed to go to school because they had to stay home and keep coming to Storytime, but they didn't buy it. I got lots of hugs, though.

Baby Time

This week we had two moms with babies and three-year-olds in tow. The great thing about it was that the big brothers came to baby time when they were itty bitty. It's very fun to see the families grow through the years.

Toddler Time

Different children "participate" in such different ways. One mom told me this week that her daughter had been asking to go to the library since 8 am. She couldn't wait to get there. Then she spent the whole time just watching. She stayed in Mom's lap and barely took part in anything we did. Yet I'm sure that in her mind, everything was exactly the way she wanted it. "Participation," to some children, means getting to watch the excitement and listen to the music, rhymes and stories. "Participation" to other children means running around, saying hi to other kids, jumping up and down, and singing at the top of their lungs. Both are perfectly okay.

Our books this week were:

Fire Truck, by Peter Sis. One little boy was so excited because he was wearing his fire truck T-shirt and had played Fire Truck on his walk to the library.

Clip-Clop, by Nicola Smee. Such a cute story told in about 150 words. Amazing!

Preschool Storytime

We "biggled our bingers" to get ready for our stories about bugs this week. This is a new storytime theme, and lots of fun.

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!, by Lydia Monks. The poor spider just wants to be a pet. So misunderstood!

Yuck!, by Mick Manning. Baby animals eat all sorts of disgusting things - like bugs.

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, by Jacky Davis. I LOVE this book! The two children get mad when they can't figure out what to play, then discover how to be a Bug Squad.

The Big Book of Bugs,by Teresa Greenaway. This has wonderful photos of real bugs from every category.

Ant. Ant. Ant! (An Insect Chant), by April Pulley Sayre. This is such fun to read aloud. Great rhythm.

I did a guessing game with pictures, and we sang "The Eensy Weensy Spider" and "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee."

Can You Help?

2011-08-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

I just read about a library in Vermont that lost their entire children's section to Hurricane Irene. Every picture book was destroyed, except for five on a high shelf waiting to be shelved, and those that were checked out to homes. This blog tells how you can help them. Please read it and see what you can do. Thank you!

This Week at the Library

2011-08-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

It was horribly hot in the Community Room today. I did my best to get air moving in there, but it didn't do much good. Maybe we can teach our children about the greenhouse effect using the room as an object lesson.

Preschool Storytime

"Cats" was our theme this week. We did the "Three Little Kittens" rhyme, and chased bubbles. Our stories were:

That Cat Can't Stay, by Thad Kresnesky. Dad absolutely will not let the stray cat stay. But it's raining outside? Well....

The Cat Barked?, by Lydia Monks. The cat wishes to be a dog, but after the owner tells him how special he is, the dog wishes to be a cat.

Millions of Cats, by Wanda G'ag. This book has been around since 1928. That's what I call a classic!

On the magnetic board, I told the story The Fat Cat: a Danish Folktale, by Jack Kent. This hilarious book is out of print. $20.85 on Amazon. The children LOVE watching the cat get fatter and fatter as he eats all the townspeople.

Toddler Time

With the light summer crowds, I was able to pull out the bubble machine and let the kids chase them around for a while. No collisions or tears!

We read:

Daisy's Hide and Seek, by Jane Simmons. Oh the suspense! Where can Pip be?

Three Little Kittens, by Lorianne Siomades. There are so many versions of this rhyme, but I like the simple illustrations in this one. I usually adapt the words to how I learned it, and that's fine. You are always free to do that when you read to your child too - until he learns to read and starts correcting you!

Baby Time

Only two babies this week, but they had a good time doing Looby Loo and "Icky Bicky Soda Cracker!" I pulled out a big stack of all different board books from the bins, and we looked through them hunting for that treasure. Sign language books seem to be a big thing lately.

Seeing It From Their Perspective

2011-08-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Lately I've told some stories about the funny things kids say to me at Storytime. I got another one last week that I promised to tell you about, even though it's slightly, um, indelicate. But to me that's the whole point - when we look at it from the child's perspective, it's perfectly innocent and honest.

Here's the story - At Toddler Time I had called the kids up for a story. They all sat (on their bottoms, feet in front of them) and I introduced Come Along Daisy. I pointed to Daisy Duck and Mama Duck and told them what "Come along" meant. The little girl in front of me blurted out, "Do you poop in the toilet?"

Several things ran through my mind. Do I answer her? Will the other kids want to participate in the conversation? If I don't answer her, will she repeat the question louder until I do answer? Since no other kids seemed to have heard her, I decided not to answer, and fortunately she didn't persist.

This got me thinking about "impertinent questions." Between her and the boy a couple of weeks ago who asked what I smell like, I've thought about a child's perspective, and how at that age they really have no concept of a rude question. They honestly want to know. The girl is probably in the midst of potty training, and her mom tells her all the time, "Everybody poops in the toilet! Your parents do, your friends do, the clerk at the grocery store does!" So she looked at me and wondered, "Does Miss Teresa too?" And she asked.

No need to be offended or reprimand her. I know her mom didn't hear her, but if she did, Mom could just say, "That sort of thing is private, and we just talk about it in the family." We get upset when they do something they know they aren't supposed to do, and that isn't the case in these situations. The hardest part for me is not cracking up!

This Week at the Library

2011-08-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have another funny story to tell, but it's going to wait for a later post. I've had to think about it for a while, since it borders on the inappropriate, but I think the value of the lesson is worth it. Got you curious? Good! Because that's what preschool storytime was all about this week.

Preschool Storytime

"Curiosity and surprises." We had some very entertaining books this week:

Hi, Pizza Man!, by Virginia Walter. This got a lot of kids giggling. "Hi, Pizza Cow!"

Max and Ruby's First Greek Myth, by Rosemary Wells. Ruby introduces us to an updated version of "Pandora's Box."

How Many Bugs in a Box?, by David Carter. We have a ton of fun pretending the saw bugs are trying to get out.

Special Delivery, by Brigitte Weninger. A lot of younger ones struggle a little with understanding that the illustrations show what the mom is imagining. But they're still definitely curious about what's inside the box!

Find a Face, by Francois Robert. It's fun to find faces in everyday objects.

I finished storytime by showing them my own box with a mystery object inside. I slid it around and rattled it while they guessed what was making the noise. Some older children could logically figure out that it was my stamp. Others had some pretty wild ideas!

We sang "Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" and I introduced a new song:

Little Cabin in the Woods
Little cabin in the woods. (Draw a square)
Little man by the window stood. (Make goggles with your fingers)
Saw a rabbit hopping by. (Hold up two fingers and hop them past you)
Knocking at the door. (Knock in the air)
Help me! Help me! Help me! It said. (Wave hands up and down)
Before the hunter shoots me dead. (Point "gun" with hands)
Little rabbit come inside. (Wave "come here")
Safely to abide. (Stroke the two-finger "rabbit")

Each time we sing it through, we delete one line of singing and do just the hand motion, going faster and faster with each repetition. Finally we're zooming through the song with just hand motions, accompanied by lots of giggles!

Toddler Time

When we do "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" there is an add-on series of motions at the end of each verse - "Toot, toot! Woah back! Hi there!..." Some of the older brothers and sisters like to try to do it with me as it's too hard for the little ones. One little boy has been coming to the programs since he was six or seven months old, and started toddler time at just over one year. Now he just turned three, and I noticed he almost had the motions down. I was amazed! They are such sponges for learning!

Baby Time

Several Newberg moms attended today. I guess Newberg suspends their programming in August. We got to talking about the Moms Club. I think Newberg could easily have a successful chapter if someone wants to get it started. Who's willing?

This Week at the Library

2011-08-11T19:52:00.001-07:00

First of all, THANK YOU to the Maid Marians who came to Toddler Time and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday: Sophia, Paige, Noel, Belle, and Rachel. The toddlers were fascinated by the girls in their sashes and headdresses, and the Maid Marians did a super job of diving in to the songs and fingerplays. They did a wonderful job telling the stories at Preschool Storytime and leading the songs, too. The children responded very well to them. I hope they come back next year!

Second, I had a wonderful time at Learning Palace at Cascade Station as a part of their "Back to School Blast." I had a table with Scholastic and got to talk to teachers about my book "Cliffhanger Writing Prompts." I handed out lots of business cards to those interested in having me visit their classrooms. If you know of a teacher who might like me to lead a fun creative writing presentation, pass my name along.

Baby Time

We had "only" six babies today. Several of our regulars have graduated to Toddler Time and we miss them. I think this is prime vacation week, too. We didn't even have any big brothers or sisters building block towers on the side. But, a mom came with twins, so I got to have a real baby in my lap!

Toddler Time

The competition was fierce today for sitting in my lap and holding my hand. Sometimes I have to let one child hold my hand while another holds my finger. I'm always relieved when this is acceptable.

We read:

No, David!, by David Shannon. Did you know this book is autobiographical? He tells about it just inside the cover page. Quite a few kids knew this book and were eager to tell me all about it every time I turned the page.

First the Egg, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Most of the two-year-olds can't guess the "answers," but the three's can.

Preschool Storytime

On Tuesday we had a "Summertime" theme. I read:

Sand Cake, by Frank Asch. Baby Bear has to figure out how to eat a cake his dad made out of sand.

Rain Talk, by Mary Serfozo. We had fun making "bup, bup, bup," and "ploomp, ploomp, ploomp," noises.

Froggy Learns to Swim, by Jonathan London. We practiced "chicken, airplane, soldier," and "bubble, bubble, toot, toot!"

Sunflower House, by Eve Bunting. I've always wanted to do this! Plant a circle of sunflower seeds, and let it grow into a house that kids can play in.

When the Maid Marians came, they brought their own favorite picture books to share. They were:

Balloonia, by Audrey Wood. Where does your balloon go when it floats away? This book can save your child some tears when it happens to him/her.

Piglet and Mama, by Margaret Wild. Nobody but Mama will do for little piglet.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk, by Charles Shaw. Rachel used the flannelboard for this story, which makes it extra fun.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff. We had the big book for this, which is great since in the regular book, the pictures are so small.

The girls led everyone in "The Beaver Song" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." Thanks again!

Maid Marians Next Wednesday

2011-08-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

Just want you all to know we'll have the Sherwood Maid Marians as guests at the Wednesday Toddler Time and Preschool Storytime. I hope you can come say hi!

This Week at the Library

2011-08-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

A great funny story this week! A couple of weeks ago I told you about the little boy who thought it was so funny when he touched my feet. This week he did it again - touched my feet and turned to the boy next to him giggling. Then he looked at me and said, "I wonder what you smell like?"

I said, "I don't think I really smell like anything."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't wear perfume."

"Can I smell you?"

At this point I just got curious. "How would you do that?"

"I'd smell you right here." He pointed to the center of his chest.

"Uh, I don't think that would really be polite. But you asked first, so that was really good!"

I was absolutely delighted with that little exchange. I love how honest and straightforward children can be. He just said what he was thinking, simply and to the point.

I kept thinking about why we wondered what I smelled like. Did you have a grandmother or aunt who always wore a particular scent? Or maybe two grandmothers and an uncle who each had their own special smell? His special people probably hug him and he takes a big whiff of Grandma smell, or Uncle Ray smell. Maybe this little boy has a strong association of scents to people and he just wanted to know if I had a special smell, too. Nothing wrong with wondering!

Preschool Storytime

We did a lot of quacking this week! Ducks! We read:

Quacky Duck, by Paul Rogers. I love the beginning, "Once upon a pond," and the ending, "And they all lived quackily ever after."

Farmer Duck, by Martin Waddell. I'm still figuring out the best way to read this aloud. It's actually kind of tricky.

Duckat, by Gaelyn Gordon. The kids got to learn the meaning of "odd."

Duck on a Bike, by David Shannon. There's a page towards the end with no text that just shows the farm animals staring at the bikes with big eyes. It was a good challenge to the children when I asked them what the animals were thinking.

I told the story on the flannelboard, "Little Duckling Tries His Voice." He tries to sound like a cow, "Mooo-ack," and a bird, "Twee-ack," and just isn't successful.

Toddler Time

What a crowd we had today! Lots of new faces, too, which often happens as we get closer to fall. And maybe we've had enough warm days in a row that people are looking for something other than the park to do.

Our books were:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin Jr. Sometimes it's hard to find the difference between a dog voice and a frog voice.

Here Are My Hands, also by Bill Martin Jr. All the groups did really well showing me their various body parts.

Baby Time

I told the parents again today that Baby Time is for babies up till the age that they don't want to be there any more. Two babies graduated this week! It was extremely clear that they had no interest in what was going on. However, they are very interested in Toddler Time. There's so much action and noise and kids to watch! Even when they can't physically do what the others are doing, they get a kick out of watching, and the language, rhythms and patterns are sinking in.

Last Week at the Library

2011-08-01T14:36:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm late posting about last week's Storytimes. But a huge THANK YOU to all who came to my book launch party. It was great to see kids reading my stories and enjoying the little activities and handouts that went with them. Now, too, I have some fun props for classroom visits!

After the party, I was busy getting my daughter ready to go away to camp for two weeks, then driving to visit friends in Washington on the way to the camp. I find I always miss my children most the first 24 hours they're gone.

This Friday I'll be at Learning Palace at Cascade Station for their "Back-to-School Blast." Not that I'm ready to think about back-to-school yet (It's just August 1!) but I guess they are.

Preschool Storytime

Our stories were all about "Noise" last week. I must say my voice gets a little extra tired when that's the theme! But reading the stories is very fun.

Mortimer, by Robert Munsch. Sorry if you had kids at bedtime singing, "Cling clang, rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day!!"

Quiet, Wyatt!, by Bill Maynard. Poor Wyatt. Everyone sushes him and thinks he's too little to do big kid things, until he speaks up to rescue a puppy.

Whistle for Willie, by Ezra Jack Keats. Willie tries and tries to learn to whistle so he can call his dog.

I did the flannelboard story Too Much Noise, by Ann McGovern.

We also practiced being noisy and silent with the maracas while we played "The Freeze Game" on the Greg and Steve CD.

Toddler Time

I saw a great demonstration of the importance of parent participation. There was a new child in the group who was outgoing enough to stand in the center of the group while I was doing one of the fingerplays, but he would watch me, turn to look at mom, watch me, turn to look at mom, back and forth. He obviously was trying to figure out what he should be doing at that moment and was looking at mom for cues. You are your child's first and most important role model!

Our stories were:

No Biting, by Karen Katz. The children enjoy the guessing-game part of this book.

Rosie's Walk, by Pat Hutchins. They think it's pretty funny that Rosie never sees the fox.

Baby Time

Bubble time seems to be the favorite for the babies (and their big brothers and sisters, too). I just love their awe-struck faces as the bubbles float down. Many squeal and bounce up and down in excitement. Very cute!

Book Party Tonight!

2011-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Please come to my book launch party tonight in the Community Room at 6:30. We'll have loads of cake and fun stuff for the kids!

This Week at the Library

2011-07-23T15:43:00.001-07:00

My Book Launch Party is this Thursday at 6:30 in the Community Room. I hope to see you there! My daughter Sara and I brainstormed some great interactive ideas for the children at the party, which I think will be a ton of fun.

Preschool Storytime

This week while I was sitting in my chair chatting with the kids before it was time to start, there were two little boys who like to sit right up front at my feet. I was wearing sandals and had just painted my toenails a bright color. They noticed them, and one of the boys stared for a second. Then he reached his finger out and touched my big toe. He giggled and turned to the boy next to him and stage-whispered, "I touched her feet! Hee hee! I touched her feet!" I reminded me of the scene in "Finding Nemo" when one of the little fishies says, "I touched the butt!"

I wonder if these children know how much they entertain me?

Our theme this week was "The Beach." We read:

Ebb and Flo and the Baby Seal, by Jane Simmons. I think the kids could relate to not finding anyone to play with, and not being able to get attention when they need it.

How Will We Get to the Beach?, by Brigitte Luciani. This book is a "guess what's missing from the picture" game.

Lottie's New Beach Towel, by Petra Mathers. I like this story, but the illustrations aren't the best for a group storytime. They're quite tiny. However, one boy told me it was his favorite story.

I used the flannelboard for Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister.

I also pulled out a great collection of seashells for the children to hold and inspect. They practiced trading with each other.

Toddler Time

I loved the little guy who arrived just after we had started the first song. He came barreling in, "Wait for me!!" Of course we will!

We read:

Spot Bakes a Cake, by Eric Hill. Some kids said they'd made a cake, some cookies, one girl says she makes dinner.

Pots and Pans, by Patricia Hubbell. I reminded the parents again how pulling out the pots, pans, lids and spoons is a great activity for children. Of course you need "boundaries," but it's a great learning activity. Big pot, deep sound. Little pot, high sound. Different sounds for a wooden spoon, plastic spoon, and metal spoon.

Baby Time

We had mostly 12-16 month-olds this week, which is unusual. They weren't too interested in the book time, which didn't surprise me, but they sure loved the bubbles!

An Invitation

2011-07-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'd like to invite everyone to my book launch party! We'll be celebrating in the library community room (where Storytime is held) on Thursday, July 28 at 6:30. After some refreshments, I'll be doing an interactive presentation of a few stories with the elementary age children. I promise we'll have a good time!

This Week at the Library

2011-07-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

First off, there will be NO STORYTIMES July 12, 13, 14. I'll be on vacation.

Second, I'm very happy to announce that the Friends of the Library approved my request to lead a series of four workshops for elementary and middle school students based on the stories in my book. Details about dates and times will come later.

Preschool Storytime

This week we had fun with turtles. No, we didn't have any real ones - sure wish we did. Our fingerplay was:

I Had a Little Turtle

I had a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in the water

And he climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at a minnow.

He snapped at a flea.

He snapped at a mosquito

And he snapped at me.

He caught that minnow.

He caught that flea.

He caught that mosquito

But he didn't catch me.

We read:

Franklin in the Dark, by Paulette Bourgeois. Franklin learns to compensate for his fear of the dark. An excellent lesson for all of us.

The Turtle and the Monkey, by Joanna and Paul Galdone. I'm afraid I said this was an African tale, but it's actually from the Philippines. The two characters do awful things to each other, but I tried to point out to the children that it all came out of an unwillingness to share.

Splash!, by Ann Jonas. This is a great book for introducing mental math. It's fun to see which kids really "get" it - our future math whizzes.

I told the story on the flannelboard of "Uwungelema," the magic word that makes the fruit fall from the magic tree.

Toddler Time

Tuesday, July 5 was interesting! I guess all the little ones slept in from the fireworks the night before. Only one child came at 9:30, and three at 10:15! The rest of the week was pretty lightly attended, too.

Our books were:

The Seals on the Bus, by Lenny Hort. It was fun "singing" this book together.

Spot Goes to the Park, by Eric Hill. At the end, when Spot's mother tells him to say "Thank you," to the duck for returning Spot's ball, Spot says "Quack, quack." I asked, "What do you think that means?" One little boy said, "Give it back!"

Baby Time

I've had extra fun the last two weeks because a mom has been coming with her twins. I get to have a live baby to bounce on my lap instead of teddy bear!

This Week at the Library

2011-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to present my book at the library this week. Everyone is invited to my "Launch Party" on July 28 at 6:30 in the Community Room. We'll have a little celebration and do some creative storytelling with stories from the book. Bring your imaginations!

Preschool Storytime

We took a poll on who loves to take a bath, and who doesn't love baths. The vast majority of the kids like baths, but there were a few very definite "No thanks," types in the group, too. I got out the bubble machine for a while, and we did the fingerplay "Bubbly Bubbles."

We read:

Just Me in the Tub, by Mercer Mayer. Poor Little Critter has such a hard time making things turn out the way he intends.

No Bath Tonight, by Jane Yolen. Jeremy has an excuse not to take a bath on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday....

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood. To be honest, I have a hard time finding the rhythm when I read this aloud, but the illustrations are so incredible, I put up with it.

Huggly Takes a Bath, by Tedd Arnold. The kids love the "slime pit" Huggly plays in.

I used the flannelboard for the story "The Bath," and we played a game where the children had to guess what piece was missing from the picture.

Toddler Time

Lots of new children and parents, lots of old friends back from preschool, and lots of people on vacation.

Our books were:

Eyes, Nose, Fingers and Toes, by Judy Hindley. The little ones were great about following along in the book with blinking, and wiggling, and clapping and jumping. Moving with a book makes it so much more fun.

Spot Goes to School, by Eric Hill. Lift-the-flap books never fail.

Baby Time

We had lots of big brothers and sisters this week, but they were so wonderfully behaved, it wasn't a problem at all. The babies played Peekaboo and read Find the Duck and danced to Ring Around the Rosie. Of course, bubbles are always a huge hit - with the big kids too!

This Week at the Library

2011-06-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

There were some real sweethearts at the library this week. I got a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and a hug and a kiss in the middle of my belly - the poor little guy couldn't reach my cheek. Also, at Preschool Storytime, right after I announced to the parents that my book was out and was available for purchase, one little guy (the one who showed me his Spiderman underpants) said, "I want one!" He jumped up, grabbed a book off the table, and took it back to his seat. How adorable!

Preschool Storytime

I love summer when I get to see my old friends who abandoned me for school! (How could they?)

We were all about rabbits this week. We sang "Little Bunny Foo Foo," and did the "What Am I" fingerplay. We read:

A Boy and His Bunny, by Sean Bryan. On Wednesday I managed to read the whole book with a bunny on my head. It's a very silly book.

Daley B., by Jon Blake. Daley B. decides to live in a tree and eat acorns, but finally learns what he is when a weasel wants to eat him. He also learns his big feet are useful!

Dance Away, by George Shannon. We really had fun doing our little "Left, two, three, kick!" dance.

Henry and the Red Stripes, by Eileen Christelow. I loved the grins on the children's faces when I told them Henry painted red stripes all over himself. I could tell they thought that looked like fun.

Toddler Time

Pretty small groups this week. I think lots of people are on vacation or staying home with grade school kids. But it meant we could blow bubbles without collisions and bumped heads, and children could have two noisemakers for "The Ants Go Marching."

We tried a new fingerplay this week. It has two stanzas, which I figured out right away was too long. I've shortened it down to this:

Tippy Tippy Tiptoe

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, girls and boys.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, don't make noise.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe through the house.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, like a mouse.

We read:

Good Morning, Sam, by Marie-Louise Gay. This one is borderline for two-year-olds, but the three's like it.

Where's Spot?, by Eric Hill. They really get into the suspense of this, and cheer when we finally find him.

Baby Time

No lack of babies this week! We had a great crowd: itty bitty babies, and walkers intent on exploring the room instead of sitting on Mom's lap. We read Where Is Baby's Belly Button, by Karen Katz. She really has a corner on the market for baby books. She's great!

It's Here!

2011-06-21T21:15:00.001-07:00

My book arrived on my doorstep today! Hooray! I'm afraid I screamed so loudly I scared my daughters, but they celebrated with me once they knew what was going on. I'll have copies for sale at Storytime if anyone would like one.

This Week at the Library

2011-06-11T16:15:00.002-07:00

There will be no Toddler Time or Baby Time on Thursday, June 16.

Preschool Storytime

We said goodbye to the frogs and tadpoles this week. We got to see several of them grow up into itty bitty frogs that sat on my fingertip. A few tadpoles even went home with children. I hope they do well. They're pretty cheap pets!

Our theme this week was "Dragons." I have a fun storyprop for Purple Hair? I Don't Care, by Diane Young.

The books were:

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon, by Jack Kent. Kids think it's funny, but the lesson is really for us parents. When something (or someone) wants attention, it's only going to get bigger and bigger.

Where Did All the Dragons Go?, by Fay Robinson. I love the illustrations in this one. The dragons look awesome!

The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch. This is a fun story to read aloud. And you can see the five-year-olds' wheels turning when Ronald the prince is a jerk and Elizabeth the princess doesn't marry him.

The Best Pet of All, by David LaRochelle. They loved the dragon in the bathtub full of spaghetti.

Toddler Time

This week a woman brought her niece to Toddler Time for the first time on Tuesday at 9:30. They stayed for the 10:15 session too. The next day they were back at 11:30. Thursday at 10:15 there they were again! She said every morning the little girl says, "Are we going to the library today?" So cute!

We read:

Sleepy Bear, by Lydia Dabocovich. They seemed to have gotten the honey/bee connection.

Go Away, Big Green Monster, by Ed Emberley. The Tuesday 9:30 group was so quiet I had to enlist the parents. But the Wednesday crowd really got into the yelling.

Baby Time

More babies have been graduating lately to Toddler Time. Even if they're too young to actually participate in the finger plays and jumping up and down, they enjoy watching and hearing some familiar rhymes.

Release Day!

2011-06-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

My book has been released! I called Scholastic to order copies to sell and asked the customer service person if she knew what day it would be released, wondering if the date I had been told had changed (June 23). She said, "Oh! It's today!" Woohoo! So I'll have copies for sale at the library ($10), or you can order on Amazon here.

If you're interested in having me visit your school or homeschool group, please email me: t.klep(at)sterling.net. I also have a Facebook page for the book. Just put in the title "Cliffhanger Writing Prompts."

This Week at the Library

2011-06-04T20:27:00.001-07:00

One little frog sprouted its front legs this week. I let him sit on the tip of my finger while the children ooohed and aaahed. The next day little froggie had disappeared. Apparently he could crawl out through the vent holes of the tank. He wanted to become a librarian and live in the library office, I guess. He'll be there forever, since I couldn't find him. Poor thing.

But two more sprouted legs today. If they haven't matured too much by Tuesday, we'll get to see them. Once their tails are used up, I have to let them go or they'll starve.

Preschool Storytime

We talked about blankets and blankies this week. You know the difference - blankets are things you wrap up in and stay warm with, blankies are those very special objects that keep the boogeyman away and make everything feel better.

We read:

No More Blanket for Lambkin, by Bernette Ford. Lambkin's friend snatches away her blanket, washes it, ruins it, then fixes everything by making a doll out of it.

Cry Baby, by Ruth Brown. We learned what "unraveling" is. Poor little sister's blanket unravels, but she decides to quit crying and do something about it.

Franklin's Blanket, by Paulette Bourgeois. I love how Franklin's father still has his blankie tucked away.

Owen, by Kevin Henkes. An absolute gem of a book!

I brought in several blankets and one blankie for us to look at - a quilt, a knitted blanket, a receiving blanket, and my daughter's blankie from long ago.

Toddler Time

Someone asked me today if I'll ever get tired of doing Storytime. Even after 14 years, I still love it. I think the day I quit will be the day I decide I'm an old lady. Slithering around on the floor like a snake, galloping like a horse and playing the "freeze" game keep me young and make for a much more fun workout than anything at the YMCA. Those children never cease to make me smile.

Our books this week were:

Opposites, by Robert Crowther. Once again this book held their attention for an amazingly long time. Such a great teaching tool, too!

Slop Goes the Soup, by Pamela Duncan Edwards. I kept asking, "What's going to happen next?" One little boy kept saying, "I don't know Miss Teresa!"

Baby Time

We've discovered that the overturned toy tub makes for a great socializing device. The babies crawl over, pull themselves up, bang on it and stare at each other. Very cute!

This Week at the Library

2011-05-27T08:43:00.002-07:00

We were all excited to see little back legs growing on the tadpoles this week. One little guy had particularly long legs, so maybe by next week he'll have front legs, too. Or are they called arms?

Preschool Storytime

I got to wear my cow costume this week. The kids are so funny when they touch my udder (!) and I jump and squeal. They're so surprised as they try to figure out if I'm kidding or not. One little boy asked, "Are you wearing clothes too?" That got a laugh from the parents.

Our books were:

Daisy the Firecow, by Viki Woodworth. Daisy proves her worth as the fire station mascot by saving a calf from a burning barn.

Too Many Pears, by Jackie French. I told the kids my story of getting sick on Whoppers, and I have a feeling they'll be reminding me of it for quite a while, like they remind me of my fender bender when I had a "bad day."

Belinda, by Pamela Allen. Poor Farmer Brown has to dress up like his wife before Belinda will let him milk her.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, by Doreen Cronin. This book is a bit of a stretch for a group of three year olds, but the five and six-year-olds got a laugh. "Neutral party," "ultimatum" and even electric blankets need a little explaining.

Toddler Time

I talked a little this week about how parents are their children's first role models. Toddler Time is most likely your child's first experience in a group setting. Your child looks to you for guidance on how to act in a group. And of course, we know that they learn more from what you do than what you say, so seeing you participate enthusiastically sends a huge message to them. "Oh! I should pay attention and do what Miss Teresa is doing. Mom/Dad/Grandma/Caregiver is smiling and having a good time. This must be fun!"

Our books were:

The Very Busy Spider, by Eric Carle. They did pretty well at repeating, "She was very busy spinning her web."

Freight Train, by Donald Crews. This book is so visually appealing, it always holds their attention.

Baby Time

I want to compliment the older siblings who come on a regular basis. They've been so well-behaved and pleasant. I enjoy getting to hold them on my lap for "Bumpin' Up And Down" or hearing them sing out on "The More We Get Together." They play with a basket of blocks and balls, or bounce their "baby" on their laps like Mommy. They try very hard to follow the rule of staying off the blue carpet. Good job!

Interview for the Gazette

2011-05-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

I had a nice talk with Ray Pitz at the Gazette today. We talked for quite a while about Cliffhanger Writing Prompts, how the book came to be, how I run my presentations, and my time as the Storylady. The article will be out in the July edition. Thanks, Ray!

This Week at the Sunny Library

2011-05-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

I get so excited when the sun finally comes out and it warms up, especially when it's so belated. It's hard to believe it's the middle of May. I feel like spring just got started and it should be the middle of April! But the tadpoles are getting big and fat, so I guess summer is closer than I realize.

Baby Time

Well, Toddler Time had fewer people than usual, so I assumed the same would be true for Baby Time, but we had the biggest one ever! 24 babies! They were 12 weeks to 15 months old, plus assorted older siblings. It was great to hear the choir of adult voices, even if we were saying "pizza pickle pumpernickle" and other nonsense.

Toddler Time

If only we could harness the enthusiasm that these little ones exude when they show up to "sing and dance." Just think how our jobs, housework, yardwork and parenting would go if we arrived the excitement of "I'M HERE! I'M HERE!" and huge smiles on our faces. The world would definitely be a better place.

We pulled out "A Little Seed" in honor of spring. Our books were:

From Head to Toe, by Eric Carle. I have these kids so trained to sit on their bottoms that they actually have trouble going ahead and getting up on their knees to do the motions in the book. Such good children!

Peek-a-Moo!. by Marie Torres Cimarusti. They really cracked up at "peek-a-quack!"

Preschool Storytime

We were all about "Growing Up" this week. We started with:

Pig Pig Grows Up, by David McPhail. The children just couldn't understand why Pig Pig wanted to stay a baby, but they really laughed when Mom got in the stroller and Pig Pig pushed her home.

Parts, by Tedd Arnold. I think this book is hysterical, but the kids' faces are always very serious when I read it. Maybe because they've had the same thoughts, "What's happening to me?"

Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big, by Joyce Dunbar. This book is very relatable, I think. It's frustrating not to be big enough to do things, yet a little scary to think of what is expected of you when you get big.

See How I Grow, by Angela Wilkes. This is a cool book where the kids get to watch a baby grow from six weeks to 18 months.

This Week at the Library

2011-05-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Every week I have my books for Preschool Storytime displayed on the top of the, um, the, wall? railing? dais? Anyway, they're displayed, and when the children arrive they look them over and try to figure out what the theme is. Sometimes, like this week, it's easy. There's a frog on every cover. Other weeks it's more obscure, like when the theme is "Naughtiness." Often, though, I'm amazed at the inference skill some kids show when they are able to figure out "Transportation" or "Colors."

Preschool Storytime

The tadpoles are growing rapidly! They're pretty fat now, and hopefully they'll have legs coming in next week.

Our books were:

Tale of a Tadpole, by Barbara Ann Porte. Francine raises Fred from a tadpole to a (surprise!) toad.

Hoptoad, by Jane Yolen. Some of the children honestly thought the poor toad was going to get run over.

Red-eyed Tree Frog, by Joy Cowley. We talked about the difference between pretend illustrations drawn by an artist, and real illustrations that are photos taken by a camera. This book has wonderful photography.

Jump, Frog, Jump!, by Robert Kalan. They liked shouting to the frog.

The Wide-Mouthed Frog, by Keith Faulkner. This is a very fun pop-up book. I use it to help the children learn to tell their own stories since this one is so simple and repetitive. The frog always says, with a huge mouth, "I'm a wide-mouthed frog, and I eat flies. What do you eat?" He asks the bird, then the mouse, then the alligator. The bird says, "I eat wiggly worms and slugs." The mouse says, "I eat crunchy seeds and juicy berries." The alligator says, "I eat delicious wide-mouthed frogs." The frog says, with a tiny mouth, "Oh, you don't see many of those around here, do you?"

I told the story Froggy Gets Dressed, by Jonathan London, on the flannelboard.

Toddler Time

One of the ways I get the toddlers to cooperate at sitting with their feet in front of them to listen to a story is through natural consequences. Sometimes they really would rather be up on the their knees. I ask them to sit properly, and they basically refuse. So I put the book down on my lap and say, "I can't read the story until you sit with your feet in front of you." Boom! Those feet pop out faster than anything. No "bad boy/girl," no threats, no arguing, just the simple fact - the story won't start until you sit right. Works like a charm.

We read:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. Many of the children knew this book, but making munching noises and repeating "But he was still hungry!" make it fun. It's also a great book for practicing counting to five.

How Many Bugs in a Box? by David A. Carter. I love pretending to be scared of the saw bugs at the end. No one seemed to get upset this time. Whew! Just lots of laughs and "Do it again!"

Baby Time

We had a young crowd this week. Lots of 3-5 month olds, even a 7 weeker! Two sisters-in-law came for the first time with their babies born 6 days apart. What a wonderful time those cousins will have growing up, and how fun for the sisters!

Several babies have learned what a great drum our toybox is when it's turned upside down. It also slides across the carpet easily, so it's fun to push. Who needs expensive toys?!

This Week at the Library

2011-05-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

Today at Toddler Time I had finished reading a book about colors and quizzed the children about the names of colors. The end paper had geometric designs in each color, so I pointed to the yellow one and asked, "What color is this?" A tiny little girl (I later found out she's 17 months) immediately piped up, "Yellow!" I was impressed! She's so little and knows her colors instantly! She even beat out the three-year-olds! I pointed to the green shape. "What's this color?" "Yellow!" the little tyke says. (There are giggles from the moms.) I point to the blue one, "What color is this?" "Yellow!" Ah, now we get it. And so it went, "Yellow! Yellow! Yellow!" Very cute.

Preschool Storytime

The tadpoles have arrived! It's amazing how fast they grow. I'd say they've doubled in size in just a week. I'll bring them every week until they've matured. Then they go back to the pond. I think there are about a dozen in the tank. If anyone wants to take a couple home to watch them grow up, just bring a container and some pond water, and you can have them. For food, I just pull out some weeds from the pond and supplement with torn spinach leaves. They actually like the spinach better than the pond plants. Next week our theme will be "Frogs" and they'll learn more about them.

This week, in honor of Mother's Day, all of our stories were about mothers. We read:

Just for You, by Mercer Mayer. Little Critter tries to do nice things for his mom, but something always seems to go wrong.

A Mother for Choco, by Keiko Kasza. "Adoption," when someone decides to be your mom.

Is Your Mama a Llama?, by Deborah Guarino. We listened for clues through rhyme.

Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch. Sniff, sniff, sigh.

Only My Mom and Me, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. We practiced naming the seasons while we read this one.

We sang "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" since it tells about Mommy being proud of me.

Toddler Time

The toddlers enjoyed looking at the tadpoles too, but at that age I'm not sure if the tank and the plants aren't just as interesting as the little fishies.

This week our stories were:

Cat's Colors, by Jane Cabrera. A good Mother's Day book since Cat's favorite is orange, the color of his mother.

Dear Zoo, by Rod Campbell. This is the pop-up version, which makes it so much fun.

Baby Time

I found a new rhyme that we tried out this week. It goes like this:

Two little eyes to look around.

Two little ears to hear a sound.

One little nose to smell what's sweet.

And one little mouth that likes to eat.

Yum!

A Tip For You

2011-05-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian featured an article on a stay-at-home dad who is really into creating toys and fun stuff for his kids. I love his attitude that toys should be open-ended and played with in more ways than one. You can read the article here, and/or visit his blog at madebyjoel.com. The beautiful thing about his creations is that they are all simple things that you and your kids can make at home - clothespin fairies, cereal box guitars. You know, the type that, when you see them, you think "Why didn't I come up with that!" He also has a facebook page where everyone can share ideas. Check it out!

This Week at the Library

2011-04-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

A pretty calm week. I'm afraid I don't have any super stories. There seemed to be several kids enjoying dressing up this week - three Superman outfits, a princess or two. I got lots of hugs and a few cute conversations. They're always the high point of my day.

Toddler Time

We pulled out the "What Am I?" fingerplay. I don't see it in the labels. Have I not done it in that long? Here are the words:

What Am I?

I have two long ears and a fluffy tail,

And I like to wiggle my nose.

Carrots are my favorite food,

And I hop wherever I go.

What am I?

Our books were:

Machines At Work, by Byron Barton. A couple of brothers had this book at home and could have read the book for me.

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. LOTS of children have this book at home. We had fun saying good night to the mouse, the mush and the quiet old lady whispering "Hush."

Preschool Storytime

Our theme this week was "Eggs." I figured the week after Easter was a good time for them to enjoy this theme. I pulled out a little poster of "See Through Eggs" that I got when I was teaching kindergarten back in the stone age (pre-technology in the classroom). From the front, you see all kinds of bird and reptile eggs, life size and in true color. When you hold the page up to the light, you can see what kind of animal hatches out of it. The kids were quite impressed.

Our books were:

The Golden Egg Book, by Margaret Wise Brown. This book was written in 1947, but is still captivating. When I closed it, one child said, "I like that book!"

Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs, by Janet Stoeke. Minerva is becoming an old friend of ours. We love seeing what silly ideas she'll come up with next.

Eggday, by Joyce Dunbar. Horse eggs, pig eggs, and goat eggs. Pretty funny.

I told the story The Most Wonderful Egg in the World, by Helme Heine, with the storyprops. I get such a kick out of pulling those eggs out of Dotty, Stalky and Plumy.

Baby Time

More babies learning to walk! And new babies getting started with our Baby Time. It goes SO fast. I saw a comic strip (Zits, I think) use one of my favorite unattributed quotes: The days are long, but the years are short.

Our book was Eyes, Nose, Toes Peekaboo, by DK Publishing. It held their attention pretty well.

"Spiderman Underpants" Indeed!

2011-04-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

This week a little boy came running in to Toddler Time very excited. He was the first one in the room. "I'm wearing Asics shoes!" he told me. (Remember when I said commenting on clothes is a good way to connect?) Then he yanked his pants down to his knees and said,"And look! I have Spiderman underwear!" Yes, he certainly was wearing Spiderman underwear. I complimented him, and he pulled his pants back up. His grandmother came in during this exchange and laughed along with me. I'm glad she wasn't mad. He is only three, after all.

Preschool Storytime

"Birds" was our theme this week, and we had some really great stories.

Chicken Little, by Lauren Rader. The kids really got a laugh out of saying "I saw it with my own eyes. I heard it with my own ears. And a piece of it landed right on my tail!" (Of course, we had to point at our bottoms, which led to a fit of giggles.)

Pepito the Brave, by Scott Beck. Little Pepito is the bravest of the bunch, and he doesn't even know it.

Pelican, by Brian Wildsmith. This book is from 1983, so it's hard to find, but it holds the children's attention well with the half-pages and wonderful illustrations. How is the baby pelican going to learn to catch fish?

The Singing Chick, by Victoria Stenmark. Another wonderful story out of print! A few kids said this was their favorite. It's a lot of fun to tell, too.

I told the story Inch by Inch, by Leo Lionni on the flannelboard.

Toddler Time

A little girl came right up to me this morning and said "Gums." I considered that a second, then asked her to repeat it. "Jamps," she said. Think, think, think. "Oh, stamps?" Big nod. "Yes, you'll get stamps today. She smiled.

We read:

Duckie's Rainbow, by Frances Barry. When I pointed out the shape of the closed book on Tuesday, a little guy said "Watermelon!" He's absolutely right.

My Car, by Byron Barton. They really liked saying hi to Sam and his car.

Baby Time

We have a good variety of moms, dads, grandparents, nannies and friends coming lately. It all makes for a richer experience, I think.

Our little book was Haiku Baby, by Betsy Snyder. I liked this little book. The illustrations gave just enough extra on each page to have something to talk about with your baby.

A Friend Confesses

2011-04-20T08:25:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I was out with a friend and she said, "Teresa, I have a confession to make. Last week I had to drop by the library in the morning and I couldn't find a parking spot anywhere. I'm sorry, but I hate Storytime." I thought that was pretty funny. She's a very sweet person, and I could hear the tongue-in-cheek, so don't be offended. I wasn't.

This Week at the Library

2011-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

What a fun week we had - enthusiastic kids, parents who participated with their kids, great books, and big crowds!

My funny story for the week comes from a little guy who was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of some heavy machinery on it. I find that commenting on the children's clothing is a good way to connect with them. They are quite attached to their favorite shirt or skirt or shoes, and when I mention how wonderful their light-up shoes are, or how much I like their sparkly dress, they usually have something to say about it. So Thursday I looked at this maybe three-year-old boy's shirt and said, "Wow, that's a great bulldozer." He gave me a look like Duh! and said "That's not a bulldozer, that's a front loader." Silly me! How could I make such a mistake?

It's actually a wonderful thing when little ones can be experts on something, whether it's dinosaurs, trucks, or Disney princesses. That sense of mastery gives them confidence and enthusiasm for learning, which is so valuable when it comes time for school.

Preschool Storytime

We heard stories about "Food" this week, starting with our wiggle-buster rhyme in the key of F - "I figgle my fingers, I figgle my foes." The kids are really getting good at saying that rhyme with the first letter substitutions. My plot is working! They're learning their letter sounds without knowing I'm teaching!

We read:

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?, by Jane Yolen. I counted 16 different "How Do Dinosaurs" titles on Amazon. This one is another sneaky way to teach table manners.

Mean Soup, by Betsy Everitt. I like to use this book for our "Rotten Days" theme, too. I bring a big pot and wooden spoon as a prop so we can all scream and hiss into it.

Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells. Poor Max keeps making a mess in the kitchen, and he can't get the grocer to read his writing and give him Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters. And will Grandma eat his earthworm birthday cake?

I did The Very Hungry Caterpillar on the flannelboard, and we all made munchy sounds and said "But he was still hungry!" together.

We also sang "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" together with the wonderful old lady storyprop. All the animals disappear into her mouth as we sing.

Toddler Time

I'm so sorry we ran out of scarves on Thursday morning. I'm pretty sure all the 3's and under got them, but I know some older siblings missed out. I'm ordering more today.

Our books were:

Tails, by Matthew Van Fleet. This book is a great lap book, since the pages have touchy-feely things on them. I'm sad that the kids don't get a chance to touch the furry and bumpy tails, but that just wouldn't work with thirty pairs of hands.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?, by Jane Yolen. I wonder if all 16 titles are as good as this one? The kids loved it.

Baby Time

Lots of first-timers this week. I hope they return, and I hope the regular attenders keep doing the rhymes and songs at home. Repetition is so valuable for language learning with babies. When they hear it over and over, they learn to anticipate, which leads to imitating, which leads to language. (And then you're hearing "Again! Again!")

This Week at the Library

2011-04-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

I am SO, SO ready for some spring weather. At least it's getting more colorful outside, even if the sky isn't cooperating. The children's faces cheer me up every time, though. There's nothing better than seeing a little one race into the room, like the little girl last week: "INCOMING! Gracie's here! Gracie's here!" How can that possibly keep from bringing a smile to your face?

Baby Time

Wow! 18 babies plus assorted older siblings. It was a carpet full of babies. The overturned toy tub was a source of infinite fascination for a few of them, pounding, banging with toys, sliding it around. They loved it.

Our book was Counting Kisses by Karen Katz. She has written and illustrated many, many board books. This one would be especially good during a quiet time at home, where you can have fun doing what you see in the pictures - kissing toes, belly button, chin, etc.

Toddler Time

HUGE group on Thursday morning, but everyone so well behaved (including you parents!). It's funny how each session of Toddler Time has its own personality. The Wednesday group is very quiet, and the early Tuesday group is younger than the others so they respond very differently from the later Tuesday group. Sometimes I feel like I'm putting on a show all by myself with the early group when they just stand and watch me do a song or fingerplay. Kinda funny!

Our books were:

Cookie's Week, by Cindy Ward. Cookie got LOTS of laughs this time.

How Do I Put It On?, by Shigeo Watanabe. I think there's a definite developmental point where kids start to think this book is funny. Little ones just stare. The 2 1/2, and three-year-olds crack up.

Preschool Storytime

We tried very hard to get excited about Spring this week, but we also complained a bit about the rain (well, I did anyway). A couple of the books helped us/me do that.

In the Rain With Baby Duck, by Amy Hest. Poor Baby Duck likes the rain even less than I do, but she finds boots and an umbrella make all the difference.

First the Egg, by Lauren Vaccaro Seeger. This cut-out guessing game book was pretty popular. I figured it fits the Spring theme since it has an egg, a tadpole, a butterfly and a flower in it. Those are Spring things!

Red Rubber Boot Day, by Mary Ray. Fun things to do inside, then fun jumping in puddles!

It's Spring!, by Else Minarik. This is a pretty old book (1989), but the kids really enjoy the one-upsmanship between the two cats.

When Will It Be Spring?, by Catherine Walters. Little Bear keeps getting fooled by what look like butterflies, birds, and the sun. The final illustration of the real spring is gorgeous. It has me asking "When will it be Spring?"

We did the "Rain For the Garden" fingerplay and played the "Freeze Game" from the Greg & Steve CD. (I think I may have said "Rain on the green grass" for the first line by mistake.)

Reality Gets Closer

2011-04-02T21:26:00.001-07:00

On Friday, my editor emailed me the layout of my book Cliffhanger Writing Prompts. It's a book for teachers (and homeschoolers) to use to inspire creative writing. It was very fun to see what it's all going to look like when it goes to print. This was kind of like a rough draft layout. The copyedits were all over the pages, showing where I left out commas and used too many pronouns. I figured it's a good learning experience for me to help me become a more accurate writer. My editor wasn't sure I'd want to see all the mistakes I made, but I think it's interesting.Hopefully I won't make as many mistakes next time. The line drawing illustrations were there, which I love.

Just a couple more months now, and I'll hold a finished copy in my own hands!!

This Week at the Library

2011-03-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

It happened again! I had everyone seated in front of me at Toddler Time for a story. Two little girls were at the back of the bunch and obviously were favorite playmates. I had started the story when I looked over, and one girl was holding her fingers out to the other girl, informing her "It's a booger." While I tried desperately to concentrate on reading the story without cracking up, the girls had a lively discussion about whatever it was they were inspecting. I heard their moms gasp and snicker, then crawl over to attempt to get them to pay attention. Thankfully the story was short.

Preschool Storytime

We learned about "Transportation" this week, defined as the way you get from here to there. On the flannelboard, we sorted various vehicles into those that go on the road, on tracks, in the water or through the air. We sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck." I just realized I never put the words to the Firetruck song on the blog, so here it is:

Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck

Hurry hurry drive the firetruck.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

(Follow the same pattern for the next verses.)

Hurry hurry turn the corner....

Hurry hurry find the fire....

Hurry hurry climb the ladder....

Hurry hurry spray the fire....

Slowly slowly drive the firetruck....

Incidentally, I was challenged by one brilliant boy on that song. He insisted that it should be "spray the water" instead of "spray the fire." Got a good point, there.

Our books were:

Minerva Louise and the Red Truck, by Janet Stoeke. The kids are falling in love with our favorite dumb cluck.

All Aboard the Dinotrain, by Deb Lund. I love the playful words like "dinopush" and "dinomight." Very fun.

Preschool to the Rescue, by Judy Sierra. Sound effects - slurp, plurp, flurp. All those vehicles stuck in the mucky mud!

William the Vehicle King, by Laura P. Newton. I hope the kids got the idea of creating worlds around the house with their vehicles and blocks and toys.

Toddler Time

Many of the toddlers are really getting the hang of how to ask for the noisemakers that we pull out each week. I know it's so exciting when I take the lid off the box of the bells, maracas, pompoms or whatever. They just want to run up and grab whatever they can, which is completely understandable for a two-year-old. Week after week I tell them, "Say 'pink please.'" Then I make sure to praise children loudly who say it properly. Sooner or later a child catches on. Just today a boy who has barely ever said a word gathered up his courage and said, "Gween pweese."

We read:

The Chick and the Duckling, by Mirra Ginsburg. They really got the hang of saying "Me too!" with me this time.

Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails, by Nancy Tafuri. I had a boy guess the bull today! Though maybe he had the book at home recently. He was pretty proud of himself.

Baby Time

We had a good demonstration of emerging shyness today. A little girl was here for the first time and had crawled to the middle of the floor. She looked over at me and I made eye-contact and smiled. She instantly started to cry. That type of thing happens more often than you'd think. I've learned with some super shy children that making eye-contact is just too threatening. Scientists have found that shyness is literally in the DNA, and a parent can't expect a child to "get over it." These little ones need understanding, support and to be taught compensation skills.

What an interesting world we have with so many personality styles! Aren't you glad we aren't all alike!

Another Funny Story

2011-03-30T16:49:00.001-07:00

This one didn't happen at Storytime, but I haven't been able to stop laughing about it all day since I heard it.

A friend of mine was taking care of her grandson (he must be about 4 or 5) when he said, "Grandma, I want to go to F***. (He spelled it out.)

Smart grandma that she is, she stayed composed and said, "Where do you want to go?"

"To F***."

"Oh? And how are you going to get there?"

"You're going to drive me."

"I am?"

"Yeah, Grandma. I want you to take me. Their chicken is really good!"

Get it? Since you aren't hearing it spelled out, I'll point out that KFC and F*** have only one letter difference between them. Apparently this little guy has a big brother, who plays with other older boys, who must think it's really cool to spell those words in front of small children. Just goes to show - THEY'RE LISTENING!

To the Steuben County Library Folks

2011-03-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have a stat counter on my blog, and I notice that every once in a while a library in the Steuben County system in New York takes a look at several pages of my blog. It looks like we have a lot in common, so if any of you storytime folks would like to email me, I think we could brainstorm a lot together! (I even have family that lived in Cooperstown for several years.)

Belated Week at the Library

2011-03-26T17:47:00.001-07:00

So sorry I'm so late posting about last week's Storytimes. My girls were getting home from a road trip to California (they're 21 and 15), their first ever, and I was preoccupied with them traveling safely through torrential rain, wind and snow advisories over the Siskiyous. But now they're home safe and sound, and I can breathe easier! They had a wonderful time together and got to see a lot of Los Gatos, my hometown.

Preschool Storytime

We were all about Rotten Days this week. I told the kids about the time I managed, in one day, to go to the wrong location for a special-event Storytime, then lock my keys in the car at the library, and followed that up with a fender bender in a parking lot. They seemed rather unimpressed. Maybe their parents understood a little better.

No, David!, by David Shannon. Did you know this book is autobiographical? Poor David has a truly rotten day getting in trouble in just about every way you can imagine. But Mom still loves him!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst. Alexander and David could be brothers.

Keep Your Mouth Closed, Dear, by Aliki. Poor Charles swallows just about everything. That makes for a pretty bad day!

Too Much Noise!, by Ann McGovern. This is the story I did on the flannelboard. Peter thinks his advice from the wise man is all wrong, but it turns out just right.

Toddler Time

I got to use the bubble machine since the groups were fairly small due to Spring Break. If we have a big crowd and I bring out the bubble machine, invariably the kids collide and someone ends up crying.

I was asked by a new mom what the rules were and if the children have to stay on the parent's lap. Heavens no! I can't imagine trying to keep all those little ones in laps for half an hour. This is supposed to be fun, not torture!

Our books were:

I Love Bugs! by Philemon Sturges. We got to learn the names of several bugs with this book.

Well, I guess I'm having a Senior Moment. For the life of me, I can't remember the second book we read. I'm at home, so I can't look it up, and it's been three days, so I just can't recall which book it was. I'll fill it in when/if I think of it!

Baby Time

We have such a fun group of parents and babies! We also had a pretty big group of older siblings along this week because of Spring Break. They played very nicely in the back with blocks, balls, puppets, stuffed animals, books. It was very sweet!

Wearin' O the Green at the Library!

2011-03-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day was very cute on Thursday. Even the babies were into it!

Preschool Storytime

In honor of the holiday, our theme was "Green Things." We had fun playing along with the "Colors" song on "Wee Sing Games" and Raffi's "Five Green and Speckled Frogs."

Our books were:

The Aminal, by Lorna Balian. This book has the same theme as The Snarlyhissopus, which the kids love, and which teaches a gentle lesson.

Picky Mrs. Pickle, by Christine M. Schneider. Green dresses, green shoes, and pickle perfume make for a very narrow-minded Mrs. Pickle. Her niece takes care of that with a challenge and a taunt. Eggplant Ripple ice cream does the trick. I love the illustration of Mrs. Pickle vacuuming her lawn and the pickle flavored milk.

Scarlette Beane, by Karen Wallace. Scarlette grows a vegetable castle! Very cool!

Anna and the Little Green Dragon, by Klaus Baumgart. The kids loved it when the dragon sprayed cocoa all over Anna's face. They really weren't sure if she would do the same thing back to the dragon.

Toddler Time

We've had lots of newcomers lately, and it's always apparent how these children's personalities shine through at such a young age. There's the child who cries every time the room gets active and/or noisy, the child who has absolutely no desire to leave Mom's lap, and the child who gets right up in front of me and tries everything I suggest. I just hope parents don't decide one style is preferable over the others. The parent of the fearless child may envy the parent of the cautious child at a park when that fearless child flings himself off the top of the monkey bars. And vice versa may occur when the parent of the cautious child is trying to get him to try something new that he knows the child will love. There are pros and cons either way. It's our job to give our children security and teach them wisdom. Yes, you can climb the monkey bars. No, you shouldn't fling yourself into space from the top of them.

Our books were:

Fire Truck, by Peter Sis. Even the little ones got the humor when I asked them if fire trucks can eat pancakes.

Pete's a Pizza, by William Steig. I feel SO bad that I forgot to read this book on Wednesday! If I ever obviously leave something out of the program, please don't hesitate to ask me!

Baby Time

Lots of newcomers here, too. I stopped for a moment during playtime and just looked at the carpet covered with babies crawling, chewing, exploring, interacting. Those times are golden for our little ones, and I love watching the moms getting to know each other, too. I hear them trade phone numbers, make plans to go to the park. New moms can feel alone sometimes, so I'm glad they have this opportunity to reach out.

The King and I

2011-03-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

I tried for a while to come up with a title for this post, and I figured this one would pique your interest.

The interest in the movie "The King's Speech" has brought up a lot of memories and emotions for me. I grew up as a stutterer. It amazes me, and I can only attribute it to God's grace, that my chosen profession is exactly what caused me the most pain as a child: reading aloud and talking in front of groups of people. That pain has kept me from talking about, even thinking about, those memories of excruciating humiliation until just the last few years.

My stuttering began about the time it does for most children, around age five. My parents took me to psychologists and speech therapists to no avail. Around my middle school years it began to release its hold on me, due perhaps to an effective school speech therapist, perhaps to growing out of it. (Though I know that doesn't happen for many stutterers.) By the end of high school, it was mostly gone. However, as I read in a wonderful article by David Mitchell in Prospect Magazine, we stutterers are like alcoholics who no longer drink. We are stutterers who do not currently stutter.

Thinking about this, talking about it, even writing about it now makes my heart pound. That fear will always be present. The success of "The King's Speech" has made it a topic in the community, so I thought I'd give another face to the cast of those who have this "disability." I actually haven't seen the movie, and I'm still not sure whether I can bring myself to sit through it. I have to say that since the topic has been more on my mind, I've felt that catch in my throat more times in the last months than I have in years.

I'm working on writing a picture book in the hopes that children can say "Yeah, it's like that," to parents and teachers, and find some validation and hope. I suppose if it gets published I'll do a lot more talking about it, but if it doesn't, I'll probably be just as happy pushing it all back out of my conscious thoughts. In my story, the main character finds a friend in someone who sees past her problem. Parents, please teach your children to do the same, to see a child who stutters as just another child in need of a friend.

This Week at the Library

2011-03-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

Baby Time

We've had quite a few new baby faces lately. And many of the "regulars" are definitely brightening up when we do the lap-bouncy rhymes. Once they have come enough times to start recognizing the rhymes and songs, they anticipate getting whooshed in the air and tickled on the tummy, and they love it.

Today we read the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, by Bill Martin Jr. It's a perfect book for growing with a baby. At first they are taken in by the large, simple and bright pictures and the rhythmic language. As they get older, they start to anticipate the repetitive phrases. Then they identify the frog, cat, and dog and learn to say their names. Next they learn the color names and can say "blue horse" and "yellow duck." Finally, they are extremely proud of themselves when they can say before you turn the page, "I see a white dog looking at me." This book is pure genius!

Toddler Time

Well, we did "Animal Action" today and nobody cried, and the boy I traumatized last time seemed to enjoy himself. Whew!

I tried a new book today, and it held their attention well. The Thursday group is generally older than the other two, and they mostly were able to guess what came on the next page. The book is First the Egg, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This is a Caldecott and Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor winner. "First the egg," says the first page, with an egg shaped hole in the page. "Then the chicken," says the next page, where the hole reveals the chicken. I'm interested to see how many children will be able to guess successfully next time I present this book. Many were able to finish "First the caterpillar," with "then the butterfly."

Our other book was Clip, Clop, by Nicola Smee. This book does an amazing job of telling an exciting story in very few words.

Preschool Storytime

We had a huge laugh trying to do our wiggle rhyme with the first sound in the word "owl." Every week we say our wiggle rhyme (see the label below), and then say it again with every word starting with the first letter of our theme word, like "h" for "hippos." This week our theme was "owls." It's very hard to start all the words with a vowel sound. "I ow-iggle my ow-ingers. I ow-iggle my ow-oes." We had some huge fits of giggles over that!

Our books were:

Look Whooo's Counting, by Suse Macdonald. While there's not a lot of exciting text in this book, everyone enjoyed looking for the numbers in the animal's bodies and seeing the numbers in the owl's wings.

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell. I used a finger puppet to be "Bill" this time and it was a hit. "I want my mommy!"

Lazy Ozzie, by Michael Coleman. This is a fun story just reading it straight, but the real fun is going back and finding Mama Owl on each page "Where's Waldo"-style.

We learned about real owls with a Zoobook on the subject.

I told the story Good Night Owl, by Pat Hutchins, on the flannelboard. The kids had fun with "Owl tried to sleep!"

I Scared Another One

2011-03-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we were moving along with "Animal Action" from Greg and Steve, pretending to be horses, birds, frogs, etc. We came to the "move like a lion" part and got down on all fours, prowling and roaring. I think it's fun to add a little excitement by picking out a little friend who comes often and is very comfortable with me, then saying "I'm going to eat you!" I very gently pounce on him/her and say "Yum yum!" This time I guess I chose the wrong little boy. He ran to his mom's lap and hid his face. Mom smiled and let me know she wasn't mad. Whew!

A couple of weeks later we started "Animal Action" again. The same little boy ran up to me and said quite urgently, "Please don't eat me!" I assured him I wouldn't. Sigh....

This Week at the Library

2011-03-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Preschool Storytime

Each week we say our "get ready" rhyme, "I wiggle my fingers, I wiggle my toes...." Then we talk about what our stories are going to be about. Whatever the theme is, we figure out what letter and sound that word starts with - "Monkeys, M, mmm, Bedtime, B, bbbb." Last week was "Hats," and this week was "Hippos." So the kids had lots of practice saying our rhyme with the "H" sound at the beginning of every word, "I higgle my hingers, I higgle my hose." They laugh every time at how silly they sound, and at the accidental words they make - "higgle my HOSE!" They may think they're just being silly, but lots of learning is going on!

So for our "hippos" theme, we read:

Snarlyhissopus, by Alan MacDonald. We practiced saying "hippopotamus" and had a little trouble, so they loved listening to the other animals trying to remember how to say it, and coming up with crazy words.

What Can a Hippopotamus Be?, by Mike Thaler. He's a local, home-grown author. Did you know that? He read from his new "Black Lagoon" book at MudPuddles a few years ago. In this book, the kids love learning that when a word gets bigger on a page, that you're supposed to say it louder.

Owen and Mzee, by Isabella Hatkoff. A true story of a friendship between a tortoise and a hippo. Amazing!

Never Babysit the Hippopotamuses, by Doug Johnson. I have an ancient cassette tape of a wonderful reading of this book.

George and Martha, One Fine Day, by James Marshall. I read only three of the stories, and managed to "scare the pants off" the kids with a big BOO!

Toddler Time

It's wonderful to watch the children progress from sitting in Mom's lap observing, to being able to sing the songs and do the motions all by themselves. And it's really huge when, like today, we do "If You're Happy and You Know It" and they can do all three motions at the end. Big smiles all around!

We read:

Daisy's Hide and Seek, by Jane Simmons. Oh the suspense! Where can Pip be?!

Three Little Kittens, by Lorianne Siomades. We got to learn about rhyming words by listening to "kittens/mittens" and how they sound the same.

Baby Time

We got lots of smiles today with our "Bounce Upon My Knees" song. The babies who come regularly are more and more full of smiles. I think they'll easily transition to Toddler Time when they're done with Baby Time. No need to wait til they're 18 months, since they're already comfortable with the surroundings and many of the songs and rhymes.

Why I Mostly Just Read Books

2011-02-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

I read about, hear about, and watch many storytellers who like to just tell their stories, as opposed to reading them. Sometimes they use props or the flannelboard. Sometimes they just dramatize the story with movement. Many library storytimes also include doing a craft. I think that's fine, and I like using the flannelboard and occasionally telling a story with a prop, but I really like for my preschool storytimes to center on books. To me, the most valuable idea kids can take away from storytime is that there are some great books out there. I want them to love coming to storytime because they'll get to listen to exciting stories with interesting pictures, and then they'll get to go to the library and check out their own books. I want them to ask to be read to because they know they'll get to hear stories that are funny, or interesting or even a little scary. They'll be excited to learn to read because then they'll be able to read great books by themselves whenever they want. And as adults, hopefully they'll have formed a lifelong love of reading. Those who love to read never need to be bored, and never stop learning. How awesome is that?

This Week at the Library

2011-02-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed the snow! It didn't seem to cause too many problems, and if you have older children, I'm sure they appreciated the snow day. I'm pretty much always there on snowy days since I can easily walk. I enjoyed walking on Thursday, even though I could have driven. It's so pretty!

Baby Time

Our babies this week were quite close in age to each other, but we got a good illustration of how much alike, yet how different they all are. At one point, every baby had an object in his or her mouth, drooling and chewing happily. Yet at the same time, some babies crawled on all fours, some log-rolled, some jungle-crawled, and some walked - and it didn't necessarily follow that the older ones walked and the younger ones rolled. Each baby will hit the milestones in his/her own time.

Toddler Time

On Thursday, we had only three little girls show up. It made for a very different dynamic, fun and more personal. We had an excellent illustration of the power of doing everything twice. When it came time to do "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear," I started the song and began doing the motions. The girls just stood and watched me and didn't participate at all. Then I said, "Let's do it again," and restarted the song. This time the moved right along with me. As I frequently tell the parents at Baby Time, the first time through is for it to sink in and get familiar. The second time is when they think "Oh yeah, I get it. I can do this!"

Our books this week were:

It Looked Like Spilt Milk, by Charles G. Shaw. The children love guessing the animals - "Great Horned Owl!" (ha!) and saying "But it wasn't a Great Horned Owl!"

Come Along, Daisy!, by Jane Simmons. I appreciate how this book teaches a valuable lesson without the child even knowing it.

Preschool Storytime

Our theme this week was "Hats." It's so much fun coming in with a pile of hats on my head and letting the kids guess how many there are. Then we count them and talk about the purpose of each one.

We read:

Stormy's Hat, by Eric Kimmel. (My first storytelling class in college was from him at Portland State.) I read this on Tuesday. A true story about how the engineer's cap was invented.

Who Took the Farmer's Hat?, by Joan Nodset. Children love stories where they figure something out that the characters in the story don't.

Whose Hat?, by Margaret Miller. Guessing books like this make the kids feel smart.

Go Ask Giorgio, by Patricia Wittman. I read this one on Wednesday. Poor Giorgio keeps getting asked by the townspeople to do more and more jobs - with a hat for each one. Finally he says "Three hats only!"

Old Hat, New Hat, by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Bear tries on dozens of new hats, but decides his old one is best.

I told the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett. This story has nothing to do with hats, but it has an amazing hat prop to go along with it.

If Thursday is a Snow Day

2011-02-23T16:02:00.001-08:00

If the library is open Thursday morning, I'll be there for Storytime. I live within walking distance, so I'll be there for whoever shows up. Hope to see you there!

There It Is!

2011-02-22T16:03:00.001-08:00

I just found out my book Cliffhanger Writing Prompts is on Amazon.com! Up till now it was on the UK and Canada site, but a friend just told me she preordered it on the American site. My first sale! Feel free to look it up and "like" it. ;-)

The Marshmallow Experiment

2011-02-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Years ago a researcher conducted a now-famous and often duplicated experiment. He took a group of preschoolers, one at a time, and put them in a room with a marshmallow on a plate. He told each child, "You can eat this marshmallow now, or wait til I come back and I'll give you another one, and then you'll have two." He then left the room for 15 minutes, and we get to watch the child squirm, fidget, touch the marshmallow, smell it, pick it up, lick it, TRY so hard not to eat it. Some give in, some don't.

The really fascinating part is the follow up studies. What became of the children with self-control, and what became of those without? I heard a story about that today, and found a very similar report on youtube, which I hope you'll watch here. There are excellent lessons to be learned by us parents.

Then, just for fun, watch replications of the experiment, like this one.

Back to Normal at the Library

2011-02-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

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.

This Week at the Library

2011-02-09T15:52:00.001-08:00

Since I'm writing this on Wednesday, I'll say one more time NO STORYTIMES on Thursday, February 10.

We had a very nice Tuesday and Wednesday, though. I've noticed another big crop of twins coming along. A few years ago there were 10-12 sets of twins coming regularly to the library for the various Storytimes. Then they grew up and moved on, but now we're back to, let's see, at least six sets, plus some triplets. I love it!

Preschool Storytime

In honor of upcoming Valentine's Day, we had a "Friendship" theme. We read:

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, by Jacky Davis. This is a book (actually seven in the series now) that I WISH I had written. It has all the themes I love: playing with imagination, learning to play cooperatively, strong and positive self-esteem, and high drama!

Little Beaver and the Echo, by Amy MacDonald. Children love it when they figure something out before the character in the book does. They grinned when Little Beaver kept looking for the Echo.

What Are Friends For?, by Sally Grindley. Jefferson Bear and Figgy Twosocks have a falling out, but manage to apologize and make up.

I told the story Benny's Pennies, by Pat Brisson, on the flannelboard. The storyprop makes this simple story fun.

Toddler Time

We did some great Ring Around the Rosie this week! I love it when I see the little ones start to organize their own games of Ring Around the Rosie. One group tried and tried, but the little boy only wanted to fall down, so it made the games very short.

Our books were:

Here Are My Hands, by Bill Martin and John Archambault. We make this book active by showing all the body parts the book names, including waving our feet in the air!

Spot Bakes a Cake, by Eric Hill. The last lift-the-flap Spot book on my shelf. I wish you parents could see their faces brighten at the page where Spot puts on all the frosting.

This Week at the Library

2011-02-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

First - There will be no Toddler Time or Baby Time on Thursday, February 10. I'm sorry I wasn't able to announce it last Thursday. If anyone reading this post knows someone who attends on Thursdays, please let them know.

Baby Time

Wow! Our group is growing! 20 babies, plus some siblings and grandparents along for the ride. We had such a good time singing and bouncing our babies. After the guided portion, everyone had a great time visiting and letting the little ones explore the toys and each other.

Toddler Time

We sang "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" this week, and for some reason, more than any other time, the kids thought it was hysterically funny when we said "Ew, it's yucky!" and then noticed the squished up bumblebee on our clothes. A few of them just laughed and laughed. (Sorry, PETA) Check the labels for "Baby Bumblebee" on the right to see all the verses we sing.

We read:

Two Bear Cubs, by Ann Jonas. Besides the actual story, the children enjoy trying to find Mother Bear on each page, and knowing that she's always watching her cubs, even if they don't see her.

No Biting!, by Karen Katz. Biting, hitting, kicking, pushing, all are powerful things for a toddler. This book channels that desire in a positive direction. Feel like hitting? Hit a drum! Feel like kicking? Kick a ball!

Preschool Storytime

"Colors" is one of my favorite themes. I have a fantastic book by Ruth Heller called Color that I love to bring in. I don't read the text, but I show them the transparent layered pages that show how only four colors, yellow, cyan blue, magenta and black, make up all the color they see in the illustrations. It never fails to elicit "Show me that again!"

I also love the "science experiment" we do for this theme. I bring in four clear plastic cups of water and mix food coloring into three of them - red, yellow and blue. Then we do some pouring back and forth to create orange, green, purple and brown. I recommended they do the same in their bath water. It really is fun, and I promise if you use regular food coloring, it won't dye their skin!

We also read:

The Blue Balloon, by Mick Inkpen. Fold out pages make this book extra fun. We even learned to say "indestructible."

White is for Blueberry, by George Shannon. Once they "got" this book, they had fun trying to figure it out before I turned the page. They loved it.

Lemons are Not Red, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Cut-out pages and the silliness of blue grass hold the attention in this one.

Winnie the Witch, by Valerie Thomas. Winnie can't see her black cat in her black house, but hates making her cat unhappy when she turns him multi-colored. So she leaves her cat black and changes her house! One insightful child noticed that this showed how much Winnie loves her cat.

We also sang the "Colors" song off the Wee Sing Games CD.

That Was So Much Fun!

2011-01-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone who attended our Symphony Storytimes had just as much fun as I had. Gordon Rencher, percussionist with the Oregon Symphony, brought all sorts of drums, shakers, scrapers and noisemakers to entertain the kids, and did an excellent job at that!

We started off the program with Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, by Al Perkins. Gordon showed us the snare drum, how the coil under it produced the snare sound, and how using brushes instead of sticks changes the effect.

Then he moved to the congas for Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, by Eileen Christelow. We all got up to jump around along with the monkeys.

Gordon brought out the steel drum and showed us how it's made and played along with us while we did one of our favorite wiggle-busters "Clap Your Hands, Touch Your Toes." We did it faster and faster while he tried to keep up with us.

Finally, Gordon used the big bass drum to accompany Tanka Tanka Skunk!, by Steve Webb. We did this one faster and faster too, and it really got me riled up, trying to keep up with Gordon!

The kids all got to pound, hit, shake and scrape the percussion instruments to their hearts' content afterwards, and all thought the occasion was a great success.

Thank you to the Oregon Symphony!

Preschool Storytime (Tuesday)

On Tuesday we had storytime about "Snow." Too bad we didn't have any of the real stuff for illustration. We read:

The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. Willie learns to make fun footprints in the snow, whack snow off branches, make snow angels, and that snowballs don't last when you keep them in your pockets at home.

The Biggest Best Snowman, by Margery Cuyler. Little Nell proves to BIG Mama and her BIG sisters that she can do BIG things!

A Hat For Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke. Our favorite small-brained hen looks for a hat, or two.

Snowmen At Night, by Caralyn Buehner. A fun take on why your snowman looks so lumpy and tired in the morning.

With the flannelboard, I asked the kids to tell me how to make a snowman. Then I used my snowman pieces to build a snowman exactly the way they told me to. The results were hilarious. They quickly learned to be very precise with their words, which was my goal all along.

We also sang "I'm A Little Snowman" to the tune of "I'm A Little Teapot."

Toddler Time

We did some real favorites this week - "Animal Action" with Greg & Steve, "Hot Potato," also known as the William Tell Overture, and some favorite books.

Spot Goes to the Park, by Eric Hill. I appreciate how much self-control it takes for these little ones to stay on their bottoms when that flap on the page is begging to be lifted!

Rosie's Walk, by Pat Hutchins. Doo-dee-doo-dee-doo, Rosie never sees the fox!

Baby Time

No Baby Time this week, as I was in Palm Springs coming down with a stomach virus! Today I'm just hoping I'll be ready for Tuesday's programs!

That's REALLY Weird!

2011-01-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

I just found my not-yet-released book on Amazon! That was a very weird moment, but quite exhilarating! I won't be released until July, but seeing my cover right there with the Amazon banner was so cool! It's on the Amazon.ca and Amazon.uk sites, but not Amazon.com. I have no idea why. It's also on Overstock.com with a decent description of it. Amazon says it is #485,305 on the bestseller list, which amuses me since it hasn't sold any copies yet.

Since Scholastic hasn't told me about any of this, I wonder where else it's available for preorder?

Can We Do This Every Week, Please?

2011-01-21T11:58:00.001-08:00

I really love musical illustrations for picture books! This week John Cox, french horn player with the Oregon Symphony, did a superb job honking, mooing, neighing and buzzing like a mosquito. It was unbelievable what he could get out of that horn (french horn, steer horn, and conch shell, actually)! He also did a wonderful demonstration of sound vibration with a long hose, attaching a simple funnel to one end, and his mouthpiece to the other. He even got music out of that!

The books we read were:

Honk! by Chris Demarest. This lift-the-flap book has a duckling greeting many farm animals.

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell. John had a "voice," french horn, steer horn, or conch shell for each of the babies.

The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown, by Teri Sloat. John got an amazing array of animal sounds from his horn. I especially liked the mosquito and horse.

Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester. I talked John into this one, and he thought it was pretty fun. It's one of my favorite read-alouds, and he did a good job with the pretty penguins.

I had my doubts that he'd be able to get all those preschoolers to make an actual sound on his horn, but he did it! Wonderful!

Tuesday Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Monkeys," so we did the fingerplay "Five Little Monkeys Swinging In a Tree," and "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." Lots of naughty monkeys!

We read:

Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina. I know I read it with the clarinetist last week, but you just can't do a monkey theme without it! Only a few children on Tuesday had heard Mark Dubac the previous week, but those that had did a good job making monkey sounds.

The Escape of Marvin the Ape, by Caralyn Buehner. Marvin blends in perfectly all over the city after he escapes the zoo. We found the police officers on every page who were looking for him.

I also told the story of the Monkey and the Crocodile on the flannelboard and drew pictures for Monkey Face, by Frank Asch.

Toddler Time

It's funny how groups of people take on their own personalities. Sometimes the Toddler Time group of parents sings and laughs and gets into the motions of the songs and rhymes. Sometimes I feel like I'm all by myself putting on a show as the kids just stare and the parents are silent and motionless.

Our books were:

The Seals on the Bus, by Lenny Hort. One day the whole room was singing, one day it was crickets.

Spot Goes to School, by Eric Hill. Lift-the-flap books are always a hit.

Baby Time

One mom was worried that her little guy always wanted to explore everything BUT the other babies and the toys. Not a problem. From his perspective, he probably thought the big room was more interesting than babies and balls and blocks that he's seen before. One purpose of Baby Time is to give children new experiences, and that's what he's getting!

Sorry, I Lied

2011-01-19T08:44:00.001-08:00

So, 10:15 on Tuesdays is not the least attended! We had a very big group yesterday. I guess there's just a big swing from week to week right now, which is fine. Come at whatever time suits you best!

This Week at the Library

2011-01-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

Symphony Storytime

Thanks so much to Mark Dubac from the Oregon Symphony for bringing his wonderful clarinet to Storytime on Wednesday. I sure wish I could have every Storytime illustrated with music! He played along as I read Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina (whew!), Top Cat, by Lois Ehlert, and Come Along Daisy, by Jane Simmons. He showed us how he makes the notes go up and down on a clarinet, and how many parts there are to the instrument. Then every child got a chance to come up and try their hand - or lips - at making music with a clarinet. The looks on their faces were priceless when they got a big squawk!

Preschool Storytime

On Tuesday we had another new theme - "Bugs." We sang "Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" and "Eensy Weensy Spider." We also looked at some amazing huge bugs in The Big Book of Bugs, by Theresa Greenaway. The picture books were

How Many Bugs in a Box, by David Carter. This book is always a huge hit, especially the "nine very long-necked bugs" page.

Ladybug Girl, by David Soman. I LOVE Ladybug Girl! It's always wonderful to have a strong female character, but I especially love the fact that she's so imaginative. There are now seven Ladybug Girl books!

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!, by Lydia Monks. This book brought lots of giggles over a spider trying to become a pet.

Can You Make a Scary Face?, by Jan Thomas. This was particularly fun when the bug character asked the kids to stand up, then sit down, then stand up again. Got lots of laughs.

Toddler Time

So now Tuesday at 10:15 is our least-attended Toddler Time. We used to regularly have 35 kids! Is there some event everyone's going to now, like a Mom's Club regular meeting?

We did "Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Firetruck" this week and lots of kids got into the imagination part of it. Several boys skipped the singing and just sprayed their fire hoses. Very cute!

Our books were:

Pots and Pans, by Patricia Hubbell. I know the baby makes a huge mess, but I really think getting out the pots and pans is a wonderful activity for toddlers! It's a regular science lesson!

Where's Spot?, by Eric Hill. Oh the suspense! Wish you could see their expressions.

Baby Time

I was very gratified to see two moms connect this week, exchanging names and information on their way out the door. I think they're going to be good friends. That's a goal for me for Baby Time - helping parents (dads come too) make connections and friendships to avoid the isolation that can come with having a baby.

We also said good-bye for now to a little guy whose mom is taking him to the "home country" for three months to show him off to the grandparents. He'll be so changed when he comes back!

Come Early, But Get a Ticket

2011-01-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

Just want anyone coming to the Symphony Storytimes to know that because of the limited seating, the library is going to hand out tickets to the first 150 people as part of the "first come, first served" way of handling the crowd. I advise you to come at 12:30 so you won't get turned away disappointed.

See you there!

This Totally Awesome Week at the Library!

2011-01-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

We had our first Symphony Storytime on Wednesday and I absolutely loved it! Can I use a few more exclamation marks?!!!! Ken Finch, cello player for the Oregon Symphony, joined us and wowed us with his superb playing and "soundtrack" skills. He demonstrated for the children how low and how high a cello can play, and showed us his bow, taking the end off so the horse hairs went slack and looked just like a horse's tail. He played an amazing piece written by a Portland composer (didn't get the name) in which he strummed his cello almost like a guitar.

I read Berlioz the Bear, by Jan Brett, and Ken made wonderful buzzing noises, tuning noises, and hurry-hurry noises before finishing with "The Danube Waltz" and "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee."

Next I read Rain Talk, by Mary Serfozo. Ken made lots of rain noises by bowing in different places, tapping his fingers on the body, and plucking the strings.

Finally I read Mole Music, by David McPhail. This was the most wonderful piece of all. Ken illustrated the book perfectly with his music, starting with the screeching sound of a beginning violin student, progressing through scales and simple songs, to soaring melodies, ending with "Ode to Joy," and Brahm's lullaby.

Every child who wished it got a chance to make music on a violin or viola, and there were a lot! We had to turn a few people away, so if you're planning on coming this Wednesday, get there early for a ticket.

I can't wait for our clarinetist!

Preschool Storytime

On Tuesday we had our regular Storytime, and this week was a first for a "Wolves" theme. We read:

The Lamb Who Came For Dinner, by Steve Smallman. The hungry wolf wants to eat the lamb, but falls in love with the poor little thing instead.

The Wolf Who Cried Boy, by Bob Hartman. Mmmm, Three Pig Stew and Granny Smith Pie. But the little wolf would rather have Boychops.

Suddenly!, by Colin McNaughton. The wolf is always just about to pounce, but Preston lucks out every time.

We did the story "Let's Play in the Forest" on the flannelboard, and the kids had fun with the chant.

Toddler Time

I'm very pleased to see how many of the little ones are learning to ask politely for the color noisemaker they want. I try to make a big deal out of it. It's such a valuable thing to learn.

I read:

Good Morning, Sam, by Marie-Louise Gay. I think many of the children can relate to trying to get dressed by themselves and having a bit of a hard time.

Eyes, Nose, Fingers and Toes, by Judy Hindley. They really got into doing the movements with me this time.

Baby Time

We have one little girl almost ready to graduate to Toddler Time. How does that happen so fast? But we still have a big contingent of 6-8 month olds, so they'll be around for a while. Some crawl, some scoot, some log-roll. It's fun to see the different ways they've figured out how to get from point A to point B.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful holiday. I did!

Not quite as many little ones at Storytimes this week, but that's understandable. I'm really, REALLY looking forward to the Symphony Storytimes on Wednesdays at 1:00 in January. I'm just hoping the crowds aren't unreasonable, and no one gets turned away.

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Stones and Rocks" this week, and I got to tell one of my all-time favorites on the flannelboard - Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock, by Eric Kimmel (the Portland State professor I took a storytelling class from way back when). The kids loved saying "KPOM!" and falling over on the rug.

I also told the flannelboard story "The Stone in the Road." I don't have the author - sorry!

I told the Aesop's Fable "The Crow and the Jug," and the children were fascinated with me dropping rocks into the "jug" of water and watching the water rise. Besides the moral "Where there's a will, there's a way," they learned a little science lesson too.

I only read two books (just one on Wednesday), Lizard's Home, by George Shannon, where lizard outsmarts the naughty snake, and A Rumbly, Tumbly, Glittery, Gritty Place, by Mary Lyn Ray.

Toddler Time

We did "Whoops, Johnny" this week, and while it seems like a pointless little rhyme, when you ask your child to do it on your hand, you'll see what a challenge it is. The eye-hand coordination required is not easy for toddlers. Give your child opportunities to work on it with you. You'll probably need to guide their hands at the beginning as they try to touch their index fingers to the tips of your fingers.

Our books were:

Barnyard Banter, by Denise Fleming. Lots of fun animal noises!

Here Come Poppy and Max, by Lindsey Gardiner. Moving like the animals in the book is fun, and then guessing what the animal coats are on the endpapers is entertaining too!

Baby Time

Oh, how our babies grow and change so fast! Just think what 2011 will bring to those little ones! Crawling, walking, talking, graduating to Toddler Time! I love looking at some of the toddlers and remembering them when they came to Baby Time. Now they're singing, dancing and talking to me! I love it!

Christmas Week at the Library

2010-12-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all! Or as an adorable two-year-old said to me, "Happy Halloween!" Enjoy a sweet time celebrating the birth of Jesus and giving good gifts to your loved ones.

We had smaller crowds this week, but a very fun time together.

Baby Time

A few babies who haven't been able to attend for a while got to come this week with parents who had a few days off of work. They grow so fast! Many were just figuring out how to crawl. It's fun to see all the different ways babies get from one place to another, army crawl, log roll, bottom scoot.

Preschool Storytime

At Toddler Time and Preschool Storytime I was so happy to see many of my old buddies who have left me (sob) for elementary school. I get all kinds of warm fuzzies when they come back during vacation to say hi.

Our theme this week was "Bedtime" and we had lots of very fun books.

Mortimer, by Robert Munsch. This is the third week in a row we've read one of his books. He's such a genius storyteller. Mortimer sings his song every time he's told to go to sleep:

Cling clang, rattle bing bang,

Gonna make my noise all day!

Cling clang, rattle bing bang,

Gonna make my noise all day!

My deepest apologies if you've had to listen to that when you put your own child to bed lately.

Bye-bye, Crib, by Alison McGhee. This book really got a lot of smiles and giggles.

The Bunnies Are Not In Their Beds, by Marisabino Russo. The children always get a kick out of the naughtiness of other children.

Little Hoot, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. I love this series about little ones whose parents make them do the opposite of what real parents ask, like staying up late, eating candy, and being messy.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, by Jane Yolen. Mark Teague's illustrations make this story the hit that it is. The color, the hugeness of the dinosaurs, the personality that comes through, it's absolute genius!

I told the story The Napping House, by Audrey Wood, on the flannelboard and asked the kids to say as much of it with me as they were able. I could tell many enjoyed the challenge.

Toddler Time

It was wonderful to see lots of dads come, either alone with their kids, or together with their wives, and also to see parents come when it's usually the nanny or babysitter. It was adorable, too, to hear the little ones say "Mewwy Chwisthmas" as best they could!

We read:

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, by Jane Yolen. I grabbed this one from Preschool Storytime, and it was such a hit I requested it for my Toddler Time shelf. Like I said above, the illustrations are amazing, so much so that one toddler found them a bit overwhelming and had to hide his eyes through most of it.

A Turtle in the Toilet, by Jonathan Emmett. They love the surprises in this pop-up book, and the humor of a turtle in the toilet or a skunk under the bed.

Next Week we have a regular schedule of Storytimes.

This Week at the Library

2010-12-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

I love it when the toddlers run up to me to tell me something vitally important, and I work and work to understand what they're trying to say, and I get it! I feel rather proud of myself when I decipher toddler-speak.

Toddler Time

I reintroduced the song "I'm a Little Snowman" this week, and the kids laughed at "Woops! I'm a puddle."

We read:

Slop Goes the Soup: A Noisy Warthog Word Book, by Pamela Duncan Edwards. I wish I'd tried to teach the toddlers to say "onomatopoeia"! Slop, gurgle, swish, whoosh, clatter. Great words!

Go Away Big Green Monster!, by Ed Emberley. I did get them to say "Go away!" pretty loud.

Baby Time

I was so thrilled to have a baby walk his first three steps in a row to me! He had taken a step or two the week before, but this was three steps in a row for the first time - to me! I feel so privileged.

Our book this week was Mama Mama, by Jean Marzollo. Very sweet - with photographs of mama animals taking care of their babies.

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Weather" this week, so we had stories about mud, rainbows, sun and wind.

We started with one of my favorite authors, Robert Munsch. Mud Puddle is after Jule Ann, and she must find away to keep it from jumping on her head.

A Rainbow of My Own, by Don Freeman. Wouldn't it be fun to play with a rainbow?

In the Middle of the Puddle, by Mike Thaler. (A local author!) What's the next size up from a puddle? (A pool) A pond? (A lake)

I told the Aesop's Fable "The Sun and the Wind" with a stick puppet sun and wind. It was one child's favorite story of the day.

A New Theme

2010-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should do a Storytime on it. The kids certainly seem to be interested in it. Every week several children spend a good portion of Storytime or Toddler Time occupied in that way. It's definitely universal. I love the picture in No, David! that always gets the laughs from the kids. It finally hit home last week when I was holding hands with a little guy, and he noticed his nose was running. I guess he didn't want to let go, so he just used the back of my hand to wipe his nose. Convenient. I'm just glad I keep hand sanitizer in the closet.

"Boogers." The kids would love it! Just think of the flannelboard stories! I'll get going on the props right away.

This Week at the Library

2010-12-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting cozy in a coffee shop, watching the rain come down and come down. I heard we're under a flood watch, so I'm curious what Stella Olsen Park will look like (water over the bridge probably) and the refuge (one huge lake I assume). I'm glad I don't live in a flood plain.

This week I was happy to be on a regular schedule, but heads up for next week. The library is opening late on Wednesday so the staff can go to a Christmas party. Everyone coming to the 11:30 Toddler Time will need to enter the building from the parking lot as the doors to the library on the street side will be locked.

Preschool Storytime

Our stories were all about "Clothing" this week. It seems appropriate in the winter when we all need to wear extra layers.

We read:

Thomas' Snowsuit, by Robert Munsch. The kids are thrilled by Thomas' "NNNOOO!" They love watching other people do the naughty things they aren't brave enough to try.

Whose Shoe?, by Margaret Miller. This fun guessing book always stumps the kids when they come to the picture of the wading boots.

I told the traditional story The Mitten with giant knitted mittens and wonderful little story prop animals to stuff inside.

On the flannelboard, I told the story Bit by Bit, by Steve Sanfield. I love the repetitive language in this story, and children love watching the long coat gradually turn into a jacket, then a vest, then a cap, then a pocket, and finally a button.

Sometimes parents have asked where I get the props for the stories I tell. The Washington County Library System provides all those for me, but if you're interested in getting them for your own classroom, library or school, Lakeshore Learning has a good supply (lakeshorelearning.com) and Kaplan Company has some as well (kaplanco.com).

Toddler Time

Oh, you parents are such good Hoky-Pokiers! I appreciate that you may feel a little silly the first time or two that you do that with your little ones, but what a gift you give them when you model a sense of play and group participation! I saw a perfect demonstration of the power of participating with your child this week. Two parents, new to Toddler Time, came in. One I think may be very uncomfortable sitting on the floor, and they both sat in the front row of chairs and sent their toddlers off to the blue rug. When we started, both children would run back and forth from the rug to their parents. They obviously were torn between keeping contact with their caregiver, and participating in the fun songs and rhymes. After the first song, I invited the parents to come sit in the circle, and to drag a chair over if that's needed. They did, and those two little ones were completely at ease and able to focus on the activities.

Our books this week were:

Opposites, by Robert Crowther. It's amazing how long these toddlers will sit and watch the pop-ups in this book. I had to leave out two or three fingerplays from our session to make room for the length of this book. They LOVE it.

Freight Train, by Donald Crews. This book is a Caldecott Medal honor book for good reason. It holds children's attention whether they're infants or preschoolers. I love looking at it!

Baby Time

I don't know why, but Baby Time is really growing. I'm thrilled at how the parents are making connections and forming friendships, among dads too!

The book we discovered this week was I Love Colors!, by Margaret Miller. Everyone seemed to think this was a great book for their babies. I noticed it held their attention for quite a while, too.

This Week at the Library

2010-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

So nice to see the crowds back after the holidays and ice!

Preschool Storytime

Our theme was "Chickens" and I got to read a new story that is SO much fun!

Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein. Reading this story aloud really brings out the dramatic side in me (not that it's ever very far from the surface!). I love the Papa's voice, trying so hard to be patient. I love little Chicken's voice, saving the day, then so apologetic. I need this book on my shelf!

The Wolf's Chicken Stew, by Keiko Kasza. I love surprise endings, too, and the hundred little chick kisses are adorable.

Chicken Chickens, by Valeri Gorbachev. Children relate so well to being afraid of the playground equipment. Most kids think it looks pretty scary from the top of a slide the first time. I could tell by the children's faces that they were totally into this book.

Hungry Hen, by Richard Waring. Another great surprise ending!

Rosie's Walk, by Pat Hutchins. A classic! It's fun to spice it up with Rosie walking "doo-dee-doo-dee-doo."

I told the story of the Little Red Hen on the flannelboard.

Toddler Time

I had a mother express her concern that her son was too disruptive because he didn't want to participate in everything going on in the program. For children new to Toddler Time, especially those for whom this is a first group experience, participation is something they'll grow into. The room is new, the crowd is new, the pictures on the walls are new, the view out the windows is new, and hey! look at those blinds! What happens if I hide behind them? They need to satisfy their curiosity about the room before they can concentrate on what I'm asking them to do. Of course, you will keep guiding them back to the circle, and model participation in a positive way, but don't think you have to stay home!

Our books were:

The Very Hungry Spider, by Eric Carle. They love feeling the spider web on the page!

Peek-a-Moo!, by Marie Torres Cimarusti. They thought it was pretty hysterical to say "Peek-a-Oink!"

Baby Time

Lots of babies! It's so awesome to see the rug covered with babies, and see them watch each other, make eye-contact, reach out, and smile at each other. We liked the book this week too. I Kissed the Baby, by Mary Murphy.

Thanksgiving Week at the Library

2010-11-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Another short week. I miss the babies on Thursdays!

Preschool Storytime

In honor of Thanksgiving, we had a "Families" theme. We read:

Coco Can't Wait, by Taro Gomi. In our grandmother story, Coco and Grandma can't wait to see each other, and work at cross-purposes until they finally meet in the middle.
Just Me and My Dad, by Mercer Mayer. Critter and his dad go on a hilarious camping trip.
Just Grandpa and Me, by Mercer Mayer. Sometimes I like for the kids to see two books in a series at Storytime. That way they see that books can have recurring characters, recurring themes, and even recurring spiders in the illustrations!
Sheila Rae, the Brave, by Kevin Henkes. I love the part where Sheila Rae snaps the twiggy fingers off. Snap! Snap! Snap! So deliciously brave!

I did a story on the flannelboard adapted from The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins. Two children get twelve cookies to divide between them. Other family members keep arriving, with whom the children share - siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins - until each person has just one cookie left. Then the door opens one more time. What to do? It's Grandma with a huge plate of cookies!

Toddler Time

Not as many kids this week with the ice and holiday both, but we still had a good time. We read:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. Such an amazing book! It manages to pack so much into a very small amount of text and illustration. The days of the week, counting to five, the names of a variety of food, and of course, the life cycle of a butterfly.
From Head to Toe, by Eric Carle. We get to move different parts of our body while we read this (and learn the names of some unusual animals).

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

I have so many things to be thankful for, this year and always. First of all, I have the BEST family in the world (sorry everyone else, mine wins!).

I'm thankful for my job as the Storylady. I often say I can't believe I get paid to read great books to children and jump around the room singing "Five Little Monkeys!"

I'm thankful for you parents who bring your wonderful children to Storytime. You pack up your toddlers in the car or stroller and come down to the library, even on nasty days, to sit uncomfortably on the floor for half an hour. You smile and do silly hand motions and cheer for your child's little accomplishments. You continue to bring your preschoolers to hear wonderful picture books that stimulate their imaginations and get them excited about learning to read. Your investment in them will have unimaginable returns.

I'm thankful for all the amazing little ones I get to see every week. I'm so blessed by the joy I see in their faces when they bound through the door, laugh at the funny books and concentrate so hard on moving their hands and fingers like I do.

God did a good job on your children. Thank you for bringing them to me!

This Week at the Library

2010-11-19T11:23:00.001-08:00

I really missed the Thursday crowd, especially my weekly baby fix! Speaking of which:

Baby Time

We were reminded that babies most love to explore their world with their mouths. We have some blocks that squeak and blow a puff of air when you squeeze them. One little guy loves it when I hold it to his lips and blow the air right on his tongue. He gets a far off look of concentration and leans forward and sticks his tongue out so the block actually creates suction on his tongue. It's adorable.

We all loved the book this week: Eyes, Nose, Toes Peekaboo! by DK Publishing. Each page folds out to reveal a part of the body that was hidden on the previous page, with some kind of texture or shiny thing to touch.

Toddler Time

We have a new batch of toddlers on the very young end just starting with us. I want to encourage those parents not to think it's a problem if their child just wants to sit and watch. They're still learning and absorbing. You'll probably hear them singing snippets of the songs at home, or talking about what they saw and heard. They'll be jumping around sooner or later, all at their own pace.

Our books this week were:

Cat's Colors, by Jane Cabrera. A few of the kids really got into the suspense of trying to guess what Cat's favorite color was.

How Many Bugs in a Box?, by David Carter. I felt awful when I almost made a little guy cry at the end of this book. When I pretended that the saw-bugs on the last page were scary, most of the kids were laughing and begging me to open the door one more time. Another little boy in the front row was starting to get very red in the face, and wasn't smiling. I shut the book and told him, "It's just pretend." They all got up and he ran back to Mom and assured her of the same thing.

Preschool Storytime

One of my favorite themes this week - Naughtiness! We get to sing "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and "Little Bunny Foo Foo." Here are the words to "Foo Foo."

Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest,

Scooping up the field mice and

Bopping them on the head.

Down came the good fairy, and she said

Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don't want to see you

Scooping up the field mice and

Bopping them on the head.

I'll give you three chances,

And if you don't behave

I'll turn you into a GOON!

The next day,

Repeat the song with the fairy giving him two chances, then one more chance, then:

Down came the good fairy, and she said

Little Bunny Foo Foo

I don't want to see you

Scooping up the field mice and

Bopping them on the head.

I gave you three chances

And you didn't behave.

Now you're a GOON! POOF!

The moral of the story is: Hare today, and goon tomorrow.

The books we read were:

Roger's Umbrella, by Daniel Pinkwater. Roger has a very naughty umbrella until some mysterious old ladies teach him how to talk to it. "Nuffle. Dwing. Hup!"

Dinofours: It's Time-Out Time, by Steve Metzger. This book may violate the rule in picture book writing that the adults aren't supposed to solve problems, but I swear every time I read this the kids get very still and focused. I think it's because they can both relate to little Brendan, and they're fascinated by naughtiness.

No, David!, by David Shannon. A certified crowd pleaser. Especially when David runs down the street naked.

I told the story The Cake that Mack Ate, by Rose Robart with the storyprops. I've never actually read the book that it comes from. I'll put that on my to-do list!

This (Short) Week at the Library

2010-11-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

I missed you all on Thursday. I hope not too many of you showed up to find the doors locked. I'm afraid I forgot to mention it last week.

Preschool Storytime

The theme was very easy to guess this week - pigs on every book cover. We read:

Crispin, the Pig Who Had it All, by Ted Dewan. Crispin has everything he could want, and breaks it all too. Santa gives him an empty box that contains the one thing he doesn't have. My Storytime friends were quite perceptive and knew that one thing was friends.
Piggies, by Audrey Wood. Don Wood did some captivating illustrations in this book.

I told the traditional story of the Three Little Pigs on the flannelboard. The kids helped me with the repetitive lines of the story "Little pig, little pig, let me come in." "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin." Etc. Any time you can involve the child in the story, whether in this way, or by having the kids match their fingers to the illustrations in the Piggies book, you will increase their comprehension and interest in the book.

We followed up the traditional story by asking "What if the pigs were bad and the wolf was good?" Then we read The Three Horrid Little Pigs, by Liz Pichon. That was pretty fun.

Finally we finished with If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff. I have a recording of the book read by David Hyde Pierce (of "Frasier" fame). He does a fantastic job. The recording finishes with the song "Flipping the Flapjacks" and we flipped our hands back and forth like flapjacks. So much fun!

Toddler Time

The construction near the library has been a huge source of entertainment to these little ones. I raised the blinds so we could watch a dump truck being loaded. One boy who can probably only say about 25 words just had to keep saying "Dat twuck is COOL!"

Our books this week were:

Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. Lots of kids told me they have this book, which is great. I had them say good night to the bears and mouse and mush, then we laughed at how silly it is to say good night to mush.
Dear Zoo, by Rod Campbell. We also had fun saying "I sent him back!" on every page of this adorable book.

Baby Time

No Baby Time this week. The library was closed.

This Week at the Library

2010-11-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Preschool Storytime

Humorous stories are always my favorite over those quiet, literary, beautiful books. Those certainly have their place, but for reading aloud to a crowd of preschoolers, funny always beats literary.

This week our theme was "Silly People," so I got to read some favorite stories.

Silly Sally, by Audrey Wood. The kids always like imagining walking backwards upside-down.

Stephanie's Ponytail, by Robert Munsch. The biggest laugh always comes with the line where three girls go into the boy's bathroom.

Imogene's Antlers, by David Small. It's funny how this book is starting to sound dated with references to a maid, a cook, and looking things up in the encyclopedia. But the children like the visual jokes.

On the flannelboard I told the story I Love You Stinkyface, by Lisa McCourt. "Stinkyface" is such a fun word.

I also used the big storyprop to tell the story "Parts" by Tedd Arnold. It's the parents in the audience that I usually hear the biggest "ewwww" from when I pull the booger out of the boy's nose.

Toddler Time

Just another reminder not to feel like your child has to be on his/her feet and doing everything I do to be participating. I hear over and over from parents that their child sits quietly in Mom or Dad's lap through the whole program, then goes home and chatters endlessly about the songs and rhymes, and loves to repeat what they heard at Toddler Time. It's all sinking in!

Our books were:

Machines at Work, by Byron Barton. A few children (yes, they were boys) got very excited with the picture of the bulldozer on the front.

Duckie's Rainbow, by Frances Barry. They were transfixed when I removed the rainbow page by page, then made it come back page by page.

Baby Time

Another new walker! It's so fantastic to see the week by week development of these babies. Another little boy has gotten to the point that I can see happy recognition in his face when we say the rhymes, do the songs and pull out the bubble machine.

What a Blast!

2010-11-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed my time immensely at Young Willamette Writers last Tuesday. Thanks, Corey, for asking me to join you! Seven of my daughter's critique group buddies joined me at the meeting, and I thank them for being so willing to participate and get the energy going. I read three of my stories to them, and they furnished the endings in various ways: out loud, taking turns adding one sentence at a time, then on their own. Their stories were quite creative and hilarious with alien hamsters, lots of slime and screaming like a girl. I'm hoping some of them will be posted on the Young Willamette Writers website soon.

The evening renewed my confidence in my book, that it will be a good tool for teachers in the classroom, and that kids will have a great time with it. It's so hard to be patient!

Young Willamette Writers

2010-10-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Willamette Writers is the largest writers' organization in Oregon, and one of the largest in the U.S. They also host the "Young Willamette Writers" for youth who are interested in writing. My daughter attends these monthly meetings with several of her friends from her critique group that she started at her school (Veritas School in Newberg).

I'm particularly excited about November's meeting this Tuesday, as I get to be the guest speaker. I'll be using my cliffhanger stories for some fun writing activities. After I read a story, we'll have a few kids tell the ending aloud. That's always what gets the kids in the mood to have their imaginations run wild (see "Alien Ants"). We'll write some story endings and share them with each other, and spend a few minutes talking about the benefits of critique groups for aspiring authors. I'm really looking forward to this!

This Week at the Library

2010-10-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

Preschool Storytime

It was another one of those weeks where I had more books than I had time. Sometimes I wish Storytime could go for an hour. But I don't think I'd have an audience by the end of it.

Our theme was "Scary Things" this week in honor of Halloween. Some little ones are frightened by the images around them this time of year, so I thought some stories that reassure would be appropriate. We read:

Can't You Sleep Little Bear, by Martin Waddell. Little Bear (he's the little bear) is scared of the dark, and Big Bear (he's the big bear) can't figure out what to do about it, until he remembers the moon and the stars that light up the dark outside.

Scaredy Cat, by Joan Rankin. Scaredy Cat is scared of lots of things, until he plucks up his courage and swats that hairy spider.

Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes. Wemberly worries and worries, especially about the first day of school. There she finds a friend who helps her forget (most of) her worries.

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. The kids got to be Wild Things and roar and gnash and roll and show all their scary parts.

Dinosaurs' Halloween, by Liza Donnelly. A little boy and his dog dress up as dinosaurs, then meet a real dinosaur who trick-or-treats with him. Some bullies try to take their candy, and the little dino calls for help from the big dinos, who chase away the bad boys.

Toddler Time

You all were great Hokey Pokey-ers this week! Our stories were:

Cookie's Week, by Cindy Ward. I always get a big laugh from the first page. "On Monday, Cookie fell in the toilet." One boy decided every page was just as funny, which was even funnier than the book!

My Car, by Byron Barton. The kids had fun saying "Hi Sam! Bye Sam!" and learning to say "pedestrian."

Baby Time

We had to say goodbye to a parent going back to work next week. No fair! We should all be allowed to take 18 years off to enjoy raising our kids. That would be okay, wouldn't it?

Why Don't I Own This Book?

2010-10-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

I discovered the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg, long ago when I was teaching school. (If that author sounds familiar, he wrote The Polar Express, and Jumanji.) As it is one of my favorite books of all time, I'm wondering why on earth I don't own it. I think I'll fix that soon.

The premise of the book is that Harris Burdick, an author/illustrator, brought a portfolio of his work to a children's book publisher. He said he had fourteen stories, and brought one illustration from each to show the publisher. As said publisher was very interested, Mr. Burdick agreed to return the next day with the stories. He was never seen again. What follows in this picture book are the drawings "left behind" by Harris Burdick, each one with a title and caption. These illustrations are phenomenal, as befits a Caldecott winning artist. A full page drawing of something mysterious or fantastic draws you in, while the title and caption spark your curiousity and imagination. One of my favorites shows the inside of a towering gothic cathedral. A nun, sitting in a chair, floats high in the air above two priests' heads. The title reads "The Seven Chairs." The caption says, "The fifth one ended up in France." What's the story? How did that nun in the chair get there? What happened next?

I think this book was in the back of my mind when I started writing my own stories that will be in Cliffhanger Writing Prompts. I imagined a picture book where each page turn would show a new story with a full-color illustration. Well, that concept didn't fly, but stories that leave the reader to imagine what happens next did. I'm looking forward to teachers using my book in the classroom the same way I used The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. And that is very cool!

This Week at the Library

2010-10-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Another great week down, and I'm looking forward to "Scary Things" next week.

Preschool Storytime

This week was all about Turtles. We learned the difference between turtles and tortoises, and that real turtles can't take their shells off the way Franklin does. We looked at pictures of lots of different kinds of turtles, including that funny one that wiggles its tongue to attract fish. We did the turtle rhyme:

There Was a Little Turtle

There was a little turtle
Who lived in a box
It swam in the water
And it climbed on the rocks.

It snapped at a mosquito
It snapped at a flea
It snapped at a minnow
And it snapped at me.

It caught the mosquito
It caught the flea
It caught the minnow
But it didn't catch me.

We read:

Franklin in the Dark, by Paulette Bourgeois. Franklin asks friends for help when he's afraid to crawl in his shell. He finally gathers up his courage, crawls in, and turns on his nightlight.
Time to Sleep, by Denise Fleming. The forest animals relay the message that it's time to sleep for the winter, until ladybug wakes up bear to tell her "Time to sleep!"
Splash!, by Ann Jonas. This is a simple counting book, but can be a challenging math book when you ask the kids to figure out in their heads "How many are in my pond?"

I told the African folktale "Unwungelema" on the flannelboard. In a time of famine, all the animals want the fruit from a magic tree. The fruit will only fall if someone says the name of the tree, only no one can remember what its name is. Turtle saves the day when he journeys to the king, gets the name, and remembers it all the way home.

Toddler Time

I can't wait to be a grandmother. I just think two and three year olds are the cutest things on the planet. Yes, they hand me boogers, but it's quite innocent, so I think even that's kind of cute - as long as the parent is the one who actually deals with the booger.

Our stories this week were:

The Chick and the Duckling, by Mirra Ginsburg. Baby's first peer pressure book.
How Do I Put it On?, by Shigeo Watanabe. The Tuesday and Thursday crowd laughed and yelled "NO!" at this book. The Wednesday group was silently captivated. Not a sound.

Baby Time

Our group is growing. I think we had nine babies today. Their faces as they watched the bubbles were adorable. We had a new book today called Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson that everyone seemed to enjoy. It had a great rhythm to it.

Please Vote for the Library Levy

2010-10-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say that I'd sure like it if the library levy passed. The last time it didn't pass we had a year or two of shortened library hours, and Storytime had to get moved around. We had fewer storytimes then, and I'm afraid if we cut back on hours this time, some storytimes might have to be cut.

The "new" levy just continues the old levy, with no increases in rates. It is only a replacement. Please vote yes!

This Week at the Library

2010-10-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

This is the type of weather that is so beautiful outside, and gets so uncomfortable inside. Inside our "community room," that is. It's cool enough outside that the building's air conditioner doesn't come on. Yet those wonderful huge windows that face the morning sun make the room a greenhouse and it gets really warm sometimes. Dress in layers when you come!

Preschool Storytime

In preparation for Halloween, we had a "Monsters" theme. Some of these books are big favorites of mine.

There's a Nightmare in My Closet, by Mercer Mayer. The dreaded monster in the closet! Actually he's a big crybaby.

Go Away, Big Green Monster!, by Ed Emberly. Yay! Nobody cried when the kids screamed "Go away!" I think this book is very empowering.

The Very Worst Monster, by Pat Hutchins. It's kind of fun to think being really, really bad is good!

The fourth book I read was different on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday's book was:

Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty. Jeremy is the ultimate introvert, and when he draws a monster that comes to life and behaves badly, Jeremy ends up having to go outside and join the real world.

Wednesday's book was:

No Such Thing, by Jacki French Koller. I LOVE this book. Again, it's so empowering to a child to be able to prove he's right and the grownups are wrong. This book allows that in a humorous, respectful way, plus has the added benefit of showing that even if there is a monster under your bed, he's probably a playmate in the making.

We had a great time acting out the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. We learned how to tell/act out the story at home with the Horrible Mean Troll saying "Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?" and "I'm coming up to eat you!"

Toddler Time

Good singers on Thursday! I love it when parents really get into the songs and fingerplays. Our books this week were:

Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails, by Nancy Tafuri. The kids love this guessing-game book.

Dinosaur Roar, by Paul Stickland. This is a genius of a book, combining dinosaurs, fun pictures and opposites.

Baby Time

Today four of the five babies were there for the first time. Plus we had a dad! Lots of smiles and wide eyes at the bubbles.

This Week at the Library

2010-10-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

I guess I was a failure this week. At the end of Preschool Storytime (which I thought had gone swimmingly), two boys were standing in front of me, waiting for their hand stamps. One boy said to the other, "I didn't like Storytime today." His friend said, "Yeah, I didn't either. It was boring." First boy said, "Yeah. It was boring." Sigh........

Preschool Storytime

So I'll be looking for some better books on elephants now. I thought they were pretty good, but maybe I spent a little too much time teaching them the difference between Asian elephants (small ears, heart shaped head) and African elephants (big ears, round heads).

Elmer, by David McKee. I love making the kids jump when Elmer says, "BOOOO!"

A Turtle in the Toilet, by Jonathan Emmett. Pop-up books are a hit every time.

Little Elephant, by Miela Ford. We talked about the difference between real and pretend in our books. The elephant in this book is real because the pictures are photographs of a real elephant.

Just a Little Bit, by Ann Tompert. This book is pretend because the elephant is wearing clothes and sitting on a swing. I like the gentle lesson this book teaches about the value of every effort, no matter how small. We also noticed the mistake in this book - the lion has a mane, but the text refers to it as "she."

We had fun with the song "Animal Action" from my Greg and Steve CD. You can find the full title in the labels to the right.

Toddler Time

I just love how joyful the children are! If only we could capture and hold on to that joy over simple things into adulthood. I sometimes tell my own children, "Never lose your sense of play."

We read:

Clip-Clop, by Nicola Smee. Books like this amaze me with their ability to create a story arc and suspense in about 500 words.

Pete's a Pizza, by William Steig. It's interesting how the two-year-olds can't quite figure out if Pete really was made into a pizza, and the three-year-olds totally get the joke.

Baby Time

Friendships formed and milestones celebrated. Need I say more?

This Week at the Library

2010-09-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Yet another booger story. While I read a book this week, another sweet young thing was mining for gold and found a choice nugget. I saw her staring at it on the tip of her finger and was wondering if she was going to offer it to me. She had just started reaching toward me when the little girl next to her saw it and asked, "Is that yours?" Had to laugh again. Reading time was over and we jumped up and moved on to other things. Never saw what happened to the little prize.

Baby Time

We had a nice big group today. Two sisters who are married to identical twins came today with their babies. Does that mean their babies are genetically half siblings? Hmmmm. Got me curious.

It was great fun to have my niece join us with her new baby. We also had a dad come with his daughter. We're definitely not a "Mom and Baby" time, so be sure other dads know they're welcome!

Toddler Time

I hope you sing our songs and say our rhymes at home with your child sometimes. When your child memorizes these little bits it definitely promotes their reading readiness and helps their language development.

Our books were:

Three Little Kittens, by Lorianne Siomades. I was able to introduce rhyming words by having them repeat "kittens, mittens" a few times.

Fire Truck, by Peter Sis. I hope this book doesn't creep anyone out when Matt's body becomes a distorted, lopsided shape. Reminds me of Dr. Who for some reason. But the children had fun with the idea of a fire truck eating pancakes.

Preschool Storytime

The Farm was our theme this week, so of course we used the letter "f" to say our opening rhyme. I realize I've never posted the words to it, so here it is:

I wiggle my fingers.

I wiggle my toes.

I wiggle my shoulders.

I wiggle my nose.

Now no more wiggles are left in me,

And I will sit still,

As still as can be.

Our books were:

Book! Book! Book!, by Deborah Bruss. Of course, I love this one! Especially because it has an illustration of the Story Lady at Storytime!

The Very Busy Spider, by Eric Carle. Mr. Genius teaches how a spider spins a web and entertains with all the animal sounds.

Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep, by Teri Sloat. Here we learn about how a sheep's wool gets turned into sweaters, along with giggling at the naked sheep's tushy.

The Cow That Went Oink, by Bernard Most. This is a very hard book to read aloud, but it sure had the kids laughing.

The flannelboard story was "Tops and Bottoms" by Janet Stevens. This is a Caldecott Honor book, so be sure to check out the book version and enjoy the illustrations.

My Pet Peeve

2010-09-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of alphabet books. My daughter learned all her letters by 17 months due to an alphabet book that just "clicked" with her. However, my huge pet peeve is alphabet books designed to be pretty, and not with the child's actual learning in mind. I get it that some of these books have a different educational goal in mind, like the ABC's of endangered species, but some products seem to be genuinely trying to teach the letters, yet don't seem to have the foggiest notion of phonics.

Letters have sounds. A few letters make more than one sound, but one sound is the most common. When learning to read, we don't start with exceptions, we start with the fundamentals. So WHY do some alphabet books use "chair" for "c" or "owl" for "o"?

Children learning their letters are very young. They have very little life experience. So WHY show a picture of jacks for the letter "j"? Why show them an infant for "i" when any child will call it a baby?

Almost all the letters make their sound when you say their names. "G" and "C" don't, and using the soft sounds in an alphabet book can confuse them with "j" and "s," so I would use their hard sounds. They are most common. Vowels I can accept either way. They say their own names, but the first words kids learn to read will use their short sounds - dog, cat, bed, etc.

WHY doesn't anyone ask ME before writing these books? If they had, here are my choices for each letter:

A - apple

B - ball

C - cat

D - dog

E - elephant

F - frog

G - grapes

H - horse

I - igloo

J - jack-in-the-box

K - king

L - lion

M - monkey

N - nest

O - octopus

P - pig

Q - queen

R - ring

S - Santa Claus

T - turtle

U - umbrella

V - volcano

W - wagon

X - x-ray

Z - zebra

OK, now I feel better.

This Week at the Library

2010-09-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

Baby Time

We had such a pleasant time this week. The two older siblings played quietly or used their stuffed animal friends as their babies and did the rhymes alongside Mom. The real babies smiled and enjoyed the songs, books and bubbles. Stay and Play time was great as we discussed developmental milestones and movies.

Please spread the word to your friends to come and enjoy Baby Time. The window of time for these babies to participate is short - only about 9 months.

Toddler Time

I got handed a booger again this week. A little one was mining for gold during our book time, and when we all got up, she held out her finger. She said, "I have a booger." I said, "Go give it to your mom." She turned and headed back to mom and mom's friend. They only heard me tell her, "Give it to your mom," so they were wondering what she had for them. When she held out her finger, the look of shock on their faces was priceless! I cracked up.

The books we read this week were:

Daisy's Hide and Seek, by Jane Simmons. Oh the suspense! (Except for the kids on Thursday who were also here on Tuesday.)

It Looked Like Spilt Milk, by Charles Shaw. I got quite a few kids to say along with me, "But it WASN'T a mitten!"

Preschool Storytime

We had a good time reading about babies this week. Lots of humor and very giggly kids.

Baby Talk, by Fred Hiatt. This is the first time I've read this book at Storytime, and it was a huge hit! I've rarely had the kids laughing so hard I couldn't continue. They LOVED the ga ga goo goo stuff.

A Friend for Minerva Louise, by Janet Stoeke. Our favorite air head.

Pirate Don't Change Diapers, by Melinda Long. This was a first time for this book too. I read this only on Tuesday, and it seemed a little long and involved for their age. It would be great one-on-one at home.

Crispin and the 3 Little Piglets, by Ted Dewan. I love Crispin! This time, after he's surprised that his mom brings home all three of her babies, he learns to enjoy them after all.

Alligator Baby, by Robert Munsch. I love reading his books aloud. The silly characters and repeated lines make it so much fun. Grab a few of his books and go for it when you read to your kids at bedtime.

We did the fingerplay "5 Little Babies" which you can find in the labels on the right.

But WHY?

2010-09-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

It's a cliche joke that our youngsters ask "Why? Why? Why?" until they drive us to distraction, but we also hear that it's important to answer kids' questions honestly. Then again, when they ask "Why is the sky blue?" is the correct answer an explanation about light refraction, or that God thinks it's a pretty color?

Actually, I want to talk about a different kind of "why?" My daughter asked me a little while ago what I think the most important parenting advice is. This wasn't a discussion about loving your kids, or supporting their dreams, it was more along the lines of day to day parenting. I told her I thought it was extremely important to help our children understand why they are told to behave in certain ways. I gave her the example of taking a young child out to a restaurant. We tell them to sit still, don't throw your food on the floor, be quiet. Those are all important things to teach them when eating in a restaurant. And, if we enforce it, they will learn to behave that way, probably because they know they'll get in trouble if they don't.

Yet, I think it's better to say, "You need to sit still because when you squirm around, it makes the people sitting with you uncomfortable, and we want them to enjoy eating with you." "Don't throw your food on the floor because then the poor restaurant workers have to clean up after you, and it isn't nice to make them have to do that." "Keep your voice quiet, because when you're loud, all the other people eating at this place are disturbed, and we want them to have a nice meal too." When that message is reinforced, your child will behave properly, not because he'll get in trouble if he doesn't, but because he's learned to be considerate of others.

Continue this into the teenage years, and instead of "Don't drink. Don't take drugs. Don't sleep around, or you'll get arrested or an STD or pregnant," you'll have a message of "What kind of person do you want to be? Look around you at the people who drink and take drugs. What does their future look like? What would it be like if you had a baby in high school or while you were preparing for your future at college?" Here's another powerful question - "Think about the kind of person you want to marry and be the father/mother of your children. Are you the kind of person he or she would pick?"

"Why?" can be a very powerful question.

This Week at the Library

2010-09-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great week - lots of new kids, fun books and parents happy to participate. You're all fantastic Hokey-Pokiers. (Like that word!)

Preschool Storytime

The kids learned a new word this week (not Hokey-Pokier) - "Curiosity." I'm sure many of them had heard the word "curious," but no one volunteered a definition, so I told them it means that you really want to find something out, really want to know something. Each of the books I read either had them curious, or had our other idea of the week, a "surprise" in it.

Hi, Pizza Man!, by Virginia Walter. A child is waiting for a pizza delivery. What if it's not a pizza man? What if it's a pizza kitty? Or a pizza dinosaur?

How Many Bugs in a Box?, by David Carter. They weren't curious about how many bugs, just what kind of bugs. They especially love the very long necked bugs that fit in that thin, thin, box.

Special Delivery, by Brigitte Weninger. Oh, are they ever curious about what's in that box!

Is Your Mama a Llama?, by Deborah Guarino. They like figuring out the name of the animal by listening for the rhyme - feel/seal, that/cat.

I also used picture cards to tell the story "The Lion's Tail." Poor Lion can't find his tail. Where is it? He's sitting on it!

We used "peek-file" pictures. A tiny window is cut in a file folder with a picture behind it. The children have to guess what the animal is based on the little piece they see.

We sang "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" because the bee surprises us when it stings.

Finally, I had a box with an object in it. I rattled it, shook it, slid the object around inside and generally tormented the kids while they tried to guess what it was. It was the stamp for stamping their hands.

Toddler Time

Some of you may wonder why I go to the trouble of letting the children ask for specific colors of pompoms or scarves or maracas when we come to that point in the program. There are several reasons. First, naming the colors is a good language learning time for them. Also, making their way to the front and asking for a baton is a good way for them to learn to manage in a group setting. But most importantly, to me, is learning manners. The more outgoing children usually start by saying (or shouting) "I want green! I want green!" or "PINK! PINK! PINK!" This doesn't offend me because I know it's a pretty natural way for them to try to get what they want. I also don't allow them to grab. With the little ones, I tell them "Say 'Green please.'" When they come up to me one week and say "Green, please," I comment on their nice words and give them the color they want. With older children, especially the older siblings, I tell them to say, "May I have pink, please?" And I let them know I notice when they say it on their own. It's a simple thing, but what a difference it makes to hear polite requests out of small children's mouths. It will serve them well in the future.

Our books this week were:

Come Along, Daisy!, by Jane Simmons. This is a great book for teaching little ones not to run off.

Lemons Are Not Red, by Laura Seeger. As it teaches colors, this book also entertains by showing blue grass and purple carrots.

Baby Time

I've had parents asking about what the upper age limit is for Baby Time. There is no age limit, just a developmental one. When your baby is walking and no longer interested in staying in your lap for the bouncy rhymes and fingerplays, then try Toddler Time. There may be a gap of a couple of months when Toddler Time is a little too intimidating, or your child just wants to run laps around the dais, but if he's willing to sit and watch, give it a try. He's learning, even if he's not "participating." I know the website and published library materials say 18 months, but I'm fine with you bringing your child earlier than that.

This Week at the Library

2010-09-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

It was great to see so many new faces this week! Many new moms, grandparents and kids trying out Storytime. If you're visiting this blog for the first time, and you're new to our programming, check out the postings under the labels "What Moms Do," "Participation," and the post "Which Storytime Should I Come To?" under the label "Preschool Storytime."

Toddler Time

I wondered how busy the different sessions would be this week with school starting. Thursday was huge! I guess because some regular Tuesday folks were busy getting kids out the door so they bumped it to Thursday, but then again, there were lots of new faces. Welcome!

Our books this week were:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, by Bill Martin, Jr. They were really good at saying the repetitive lines!
No, David!, by David Shannon. Did you know this book is autobiographical? The author has a little snippet at the very beginning about that. Funny!

Baby Time

I saw two little babies "discover" each other for the first time. One just stared, rather transfixed. The other got so excited she flapped her arms and kicked her legs and squealed. They were so cute!

Preschool Storytime

We were all about "Bears" this week. We went on a "Bear Hunt" and traipsed through grass, mud, a river, a forest and a cave before spotting a bear. But WE WEREN'T AFRAID!

Our books were:

Where's My Teddy?, by Jez Alborough. I love the perfect poetry in this book. It flows so naturally and is so easy to read aloud. I've always admired that in children's books, and I wish I could do it!
Panda and Polar Bear, by Matthew J. Baek. This story has a very subtle lesson about insecurity at meeting new friends. Will he like me? Even when he finds out X or Y or Z about me?
Bear's Picture, by Daniel Pinkwater. I love this book because I imagine how frustrated children must be when adults can't figure out what the child's picture is OBVIOUSLY about. I also love the surprise ending.
Big Black Bear, by Wong Herbert Yee. I like the surprise ending here too, that "Big" black bear is really just a child bear misbehaving.

I told the story on the flannelboard of Kiss Good Night, by Amy Hest. Another bit of a surprise ending where the children have to figure out what the little bear is waiting for at bed time.

Happy Back to School!

2010-09-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say Happy Back to School! It's a big day for parents as well as kids, especially those parents who are sending their kids to Big School for the first time. I remember well the odd feeling of "Where's my daughter?! Oh yeah, at school." You wonder the whole time if your child is doing okay, having a good time, following the rules, making friends, etc., etc. How can they possibly exist without you there, watching and guiding? Take a deep breath, relax, let your child grow up. They can do it. Trust your good parenting, and greet them with a huge smile when they get home!