Blog Post
PreK Bits - "G" is for Growing GARDENS
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel, Banjo Betsy, and Ms. Allison brought garden stories to Preschool Storytime.
“The Garden” is a story within FROG & TOAD TOGETHER …Toad finds out that growing one IS hard WORK !
We danced to “Puddles” with Charlotte Diamond's song from her CD MY BEAR GRUFF.
INCH BY INCH … an inchworm meets a robin and the rest is taking measurements.
For more favorite Garden stories try the following:
INCH BY INCH: The Garden Song … the text is the classic folksong, accompanied by lovely pictures on every page. You can sing as you read.
“The Garden Song” is a classic folk song recorded with favorite performers on any of these CDs for children:
SING With FRED by Fred Penner; PICKIN’ & GRINNIN’: Great Folk Songs For Kids with Maria Muldaur and many more artists; PETER, PAUL And MOMMY, TOO with Peter, Paul and Mary; and OWL SINGALONG with Raffi.
MY BUSY GREEN GARDEN … a tribute to bugs, bees, and birds.
PANDORA … Pandora nurses a young bird back to health and notices how the bird changes her landscape.
THERE’S A TIGER In The GARDEN … the power of imagination.
DU IZ TAK? … a Caldecott Honor Book 2017 that teaches you how to speak in “Bug” language. There are fabulous illustrations too.
UP In The GARDEN And DOWN In The DIRT … especially fun for what goes on down-in-the-dirt.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "W" is for WEATHER
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel, Ms. Allison, and Banjo Betsy presented stories and songs to go with WEATHER this week at Storytime.
“The Wind and the Clothes” and “Spring Showers” were both bunny stories from WAITING-For-SPRING STORIES by Bethany Roberts. This book is out-of-print and lives on in other library collections. You can borrow it through MelCat … the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog.
For more stories about WEATHER try these favorites:
Stories-To-Go: WEATHER … a set of weather stories, and an activity folder with ideas to expand the theme at home. Check it all out at once!
WATERSONG … Fox’s journey to take shelter from the rain …
The STORM … a little boy watches a storm coming. Will he still get to go to the beach the next day?
THUNDERCAKE … Let’s bake one!
PUDDLE … a bored child. A rainy day. A clever Mother. More to say.
TOAD WEATHER … a lovely picture book about true phenomenon.
A BOY ASKED The WIND … the world's most celebrated winds, starting with the Chinooks. Build your wind vocabulary.
PITTER And PATTER … two squirrels and introduction to the hydrologic cycle of weather.
WHOSE HAT IS THAT? … I don’t know but it looks good on YOU!
KITE DAY: A Bear And Mole Story … two friends make a kite.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "M" is for MOON
by ryanikoglu
This week at Malletts Creek Branch Ms. Rachel and Ms. Allison introduced stories "under the moon".
SLEEPYHEADS is a story of where to find all of the sleepyheads ...
For action and music with Ms. Banjo Betsy we played "Wake Up You Sleepyheads and Go and find the cattle!". It's a fast and slow action musical game.
JUST RIGHT For TWO is a sweet story of a new friendship.
For more stories with the moon in them:
OWL BABIES … When will Mama be home ?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOON … Phases of the moon with little Moon Bear.
IF YOU WERE THE MOON … What would you do?
LITTLE WOLF’s FIRST HOWLING … Watch for this one. It is on-order and has not arrived yet.
MOONCAKES …a story of Chinese Moon Festival.
The MOON INSIDE … Ella overcomes darkness at night.
ARMSTRONG:The Adventurous Journey Of A Mouse To The Moon … A long time ago a mouse learned to fly.
The MOON’s ALMOST HERE … Creatures make their ways home as the day is ending.
SUN And MOON … be careful what you wish for.
YOU BELONG HERE … A rhyming bedtime story pace with all things in their places and “You belong here with me.”
FULL MOON LORE ... each month described by a phrase based on the full moon. Lovely illustrations too!
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "R" is for ROYAL
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel and Banjo Betsy brought Royal Friends to Storytime this week at Malletts Creek.
First Ms. Rachel cut out the Queen of Hearts while she told the story of the Queen's heart-shaped tarts.
We performed ”The Princess, The Frog And The Little Bird” ... an oral tradition passed from AADL storyteller to storyteller. It is told using only sound effects.
We marched up and down the mountain with "The Grand Old duke of York". You can march with the same song on Youth CD WHERE IS THUMBKIN? and Youth CD STORYTIME.
The MOST WONDERFUL EGG IN The WORLD causes a dilemma for three chickens and the Queen. It is decided ... Whoever lays “The Most Wonderful Egg” will be made a Princess !
For more stories with ROYAL characters try these favorites:
KING BIDGOOD’s In The BATHTUB … and he won’t come out !
QUEEN Of The FROGS … does a crown make “a Royal”?.
The BIG PRINCESS and The TINY KING … "large" and "small" stories by Taor Miura.
DARING PRINCE DASHING … a daredevil prince story.
The DUCHESS Of WHIMSY … is known to have “esoteric tastes” …
The PAPER BAG PRINCESS … a classic by Robert Munsch.
QUEEN VICTORIA’s BATHING MACHINE … a real Queen and a True Victorian Story.
The PRINCE’S BEDTIME … a Royal Bedtime story.
For a participation and action adventure check out KLIPPITY KLOP. Prince Krispin, and his horse Dumpling, discover a Dragon ! YIKES !! You can order this title through MelCat with your AADL card. A Library that still owns a copy will send it. Then ... right up close... YOU can study the adorable small intricate line drawings by Ed Emberley ... and repeat (as many times as you like !) the walking adventure of Prince Krispin and Dumpling.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "A" is for AFRICAN Stories
by ryanikoglu
“We Were In Deepest Africa” and Ms. Rachel rumbled with jungle stories in Storytime.
HEAD, BODY, LEGS: A Story From Liberia by the author/illustrator team Won-Ldy Paye & Margaret Lippert ... a story of how the final body design came to be.
We found our own body parts and did the "Hokey Pokey" to "Shake it all about".
LEOPARD’S DRUM: An Ashanti Tale From West Africa is a story of jealousy, sharing and problem-solving ... in the jungle.
Keep on rumbling in the jungle with more of Ms. Rachel’s favorite tales (and music) from Africa:
Zzzng ! Zzzng ! Zzzng !: A Yoruba Tale.
The HATSELLER And The MONKEYS with wonderful illustrations by Baba Wague Diakite.
ANANSI And The TALKING MELON and more by Janet Stevens.
WHY MOSQUITOES BUZZ IN PEOPLE’S EARS in book format. Here is the same story on DVD narrated by James Earl Jones.
MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS in book format. Here is the same story on DVD by Reading Rainbow.
Putumayo recordings like the CD KID’S WORLD PARTY add wonderful African soundtracks to listen and dance.
The CD GIFT Of The TORTOISE offers more wonderful African music by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "Qu" is for QUESTIONS
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel and Ms. Betsy used "Qu" for questions throughout Storytime.
DUCK! RABBIT! …"What is it?" There are two opinions.
We participated in the action rhythm "A Quooty Qua" ... to repeat our "Qu" sound.
... We changed the sound from the action rhyme "A Tooty Ta". "What does 'Quooty qua' mean?"
TOO MUCH NOISE ... "What can I do about all this noise?" Peter asks the Wise Person.
For answers to more questions, try these favorites:
WHEN The WORLD Is DREAMING ... "What do little animals dream?"
CAN ONE BALLOON MAKE An ANIMAL FLY? ... and more questions asked at the zoo.
WHO DONE IT? ... follow visual clues to find an answer.
AH-HA to ZIG-ZAG ... If you were starting an Art Museum, what would you put in it ? Here is an "Artful" Alphabet.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ...? ... things are lost?
So MANY questions !
So little TIME !
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "D" is for DOG
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel and Ms. Betsy brought all dog songs and stories to Storytime.
Stuffed dogs acted-out the story and the audience barked along with the dogs in DOGGIES by Sandra Boynton.
We sang “B-I-N-G-O” ... which can be found on youth CDs SONGS & STORIES For KIDS, BABY BOOST: 48 Interactive Sing-a-longs For Your Little One and LITTLE PEOPLE: Songs From The Farm.
In the story KATIE LOVES the KITTENS ... it is hard to stop bouncing and barking and the kittens keep running away.
For more famous DOG stories try the following favorites:
RAGWEED’S FARM DOG HANDBOOK by Anne Vittur Kennedy ... Learn From The Best!
HARRY The DIRTY DOG and NO ROSES For HARRY ... old dog classics by Gene Zion.
BUDDY And EARL and BUDDY And Earl And The GREAT BIG BABY ... new dog classics by Maureen Fergus.
MISS MOON: Wise Words From A Dog Governess by Janet Hill ... wise words for All with beautiful illustrations!
ZORRO GETS AN OUTFIT and MR BUD WEARS The CONE by Carter Goodrich ... a pitch-perfect dog point-of-view.
BARK GEORGE by Jules Feiffer... a dog fantasy.
The DOGHOUSE ... critters go in but they don't come out. Surprise?
For screen-time try the DVD BARK GEORGE And More Doggie Tails by Weston Woods Studios.
WOOF! ... snooff snurff ... doggie treat, Please.
... pant ... pant ...
Woof.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "B" is for BUTTON
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel presented stories about BUTTONS at Malletts Creek Branch Storytime this week.
PETE The CAT And His FOUR GROOVY BUTTONS ... But when they're lost, does he cry? "Goodness No!"
We practiced "B" sounds while singing the song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" ... "Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me."
We bounced in rhythm to "5 Berry Buns In The Bakery Shoppe".
Then Toad has an interesting solution in “The Lost Button” story from FROG And TOAD ARE FRIENDS.
For more favorite BUTTON tales try the following:
BUTTON UP: Wrinkled Rhymes … the talking clothes in these poems know who's wearing them.
DON’T PUSH The BUTTON … the only rule is don’t push the button!
The SILVER BUTTON … At the same moment that Jodie's baby brother takes his first step, a city's worth of moments unfold around them.
CORDUROY … Corduroy wants one thing. It’s the thing he has lost.
The BELLY BOOK and BELLY BUTTON BOOK … another kind of button.
GRANDMA’S BUTTON BOX … perhaps you have a button box at your house?
ELIZA’S KINDERGARTEN SURPRISE … what Eliza holds in her pocket helps her through her first day at school.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "K" is for KANGAROOs
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel presented kangaroo stories in Storytime.
POUCH! is a story of 2 baby kangaroos ... just growing out of the pouch!
In the “I’m a Kangaroo” song ... we have lots of bounces and "BOINGS" to do.
KATY NO-POCKET is the story of Katy who has no pouch to keep her baby close.
If you like kangaroos and you like stories, here are more favorite kangaroos:
NIGHTY-NIGHT COOPER by Laura Joffe Numeroff.
ADELAIDE The FLYING KANGAROO by Tomi Ungerer.
HEART In The POCKET by Laurence Bourguignon.
I LOVE IT WHEN YOU SMILE by Sam McBratney.
DO KANGAROOS SEAT BELT by Jane Kurtz.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A KANGAROO? by Mercer Mayer.
BIG RED KANGAROO
A KANGAROO MOB
Now you can "hop and jump all day!".
Do you have a pouch?
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "C" is for COOKIE!
by ryanikoglu
Cookie Monster says, "C is for Cookie!"
That's good enough for Ms. Rachel in Storytime too!
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE is a cautionary tale that takes you in a circle right back where you started from.
Banjo Betsy and Ms. Rachel led the action song "Gonna Walk, Walk, Walk" ... until we need to "Sit Down."
This action song can be found on the the following recordings ... HONK! HONK! RATTLE! RATTLE! and RISE And SHINE.
The WOLF’S CHICKEN STEW is a Chef's kitchen story. The Wolf is fattening up Ms. Chicken for his stew ... but there is a surprise.
All of his cooking is successful in a new way!
If you like cookies, you may enjoy more favorite "Cookie" stories as follows:
B. BEAR And LOLLY: Catch That Cookie!
WATCH The COOKIE!
OLIVIA VENDE GALLETAS
The GINGERBREAD MAN LOST IN SCHOOL … and many more versions of the Gingerbread characters.
The COW LOVES COOKIES
The DOORBELL RANG
The DUCKLING GETS A COOKIE
SUGAR COOKIES: sweet little lessons on love
WHO TOOK The COOKIES FROM The COOKIE JAR
NO MORE COOKIES!
FABULOUS FOOD … a recorded CD full of songs and rhythm including “Who Stole The Cookies”!
And don't forget to play with Cookie Monster in C Is For COOKIE!
YUMMO!