Read & Make: Butterflies

My fall family story times are in full swing and this week was all about butterflies and caterpillars!

Read:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (of course!) - this was the perfect time to share the pop-up version from my library's staff collection!
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Jr.
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek

Rhyme:
My Friendly Caterpillar
My friendly caterpillar (fingers crawl up your arm)
made its cocoon one day (close hands together)
it turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked)
and quickly flew away (flap hands)

from Storytime Katie

Make:
Handprint butterflies
Set out paper and crayons and let kids trace their hands for the butterfly's wings and decorate to their heart's content.  We have all these white dot stickers left over from the round CD security rings that the library uses, so I put them out for kids to use as well.

Family Stories Featuring Mice

We've gotten a couple great new books lately that all feature mice - and since this is the only place I can handle mice - I've rounded up a group of books I've both already read and would like to read featuring these furry little protagonists:

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Redwall by Brian Jacques (first in a series)
Who Goes There? by Karma Wilson
Stuart Little by E.B. White
Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse by Torben Kuhlmann
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker (first in a series)
Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
Where's Mommy? by Beverly Donofrio
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck
Hermelin the Detective Mouse by Mini Grey

Read & Play: Robots

My last Fizz, Boom, Read summer story time was all about robots!  I found so many fun robot stories and activities for kids just out of the usual story time age range that I might have to do a family robot program in the fall or in the new year.  But here's what worked for my family story time:

Read: 

Robots Everywhere by Denny Hebsen

Lots of Bots by David Carter

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman

Junkyard by Mike Austin

Sing: 

Follow the Band by Jim Gill (he's been my go-to summer musician lately...) along with our usual opening & closing songs

Play: 

This awesome, FREE printable Roll-a-Robot game from Kim of 733 was our post-story time activity.  I actually printed out 2 copies of the game so a few more families/kids could play at once.  I also printed off this fun robot coloring sheet from Dabbles and Babbles for kids to work on while they were waiting for a turn or if they were too young to understand the game.  

Summer Picture Books

Today is one of the first real warm, humid days we've had this summer to it feels like the perfect time to share some of my favorite picture books for this time of year:

The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli - The "dangers" of swallowing those pesky watermelon seeds
Flotsam by David Wiesner - A wordless, beautifully illustrated undersea adventure
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee - Two reluctant boys end up having a great week at grandma's house
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon - A celebration of family & togetherness
It's a Firefly Night by Diane Ochiltree - Perfect for summer evenings when the lightning bugs appear
Camp Rex by Molly Idle - Camping with a T-Rex? What could go wrong??
Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins - A summer day in the life of a city park
Toys in Space by Mini Grey - Ever wonder what happens to the toys you leave outside over night?
Boom! Boom! Boom! by Jamie Swenson - A perfect story for kids who are afraid of thunderstorms

Check for these titles at your local library or bookstore - enjoy!

Book Review: Hermelin the Detective Mouse

I've finally gotten into my ordering routine this spring, and Hermelin the Detective Mouse by Mini Grey is one of the titles I'm most excited about:

Hermelin is a most unusual mouse.  After making a home for himself in the attic of Number 33 Offley Street, he discovers a typewriter.  One day, he notices the message board where local residents have left notes about their missing jewels and pets.  Suddenly, Hermelin is on the case!  He returns the missing items to their rightful owners with typed notes, but on one knows where to find this mysterious detective.  When the residents search him out, will they accept a mouse as their friend and helper?

Mini Grey, of the Traction Man series and Toys in Space, has created another winning picture book.  The whimsical cartoon-like illustrations provide depth and detail in Hermelin's world that will bring readers back again and again.  They will want to tag along with the detective mouse and will cheer when he finds a young sleuthing partner to join him.  I can't wait for more adventures with Hermelin and Emily!  This one is a must-purchase for my library collection!

Appropriate for ages 4 and up; reviewed from a digital copy provided by Edelweiss.

Read & Make: Fish

Another fun week of story time focused on fish!  (I really just wanted an excuse to try out Jon Klassen's This is Not My Hat in story time - which made all the grownups chuckle, but I'm not sure the kiddos really got it..)

Read:
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood 
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Click Clack Splish Splash by Doreen Cronin
also check out In My Pond by Sara Gillingham

Sing:
The Goldfish Song by Laurie Berkner 

Make:
Fish stick puppets printed from First Palette -
I just printed and roughly cut out a bunch of fish outlines and the kids could color and cut them as they wanted before taping them to a craft stick to make a puppet!

Read & Make: Going to the Library

This story time & craft combination turned out to be one of my favorites of the winter semester:

Read:
Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates
Baby Bear's Books by Jane Yolen
Maisy Goes to the Library by Lucy Cousins

Make:
My Visit to the Library foldable mini book - I ended up making this one myself in Powerpoint with clip art in the program - download and print your own copy of the book here!

Read and Make: Numbers

I've started a new series of family story times this month, and this week's books and craft are too cute not to share...

Believe it or not, this is the first number themed story time I've ever done!  We do lots of counting on a regular basis, but this group of picture books was begging for its own story time:

Read:
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox
Abigail by Catherine Rayner
Dog Loves Counting by Louise Yates

Sing:
Two for Tea by Jim Gill - I got to see him speak at a conference last fall and ever since then I can't stop using his music - it's just awesome for story time.

Make:
Crocodile number line from Mr. Printables - this site has the cutest stuff (for free!) that's also really well designed - love! I had each section of the number line already cut for families so all they had to do was add any coloring or dots they wanted before folding and gluing (or taping) the number line together.

Story Time Fun / Favorite "Singable" Picture Books

Last month, I posted about using "singable" books in story time and today I want to share some of my favorite titles to use.  Some of these were new to me for story time use, and some are old favorites:

top row:
If You're Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera - any of her books are done deals for me as far as story time goes; they're bright, colorful and use nice rhythmic patterns.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Jerry Pinkney
Old Macdonald Had a Farm by Jane Cabrera

bottom row:
Pete the Cat: Wheels on the Bus by James Dean
The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Lorianne Siomades

These are all great titles to use for story time; the verses are familiar enough that kids can sing along and it's easy to skip any extra verses added by the authors if you need to shorten things up a bit with your group of kids.

Picture Book Advent / The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore

This beautiful new edition of a well-loved poem was a no-brainer choice for Christmas Eve!

The Night Before Christmas has beautiful new illustrations from Holly Hobbie (of Toot & Puddle).  Her work has updated the story for a new generation while still adding to the magic of Clement Clark Moore's poem.  This is such a fun story to share with young readers - it's one that I really enjoy reading aloud!  A wonderful choice for sharing with the whole family around the Christmas tree or just before bedtime!

Thanks for joining me on this little Advent series!  Even though I did miss a couple days, I hope you still found some new favorite stories and books to share with your loved ones this season.  Merry Christmas!

Picture Book Advent / The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie DePaola

This picture book from beloved author and illustrator Tomie dePaola brings a new perspective to the Nativity story:

In The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola, the story of the Nativity is told from a bird's eye view.  The feathered friends that live in Bethlehem have noticed lots of people flooding into town and a bright star in the sky.  They decide to fly off and find out for themselves what wondrous thing has happened in the tiny stable.  This book is a great introduction to the Christmas story for children ages 3 and up.

Picture Book Advent / Tallulah's Nutcracker by Marilyn Singer

Ballet picture books are all over the place, but this series by Marilyn Singer featuring a tousled-haired and freckled heroine named Tallulah stand out from the crowd with heartfelt stories and beautiful illustrations.

Tallulah's ballerina dreams have finally come true - she has a role in a real ballet, a production of the Nutcracker!  Tallulah works hard for many weeks and misses out on some of her favorite holiday activities, like parties and picking out a Christmas tree.  Finally the big night arrives!  But when Tallulah's dancing debut doesn't turn out quite the way she had imagined, she'll discover that being a ballerina is more than just learning the steps.  Tallulah's Nutcracker is a wonderful book to share with aspiring dancers and ballerinas this season.

Picture Book Advent / Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner

The snowmen series from Caralyn Buehner is a favorite to use in story time during the winter and Snowmen at Christmas is especially fun to share at this time of year:

While you're snug and warm sleeping in your bed, the snowmen in your yard are celebrating their own Christmas holiday!  With cold icy treats and a snowman Kris Kringle snowmen have their own special ways of celebrating the holiday.  This is a perfect entertaining read for kids age 5 and up.

Picture Book Advent / One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson

Today's book pick is a wonderfully simple yet profound story written by Lauren Thompson and illustrated by Jonathan Bean called One Starry Night:

On this starry night, animal parents are all watching peacefully over their young just as Mary and Joseph are watching over baby Jesus.  This sweet picture book is a beautiful introduction to the Nativity for young readers ages three and up.

Picture Book Advent / How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Here's another classic Christmas story to share with the whole family:

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a beloved tale featuring our favorite green-colored Christmas hater, the Grinch.  The Grinch decides he can't stand one more year of Whoville carols and cheer so he comes up with his most dastardly plan for mischief yet.  He makes his own red suit and sneaks into all the Whoville homes to steal the Christmas presents and decorations away.  But is Christmas really just the decorations and presents under the trees?  What if Christmas is made up of something a little bit more?  A heartwarming tale to share with kids ages 6 and up.

Picture Book Advent / There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve by Pam Munoz Ryan

This beautiful picture book is a wonderful way to introduce children to the very first Christmas Eve:

There Was No Snow On Christmas Eve by Pam Munoz Ryan is a beautifully illustrated book that brings the first Christmas to life through the differences children will see when comparing their own experiences with those of Mary and Joseph so many years ago.  Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus didn't need coats or mittens, they didn't sit by a warm fire or watch the snow fall.  Instead, they sat in a stable with warm desert breezes that rustled the palm trees.  A wonderful choice to share with kids ages 5 and up.

Picture Book Advent / Jingle Jingle by Nicola Smee

This is a holiday favorite of mine to share with my preschool story time crowd: Jingle-Jingle by Nicola Smee:

Mr. Horse has invited all his friends, Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck for a jingle bell ride!  But when everyone decides to sled down the hill, will there be enough room?  This is a fun and jing-ly read especially for the 1-3 year old crowd.

Picture Book Advent / Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson

Today's Christmas-y picture book choice is great for fans of Fancy Nancy or Olivia: Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson:

Six-year-old Eloise lives on the top floor of the Plaza Hotel in New York City.  She is determined to have the absolutely best Christmas ever with presents for everyone (even Emily, the pigeon who likes sitting on her windowsill), tinsel, holly and delicious trinkles to share!  A fun and spirited choice to share with kids ages 5 and up.

Picture Book Advent / The Nutcracker by Alison Jay

The Nutcracker is a Christmastime favorite of mine, and this version illustrated by Alison Jay is as sweet as they come:

The simple and straightforward text tells the story of Clara and her magical Nutcracker who fight off the Mouse King and travel together to the Land of Sweets.  This picture book version is a great introduction to the ballet and the longer original version of the story written by E.T.A. Hoffmann while Alison Jay's colorful and whimsical illustrations convey all the magic and wonder of the original story.  Perfect for sharing with readers ages 5 and up.

Picture Book Advent / Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow by Holly Hobbie

The Toot & Puddle books are some of our favorites at my library, and this Christmas story is just too adorable not to share:

Toot and Puddle love Christmastime!  This year they are both determined to find the perfect for each other this year but find it more difficult than they thought to find the one thing each other loves most.  A sweet story about the joy of friendship, this one is guaranteed to give you all sorts of warm fuzzies!  Toot and Puddle: Let It Snow is perfect for sharing with kids age 5 and up.