Circular Stories

I find that I keep getting drawn in by the same type of stories lately. I was calling them domino-effect stories in my head, but the correct trope name is circular or chain stories and these are noted by how the ending leads the reader right back to where the story started.
I have two on my bookshelf now:
Mordant's Wish by Valerie Coursen is a prettily-illustrated book that I found in a donations pile somewhere. In it, a mole sees a turtle shaped cloud and makes a wish that that turtle was his friend. What do you think happens in the end? Of course there's a whole bunch in between and its quite entertaining.

The Scarecrow's Hat by Ken Brown is a beautifully illustrated book that I bought from a Friends sale. In it a chicken comes across a scarecrow who would like a new hat and knew just how to get one. Along the way she also helps a few other animals in order to achieve her goal.

Messy Mice Themed Family Storytime

Again with the kids who don't like to sing songs, etc. I read these books:
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Never read these books until a few days ago, and I don't like them. The kids I read them to had a hard time following the storyline and I saw their little attentions flitter away. 

Mouse Mess by Linnea Rily
This one brought their attentions back. I always hesitated to read this book because the illustrations look so dated to me, but the kids didn't mind and on their own started making really observant comparisons: The cornflakes look like a pile of leaves the mouse jumped into. The mouse looks like he's admiring a cityscape on the milk and cheese page. Turned out to be fun!

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
A fun conversation piece. We ended up talking at length about where the bear was and who was narrating and why we couldn't see them. The mouse didn't come up, but everyone was hungry for a strawberry or two by the end.

We had a Lego playtime after stories.

Pigs! Preschool Storytime

Opening Song: Hello Song (Ella Jenkins)
Literacy: If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
Now that I've read a couple of these to a couple different groups, I don't see what the big appeal is. They're okay. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for that, but the If You Give a... books are not for me. 
Literacy: Wolf Won't Bite by Emily Gravett
Song: Put Your Finger In the Air
Put your finger in the air, in the air.
Put your finger in the air, in the air.
Put your finger in the air, leave it there about a year!
Put your finger in the air, in the air.

Put your finger on your nose....and feel the cold wind blow!
Put your finger on your cheeks... and leave it there about a week!
Put your finger on your finger on your finger... leave it there let it linger!
Put your finger on your shoe, on your shoe... and leave it there a day or two!
Literacy: Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda 
A really awesome, fun and interactive take on the Three Little Pigs classic. I want to read it all the time and it works awesome with a restless crowd. 
Closing song: Hokey Pokey 


 

This was an outreach storytime I did at a school, so there was no  post-storytime activity.

Bears Theme Storytime

Opening song: Good Morning/ Buenos Días (See My Storytime Set for song lyrics)   
Opening fingerplay: One Little Finger 
Literacy: Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson
Song/movement break: Open Shut Them
Literacy: Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff

Feltboard: Ten Little Teddy Bears

There were 10 little teddy bears sleeping in the bed

This is the Artfelt set that I used.

Five at the foot, five at the head.

One little teddy said, “This bed is too full.”

So he grabbed the blanket and started to pull.

He pulled and he pulled and he pulled some more,

Until two little teddies fell BOOM to the floor!

There were 8 little teddy bears sleeping in the bed

Four at the foot, four at the head…

Now there were 6 little teddy bears sleeping in the bed

Three at the foot, three at the head…

Then there were 4 little teddy bears sleeping in the bed

Two at the foot, two at the head…

There were two little teddy bears sleeping in the bed

One at the foot, one at the head.

One little teddy said, “This feels just right.”

So the two little teddy bears said “Good night!"

Closing Fingerplay: Two Little Blackbirds
Closing Movement: Hokey Pokey
Post storytime activity:Circle Bears
I had a plethora of die cut circles in different sizes. So we put them together to make bears: Two big circles for the head and torso; Two medium-small circles for the ears, two hole punch circles for the eyes and nose holes; two medium circles for the feet. Use crayon, marker or other circles for other details.
 

Farm Themed Storytime

Opening song: Good Morning/ Buenos Días (See My Storytime Set for song lyrics)   
Opening fingerplay: One Little Finger 
Literacy: Millie Wants to Play by Janet Pedersen
Song/movement break: Open Shut Them
Literacy: This Little Chick by John Lawrence
Interactive Book: Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig
This book is so much fun to read aloud as you can tell by watching the dad and two boys. You can totally make up your own rhythm to read to and, I highly suggest you change it up each time you read it. Try samba!

New song: Old MacDonald (with puppets)
Closing Fingerplay: Two Little Blackbirds
Closing Movement: Parachute play
Post storytime activity:
Farm stampers and/or farm foam sticker art. 

These are from Lakeshore, but there are lots of other brands.

Silly Themed Family Storytime

The group of kids I did this storytime with are very much anti-singing, dancing, rhymes, fingerplays... they'll have none of that. Just stories and an activity
So I read them:

• A Boy and His Bunny by Sean Bryan
• Ducks Don't Wear Socks by John Nedwidek
• A Bear and His Boy by Sean Bryan 

Then we made silly hand puppets. I just so happened to have these kits from Discount School Supply hanging around.