Baby-Toddler Storytime November 6, 2019

I had another chance to cover a baby-toddler storytime and had myself a good ol’ time with these storybooks. I also noted the differences in my storytime style and that of the children’s librarian I now work with. Her storytimes are more lively, jump-up-interactive, mine are more musical, story-driven and collective.

Theme: Fractured Fairytales. Let’s look at classic fairy tales and stories that authors have turned upside down or sideways!

Opening song: One Little Finger

Book 1: Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox- This was a stretch for a baby-toddler crowd. It was on the longer side, the illustrations were not large and clear like I would prefer so the kids can see the story, and some of the story made a little anxious because of the questionable political correctness. But, some of the kids and adults started interacting along with me, as they learned the repeating word. And the parents/caregivers laughed at the funny bits, so hopefully, no feelings were hurt in the telling of this tale.

Book 2: Monkey, a Trickster Tale by Gerald McDermott- This was also a stretch, because it was also long, but I think the story is engaging and I love the big colorful illustrations. This isn’t a traditional fairytale, but it is so much like other rambunctious monkey and/or conniving crocodile tales, that I thought it fit the theme. Best read using voices for the monkey and crocodile, and I decided to edit out the crocodile mentioning that it was going to eat the heart of the monkey. I don’t think we need to get that specific with a baby-toddler crowd.

Interaction: Open Shut Them

Book 3: Old Makimba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora- I really enjoy Isadora’s illustrations and reinterpretations of classic tales. With this book I had the group sing along, we asked questions about the animals and the noises they made. I used paperclips to shorten the book, because I knew it wouldn’t make sense to sing through all the animals, and I had the chance to use my silly elephant whistle, which does not come close to making an elephant sound, but looks like it should!

Book 4: This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt- I have been waiting months to use this book in a storytime since I discovered it on the shelf! I passed out musical instruments to the kids and caregivers, and we sang and played along to the tune of “This Old Man,” while I read the words from the book. It was incredibly fun, and I was satisfied.

Closing song: Zoom Zoom Zoom (JT’s version)

Art activity: Wacky collages with foam stickers, crayons, dot painters, tissue paper and yarn. Some masterpieces resulted.

Starting again: Kids Reading Club

I’m back in a library doing programs and so… I’m rebooting Sort Of a Librarian! … mostly for my own benefit. I don’t really expect anyone to read it. Anyway, I tried out a new program and it seems to be catching on in the summer, hoping it translates well when school starts again: Kids Reading Club. I don’t want to call it storytime, because it is designed for school-aged kids and they seem to be turned off to the idea of singing songs, rhymes and fingerplays usually associated with storytimes. So far, the kids who come cover the range of toddler to older elementary, but mostly the older kids. They end up reading the books along with me. I also stop and do some discussions at good points. After stories, we’ll do a story related activity that involves some interpretation of the theme. Then maybe, we’ll play a game or do an art activity. The program goes for about an hour and a half.

LeVar Burton Videochat with LA Times

I'm a fan of Reading Rainbow. I discovered a few of my favorite books through the show such as Tar Beach by Faith Ringold, Barn Dance by Bill Martin Jr. and Galimoto by Karen Lynne Williams. I used to watch and enjoy it as a child, but it especially helped me when I started out at a children's librarian. I would record episodes and while watching them, I learned a bit about how to bring books to life and how to get kids to want to read. Then... POOF! It was gone from my DVR. It was cancelled due to funding issues and a emphasis on the "mechanics of reading" as opposed to fostering a love of reading.

Well, now it seems, RR is back as an app. Listen/watch this interview to hear Levar Burton talk about the app and some other interesting tidbits.
Also check out the RR blog to read about good books, book pairings, and of course, insight from LeVar: readingrainbowblog.wordpress.com

Fun Robot+ Themed Storytime

I've been slacking on my posting. I just haven't had time to type things up like I used to. And if I don't type up my storytimes the same day, I forget how I really felt about things and how the kids reacted, etc. I sigh.
Well, here's a storytime I did at a local preschool. The kids really liked all three books and they love the songs I use with them, too. This was my last storytime with this group as my assignments will soon be changing, so it was a little sad. I didn't tell them until the end because I didn't know how the kids would react the that news.

Opening song: Hello Song by Ella Jenkins. We sing it twice then we just say a big "hello" and wave.
Literacy: Bot + Boy by Amy Dyckman. The kids and I really like this friendship story. They also really liked it when I talked like a robot.

Child: "How did you learn to talk robot, Ms. Camille?"
Me: " How do you know I'm not a robot?"

Literacy: Robot Zombie Frankenstein! by Annette Simon. This is a non-story about two robots and their costume antics. This book was fun. I mean really a fun book. From yelling out the text, to getting the kids to guess what's next this is a great book with simple block illustrations and bright colors. I can totally see having some kids acting this out.

Second story stretch: Put Your Finger In the Air (Love this guy!)
I like to add and change lyrics with this song so here are the verses I sang today:
Put your finger in the air... Leave it there about a year...
Put your finger on your head... Tell me is it green or red...
Put your finger on your nose... Feel the cold wind blow...
Put your finger on your finger... Leave it there, let it linger...
Put your finger on your leg... Ask them if they'd like some eggs...
Put your finger on your shoe... Let them walk a mile or two...

Literacy: Don't Squish the Sasquatch! by Kent Redeker. One of the teachers had already read this book to the kids so they already knew it, but that made it more fun because then they knew where to yell "Don't squish the sasquatch!" and it worked out fine. I like this book because its interactive and gave me lots opportunities to ask the kids questions and to spur their imagination.

Literacy: In the Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming. Speaking of interactive books, this is one of my favorites. In front of them, I call it a stand-up book and I make them stand up. Then we act out all the things the creatures are doing in the book: Swooping like swallows, whirling like whirligigs, snapping like crawfish.

I always end with the Hokey Pokey because its fun and give kids an opportunity to shake it out after being good listeners through a few books.
Don't forget to teach them how to say "yes" in robot: Affirmative!

Concept Storytime

The library where I've been doing baby-toddler storytime has hired their own children's librarian, so I've been playing second fiddle there, while training the new chibrarian (Ha!). She has decided that instead of either of us reading all the stories, that we'll split up storytime, meaning I'll do two stories and two songs/fingerplays.
For my half, I focused on concepts. 

Below by Nina Crews
The Crews family make really photo-picture books and this one might be my favorite. Below is the story of Jack a boy and his toy figurine, Guy, who falls down a hole while they're playing together. Jack rescues his friend, but only after some thought about what Guy might be going through. I like books that offer pauses for thought, and this one does it well, illustrating Jack's imagination's and all the possibilities of below. Great for toddler and preschool storytimes, but probably too simple for older children.

Action song: This Is Big (Have the kids get up or stay seated and use their arms and legs to indicate each of the opposite words.)
This is big big big.

From I Can Fly by Mary Blair

This is small small small.
This is short short short.
This is tall tall tall.
This is fast fast fast.
This is slow slow slow.
This is yes yes yes.
This is no no no.
This is hot hot hot.
This is cold cold cold.
This is stop stop stop.
This is go go go. 

Mary Blair Treasury of Golden Books
I remember reading some of the books within when I was little, so I was very pleased to come across this book that holds many, if not all Blair's children's books. I read I Can Fly and The Up and Down Book at baby-toddler storytimes and they did well. I think the audience was entranced by the pretty illustrations.