Let's Vote for Caldecott Books! Preschool Storytime

Opening song: Hello Song (Keep in mind that I sing it much slower than the lady in this video)
Hello!
Hello!
Hello, how are you?
I'm fine!
I'm fine!
I hope that you're fine, too. (I repeat this three times, then have the kids say a big hello while waving at all the other kids they see.)
This is a song by Ella Jenkins on her Multicultural Children's Songs CD. 
Opening discussion: What is the Caldecott Medal?
Literacy: This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen  

The kids and I are puzzled as to how this book won. We disagree!

Literacy: One Cool Friend by Tony Buzzeo 

I don't even know about this one. The kids were bored with it a couple of pages through. Not a bad book, but not Caldecott material. 

Second Story Stretch: Put Your Finger In the Air (This is pretty good, but I usually stop at Put your finger on your shoe. This song can be real long if you let it!) 
Literacy: Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds 

In our humble opinions, Creepy Carrots was the real winner.

 This video is a really interesting behind-the-scenes with the illustrator. 

Closing Song: I tried a different song, at this storytime that just bombed terribly! What was I thinking?!!!
Library March (To the tune of Father Abraham)
The library
Has many books
Many books has the library
I like to read
And so do you
So let's just have some fun
Right arm!
Let's go!
Each round you add on another movement until you sit down at the end:
Left arm
Right foot
Left foot
Heads up
Turn around 
Sit down!

2012 Children's Book Awards

2012 Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
Balloons Over Broadway is a biography of Tony Sarg and a history of how the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade got started.
This is a beautifully illustrated book! I love the combination of materials and styles that went onto the pages including some primary source and handmade elements.
I honestly didn't think it was going to be interesting once I found out what it was about, but the story was so fun that I had to keep remembering the fact that I was reading nonfiction. Its wonderful that sometimes the truth can be capital entertainment! I really enjoyed the book's end notes, too.

2012 Caldecott Honor Blackout by John Rocco
Blackout is the story of one night in the life of a little boy who's mostly plugged in family couldn't find the time for and what happens to all of them and their neighborhood when the power goes out.
This book would be a great to add to an anti-screen time bibliography based on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. It could include Blackout, Todd’s TV and I would at It’s a Book if it wasn’t for that one word!

2012 Sibert Honor Drawing From Memory by Allen Say
Drawing From Memory was illustrated really well, in fact, it’s a bit comic-book like with all of its illustrations and their placement. But what really got me stuck on this book is the story. It’s a great biography. Makes me really want to learn more about the characters and their work.

2012 Sibert Honor Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer
I've always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials, and have watched several documentaries and films about it, but this book is the first piece of literature I've ever read about it and I'm glad. I've mentioned it a couple times in my reviews of other books, but I LOVE PRIMARY SOURCES! And this book is chock full of quotes from trial transcripts, letters and public documents and wouldn't you know, the bibliography has web links so I can look them up! This book is perfect for people (kids especially) who like history, or who need to read a nonfiction book, but would rather it read kind of like a novel.

I did have a problem, though. I often found the storyline buried in too many facts at once. I really like how the author wrote the history in chronological story format and I obviously really like facts, details and information, but at times I felt bogged down, when I really wanted to know what happened next. I'd much rather have had several breakouts of information on adjoining pages.

I looked at a couple of different websites and they all recommend this book for 10+. I don't agree. The middle schoolers I worth with would not be able to pass the five-finger test for this book. I also disagree with the lack of glossary. There are a lot of old, maybe even archaic words included and not everyone has access to an instant dictionary, nor would want to always have to paw one.

Other recommended award winners and honors:
A Ball for Daisy (2012 Caldecott winner)
Me...Jane (2012 Caldecott honor)

Paint! Themed Storytime

Today was yet another day I found myself an hour away from storytime totally unprepared. Luckily, I had spied a book during this morning's class visit (You know, when a class comes, tears books off the shelves and strew them about?). I found it on the shelf and built a whole storytime around it, which worked out awesome. Bear's Picture by Daniel Pinkwater is a story that is a great way to get across to kids that not everyone has to understand your art. Plus, there are subtle notes of dealing with judgment, visualization, and perception. Then end is a nice treat. Then I found Wait! No Paint! by Bruce Whatley, which is the tale of the Three Little Pigs, but wouldn't you know it? The book's illustrator is having some difficulties and butts into the story. I remembered a couple summer reading programs ago, the theme was Be Creative! and we had a storytime-in-a-box for I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont. The box included a foam board stand up paper doll that was laminated so we could actually paint on it then wipe it off, paint, paint brushes, a tarp and paint bibs for the kids. I had a great storytime with that box. So I decided that that would be the end of today's storytime, except I drew a paper doll figure on a giant sticky note pad and used that instead of the laminated stand-up. For the paint theme finale, I read I Ain't Gonna Paint No More, which is a fun book that you can sing or rhyme along with to the tune of It Ain't Gonna Rain No More. The story is about a mom who tells her bad child that he can't paint anymore. This kid, he thinks differently and paints different parts of himself in each verse. I gave the kids who came to storytime paper doll cut outs (You can make on your own by cutting out big gingerbread men or purchase), crayons and markers. Then they colored along with the song/story. After I was done reading the book, I passed around my eye container and they chose what kind of eyes to put on their "painted" dolls. Voila! Art activity and storytime combined. Easy prep, easy clean up. Whew!

Books That Might Make Good Storytimes

Little Gorilla by Bornstein Cute, easy and fast. Good for little kids.
Lola Loves Stories by McQuinn I like the Lola books for little kids and getting them excited about libraries.
Grumpy Bird by Tankard Grumpy Bird gets ungrumpy thanks to his animal buddies. Cute, great pics, wide range of ages.
Are You a Horse? by Rash Great for 1st and 2nd graders, maybe even really smart kindergarteners. A boy gets a saddle for his birthday and goes around asking different animals if they're a horse. Fun!
Read to Tiger by Fore A really good reading and sharing story for wide age range.

Storytime Books That Worked

City Dog, Country Frog by Willems Cute friendship and loss story.
Franklin's Big Dreams by Teague Great story for older kids because its a bit longer and uses bigger words. A boy dreams of travel adventures.
Dragon Stew by Smallman Hilarious tale of five bored vikings who go out in search of a dragon to put in some stew. I had a class of 3rd graders (the ones that think they're too old for storytime kind) rolling with this one and...
Interrupting Chicken by Stein Another hilarious story. Its little chicken's bedtime and she wants her dad to tell her a story, but guess what happens every time he gets started? A great way to start or end this book is by telling my favorite knock-knock joke: KNOCK! KNOCK! Who's there? Interrupting cow. Interrupting co... MOOOO!!