Today at Storytime

We shared some silly animal stories and had a great time at preschool storytime this morning. It was a great, small group today!

Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett

 Pictures of animals wearing clothes show why this would be a ridiculous custom for them to adopt.

Jump! by Scott M. Fischer

 From bugs and frogs to alligators and whales, frightened animals always move out of the way of a larger opponent.

Cows in the Kitchen by June Crebbin

 While Tom Farmer is asleep under the haystack, the cows, ducks, pigs, hens, and sheep make quite a mess in the farmhouse.

Piggy Pie Po by Audrey & Don Wood

Presents the rhyming adventures of Piggie Pie Po in three short stories.

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger

Elephants of many colorful shades are described in couplets that invite the reader to complete the rhyme using color-themed clues.

Transportation Theme

The following rhymes can be great for circle time, transitions, storytime, dramatic play, or just for fun! Sharing childhood rhymes is a great way to build early literacy skills, like phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the smaller sounds in words. Phonological awareness includes the ability to hear and create rhymes, to say words with sounds or chunks left out and the ability to put two word chunks together to make a word. (Most children who have difficulty in reading have trouble in phonological awareness, so getting a head start with encouraging this literacy skill is beneficial.

Transportation Theme Rhymes:

Engine On The Track
Here is the engine on the track (hold up thumb) 
Here is the coal car, just in back (pointer finger) 
Here is the box car to carry freight (middle finger) 
Here is the mail car. Don't be late. (ring finger) 
Way back here at the end of the train. (pinky finger)
Rides the caboose through the sun and rain.

Bus Driver, Bus Driver
Bus driver, bus driver, may I have a ride? (Hold up fist and wiggle thumb.)
Yes, yes, please step inside. (Hold up other fist and wiggle thumb.)
Put in some money. (Bend down first thumb.)
Step on the gas. (Bend down other thumb.)
Chug-a-way, chug-a-way, (Pretend to steer bus.)
But not too fast.

Get a Ticket
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train
Don't stand out in the wind and the rain,
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train.

Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the bus
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the bus
Climb aboard, you can ride with us!
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the bus!

Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the boat
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the boat
The water's too cold to swim or float
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the boat


Enjoy this video by Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck:

Today at Storytime

Whew! We had a fun, active preschool storytime this morning at the Corvallis Library. If you've been to storytime lately, you have probably noticed how large the group can be in our Youth Activity Room. To follow the room capacity guidelines as indicated by the Fire Marshall, we will be moving storytime to the larger Main Meeting Room, when available. Today we were in our new, bigger space and hopefully everyone had a better view of the stories and a pleasant experience!

We shared:

Cat and Mouse: The Hole Story by Christyan and Diane Fox

A fat cat is on the trail of a daring mouse in this rhyming tale, in which die-cut pages alternately reveal the hidden mouse and his observant pursuer.

Please Take Me for a Walk by Susan Gal

A dog gives many good reasons it likes to go for a walk--to chase away the neighbor's cat, to greet people on the street, to watch guys shooting hoops, and to feel the wind lifting its ears.

Where is Tippy Toes? by Betsy Lewin

Although everyone can see how Tippy Toes, a mischievous cat, spends his days, only one knows where he goes after dark.

One Pup's Up by Marshal Wilson Chall

Rhyming text counts off ten puppies as they awaken one by one, chase and bounce around the house, eat kibble and get washed, then fall back to sleep.

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming

While two kittens copy everything their mother does, their brother naps.

What are your favorite books to share at home? Did you realize that by regularly sharing stories with your child at home will benefit him or her greatly with learning to read? Pat yourself on the back for doing such a wonderful job preparing your child for the love of language and stories! Curious to know how well your home environment is promoting early literacy? Take a look at this checklist here, provided by GetReadytoRead.org, to see how well you're doing!

Favorite New Children's Books

Sky-High Guy by Nina Crews

Jack likes to play with his "friend" Guy without the interference of his little brother Gus, but when Guy gets stuck in a tree, Gus is the perfect companion to help Jack rescue him.

The 3 Little Dassies by Jan Brett

In this adaptation of the traditional folktale, three little dassies (also called rock hyraxes) build their houses in the Namib Desert of Southern Africa, hoping for protection from the eagle that lives atop a nearby mountain.

Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh

 Two mice have fun playing on a teeter-totter, but as more and larger friends join them, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay balanced.

Art & Max by David Wiesner

Max wants to be an artist like Arthur, but his first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various media, with unexpected consequences.

Check out the video below, as author/illustrator David Wiesner describes the creative process behind his books.

Fall Early Literacy Newsletter

Check out the Fall Early Literacy Newsletter today! This season's newsletter features book and music selections for children and parents, early literacy tips, rhymes to share with young children, ideas for encouraging movement and literacy, and more! Past issues of the newsletters can be found here. If you have topics you'd like to see featured in future newsletters, please contact Peik-Kuan Lim, Early Literacy Coordinator at 541-766-6481.

Pick of the Day: Rescue Bunnies

Rescue Bunnies by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Scott Menchin (HarperCollins, 2010)

 

Newbie is a Rescue Bunny trainee. So far, she's done a superb job passing all of the tests she needs to pass in order to become a full-fledged Rescue Bunny. But the last test is the most difficult of all...the Field Test. For the Field Test, she'll have to help rescue a giraffe stuck in a mudhole before the hungry hyenas attack! Can a bunny really rescue a giraffe in time? Read Rescue Bunnies to find out!

Pick of the Week: Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy

Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming (Henry Holt & Company, 2010)

Denise Fleming's painted, textured pulp papermaking techniques are perfect for this gentle story. The book begins, "Tiny baby panda, sleepy, oh so sleepy / Tiny baby ostrich, sleepy, oh so sleepy / Tiny baby lion, sleepy, oh so sleepy. Where's my sleepy baby?" Readers visit a variety of sleeping animal babies on double-page spreads, eventually coming to a human baby, yawning and snuggling up with an adorable toy sock monkey. Share this lovely book at bedtime!