Sharks!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, January 29, 2014.

It's back to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo again this week, as we continue our virtual tour of many of the Zoo's wonderful creatures. 

Today we added a picture to Buzz's photo album: a picture of him walking through the tunnel at the aquarium!  I was able to snap a picture just as a shark was swimming right over his head!

Book:

The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist, illustrated by Julie Gorton

Songs:


Good Morning!
(tune: "Frere Jacques")

Good morning! (echo)
How are you? (echo)
I'm so glad to see you! (echo)
Wesley is, too! (echo)



If You're Ready For a Story
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
Clap your hands and stomp your feet,
Make your hands all nice and neat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.

Rhymes:

Five Little Fishes

Five little fishes swimming in the sea,
(show number of fingers, hand makes swimming motion)
Teasing Mr. Shark, "Can't catch me!"
(wrists together, fingers extended and curved as "jaws")
Along comes Mr. Shark, quiet as can be
(finger to lips, Shhhh!)
And...CHOMP!
(close "jaw" hands quickly, then rub tummy)

Four little fishes swimming in the sea,
Teasing Mr. Shark, "Can't catch me!"
Along comes Mr. Shark, quiet as can be
And...CHOMP!

Three little fishes swimming in the sea,
Teasing Mr. Shark, "Can't catch me!"
Along comes Mr. Shark, quiet as can be
And...CHOMP!

Two little fishes swimming in the sea,
Teasing Mr. Shark, "Can't catch me!"
Along comes Mr. Shark, quiet as can be
And...CHOMP!

One little fishy swimming in the sea,
Teasing Mr. Shark, "Can't catch me!"
Along comes Mr. Shark, quiet as can be
And...CHOMP!

Our play time today included some old favorites: our ocean-themed magnet books, sea creature puppets and several jigsaw puzzles.

Next week I will be sharing several books that are NEW! to the Children's Department!

  ~ Mrs. B.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Baby & Me Storytime

This storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, January 28 and Thursday, January 30, 2014.

Book:
Rain, Rain, Go Away by Caroline Jayne Church

(This is one of the new board book kits purchased through a mini-grant from Read Aloud Nebraska.  We thank RAN for considering our grant request and showing their support for our Baby & Me Storytime Program!)


Songs:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!

(After singing the song I invite an adult to introduce him/herself and their child.  We repeat the song, substituting the child's name for the word "friends".  We do this until everyone has been introduced and all the children have been serenaded!)

The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round,
'Round and 'round.
'Round and 'round.
The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round,
All through the town.

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish...
The babies on the bus go up and down...


Rhymes:

Right Hand, Left Hand

Right hand, left hand,

Put them on your head.

Right hand, left hand,

Put them all to bed.

Right hand, left hand,

Put them on your chest,

Right hand, left hand,

Give them both a rest!

Pat-a-Cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Roll it and pat it and mark it with a “B”,

And put it in the oven for baby and me!

Goodbye Rhyme

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.

Two little hands lay in my lap.

Two little feet go bump, bump, bump.

Two little feet give one big jump.

Two little hands reach oh so high.

Two little hands wave bye, bye, bye.

Our activity this week was board books!
We enjoyed looking at some of the 40+ board books we have for use during Storytime. Some have mirrors while others feature interesting textures, flaps to lift, googly eyes, squeakers, and wheels!

This is a good opportunity to remind my Storytime families that I do NOT usually charge for damage (or even total destruction!) of board books that are checked out for your use. The books are to be enjoyed by babies, and that often means they will be yanked on, chewed on, stepped on and drooled on!  While I don't condone allowing children to willfully damage books, it's important for babies to get their hands on this type of books. And that usually means a fair amount of wear-and-tear!  So please don't let your concern over keeping the board books in perfect condition keep you from checking them out from our library!
Note: For those of you reading this who live outside the Bellevue, Nebraska area, and are patrons of a library other than the Bellevue Public Library in Bellevue, Nebraska, please consult your local library regarding its Damaged Materials Policy. The policy I mentioned above may not accurately reflect the policy of your particular library!
  ~ Mrs. B.


Here are some other photos from this week's sessions:

Library News:
This week we welcomed new friends Isaiah, Rehema and Scarlett! We hope you had fun this week and will join us again very soon!

Our next Baby and Me Storytime will be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2014!

Each Baby & Me Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Papa Bear & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, January 28, 2014.

Books:

How Do You Sleep? by Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud, illustrated by Kristen Kest

I Love My Daddy by Sebastien Braun

I Love You Always and Forever by Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Daniel Howarth

Each Papa Bear & Me Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Our next Papa Bear and Me Storytime will be on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 7 PM!

~ Mrs. B

Spiders

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, January 22, 2014.

Books:

Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks

The Itsy Bitsy Spider as told and illustrated by Iza Trapani

Last week we highlighted stories and activities about penguins.  This week, we make quite a jump - from the penguins' snow-filled enclosure to the heat of the Zoo's desert dome!   This week's stories were about...SPIDERS!!

Songs:


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, 
say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, 
hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!


Good Morning!
(tune: "Frere Jacques")

Good morning! (echo)
How are you? (echo)
I'm so glad to see you! (echo)
Wesley is too! (echo)


If You're Ready For a Story
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
Clap your hands and stomp your feet,
Make your hands all nice and neat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.

Playtime Activity:
This week we tried our hand at crayon rubbings!
First I showed the children a piece of white paper with a piece of black paper behind it:

I scribbled over it with a blue crayon which produced this:

Next, I took another set of black and white papers and showed them to the children:

This time, when I started to scribble, a design began to appear:

A little more scribbling revealed...a spider web!

The secret to this "trick" is to make a spider web using hot glue.  When it dries it can be used to make a rubbing.  

Just about any raised (or recessed) surface can be used to make a rubbing.  You may have seen people making rubbings of a grave stone or a name at the Vietnam War Memorial.

  
You can help your toddler make rubbings of just about anything (well, maybe not the family dog!) by looking for interesting designs and textures in your child's world.  Here are just a few suggestions!

I'd love to hear what kinds of things you find to use for crayon rubbings!
  ~ Mrs. B.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.