Papa Bear & Me Storytime: December 2017

This Papa Bear & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on December 19, 2017.

Books:
Daddies Are Awesome by Meredith Costain, illustrated by Polona Lovsin

Let's Go, Froggy! by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

Our attendees tonight were all under 2 years of age, so I adapted my storytime slightly.  Along with reading the two shortest books on my reading list, we sang a couple familiar songs and I shared two of my favorite rhymes from my Baby & Me Storytimes!

Songs:
Jingle Bells

If You're Happy and You Know It

Rhymes:

A Smooth Road

A smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road!
(gently sway from side to side with Baby)
A bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road!
(change action to a gentle up-and-down motion)
A rough road, a rough road, a rough road, a rough road,
(bouncing becomes more intense - but still gentle enough for Baby)
A rough road, a rough road,
A HOLE!
(lean forward with Baby to simulate falling into a hole)

Cuckoo Clock

Tick, tock, tick, tock,

I'm a li...ttle cu-ckoo clock

Tick, tock, tick, tock,

Now I'm stri-king one o-clock.

Cu-ckoo!

(This rhyme can be said quite slowly, which makes for a gentle rocking motion.  When we slow down our speech we lengthen some of the words, which helps your child hear syllables as well as the cadence of our language.  When speaking, put the emphasis on the underlined words or parts of words.  Cradle baby in your arms or hold him up with your hands under his underarms.    Gently rock child from side to side in rhythm with your words.  When you say "CUCKOO", gently lift your child into the air.  For older children: have child stand and gently rock from side to side in rhythm with the chant.   Invite your child to raise hands above his/her head and/or jump one time for each "CUCKOO" they hear.  Continue this chant, changing the verse to "two o'clock...CUCKOO!  CUCKOO!, three o'clock...CUCKOO!  CUCKOO!  CUCKOO!, etc.)

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).