Zoo Workers

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, February 19, 2014.

Books:

Sam, Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice

Zookeepers by William Russell, photographs by Lynn M. Stone

Songs:

Everybody Say Hello

Everybody say hello,
Say hello, say hello.
Everybody say hello,
Hello, Wesley!



Old MacDonald Had a Zoo

Old MacDonald had a zoo, e-i-e-i-o.
And in that zoo he had a cow, e-i-e-i-o.
With a moo, moo here and a moo, moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo, moo.
Old MacDonald had a zoo, e-i-e-i-o.

Ideas for additional verses:
Giraffe, Owl, Bear, Tiger, Lion, Penguin, Spider


If You're Ready for a Story

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.

Today we continued with our Zoo theme by focusing on ...
Zoo Workers!  

Buzz's photo album from his trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo is getting pretty thick!  We added several more pictures from his visit, including two taken of workers cleaning the penguin exhibit.  
 

Buzz also met this zookeeper who was getting ready to feed the bears.  What do you think he might have in his bucket?  (I don't know the answer, because Buzz and I 
forgot to ask him!)

Here is our friend named Andrea who works at the zoo.  Her job includes arranging 
special tours, such as the one she gave Buzz.  She let us ride in a special cart
and answered a LOT of questions for us.  She has to know about many things at the zoo in order to do her job!

Next week's theme: Stories by Dr. Seuss!

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.

Toddler Storytime

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.

Books:
Te Amo Bebe, Little One by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Maribel Suarez

Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka
 

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.



Skinnamarink

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!

I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon, oh,

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!

Here is a Youtube video of this song!



Activities:
For those who could stay after Storytime, children had three activities from which to choose.  The first is a Tic-Tac-Toe game made out of an empty Valentine's Day chocolate box.  To make your own game at home, first empty the chocolates out of the box.  (I'll let you figure out what to do with the chocolates!).

Then use a marker to make a tic-tac-toe board in the bottom of the box.  I used a red permanent marker, then outlined it with a black marker.  Two colors of Hershey's Kisses, M&Ms, or any other kind of markers can be used instead of Xs and Os.  For this age, rather than making it competitive, help your child figure out what would be the best move.  Try putting several red/white markers down, leaving one place where your child can put down his colored marker to "win".  This will help your child with pattern recognition, an important pre-literacy skill!

Children could also spend some time lacing beads onto plastic lanyard to make a necklace.  While the adults will say it is a great way to improve a child's eye-hand coordination, pattern recognition, and fine motor skills, the children will tell you it is just, plain FUN!

Our third activity was lacing, using pink and white plastic lanyard 

and laminated heart cutouts.

Having fun lacing a beaded necklace.

Next week we'll continue our tour of Henry Doorly Zoo as we learn about those terrific people who take care of the animals: Zookeepers!

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, February 11, and Thursday, February 13, 2014.

Book:
Hugs & Kisses by Roberta Grobel Intrater

Songs:

Skinnamarink

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!

I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon, oh,

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!

Here is a Youtube video of this song!




I Can Make My Baby Smile!
(tune: "Do You Know The Muffin Man?")

I can make my baby smile,
My baby smile, my baby smile.
I can make my baby smile
When I tickle your nose!

When I tickle your...tummy...neck...toes


Rhymes:

Kissy, Kissy Fingers

Kissy, kissy fingers,
Kissy, kissy toes!
Kissy, kissy baby on your
kissy, kissy nose!

I love to kiss your fingers,
I love to kiss your toes!
I love to kiss you baby on your
kissy, kissy nose!



I Have a Little Heart

I have a little heart 
And it goes thump, thump, thump.
(place hand over baby's heart and gently pat, pat, pat in rhythm)
It keeps right on beating 
When I jump, jump. jump.
(gently lift baby or bounce on your lap)

I get a special feeling
When I look at you,
(point to your eyes)
It makes me want to give you
A kiss or two!
(give one, two, or MANY kisses!)


Our activity this week was Jigsaw Puzzles!


Library News:
This week we welcomed new friends Gwynnavier, Courtney, Brooklyn, Mya, Micah and Micah's big sister (whose name, I'm afraid, I have forgotten!)
and we celebrated with Clara who is having a birthday this week!
Next week's Baby and Me Storytimes will be held on February 18 & 20, 2014!

Photos and a video from this week!:

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).

Pajama Storytime

This Pajama Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, February 11, 2014.

Books:

Simpson's Sheep Won't Go To Sleep! by Bruce Arant

Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka

Te Amo, Bebe, Little One by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Maribel Suarez

All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri

Songs:

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-do, I love you!

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-do, I love you!

I love you in the morning and in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening and underneath the moon, oh

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-do, I love you!

Each Pajama 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 Pajama Storytime will be on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 7 PM!

Momaha Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Thursday, February 6, 2014, in partnership with Momaha, The Omaha World-Herald's online community for moms.

Books:

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson, illustrated by Sue deGennaro

Falling For Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox, illustrated by Lydia Monks



The Princess and the Pea written and illustrated by Rachel Isadora

Snow White: A Three-Dimensional Fairy-Tale Theater by Jane Ray

Our Momaha Storytime began with a short introduction to the works of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm who published their first book of fairy tales in 1812.  While everyone has heard of such tales as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, few in our audience were familiar with some of their more obscure tales such as Donkey Cabbages, The Ear of Corn, The Three Army Surgeons, and The Nightingale and the Slow Worm.  I read two fractured fairy tales that were based on stories by the Grimms brothers : "The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas" and "Falling for Rapunzel".  I also briefly showed some other examples of authors' treatment of Grimms tales: The Princess and the Pea" and "Snow White: A Three-Dimensional Fairy-Tale Theater.  Then I introduced J.D. Cottrell, a Junior at Bellevue West High School, who wrote a short story in German, as an assignment for Frau Amanda Messerschmitt's German language class.  He read his story in German, translating each page into English for those of us who do not speak fluent German!  I thank J.D. for visiting the library and sharing his story with us!

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Throw down your hair!  She thought he said..."

(You'll have to read the book to find out what she thought he said!)

Grimm's Fairy Tale stories available for checkout.

"On top of the pea, the prince piled twenty mattresses.  
And on top of that, he piled 20 down comforters!"

Now it's time for everyone to say, "Hi" to J.D. Cottrell.

J.D. read his original story, entitled Der Lama, Der Uhu, und Die Ente.

At the end of Storytime we offered a Rapunzel-themed craft 

to make at the library or take home to make later.

Our guests also enjoyed cookies and milk provided by The Cake Specialist, which has sponsored the first six months of our Momaha Storytimes.  I'd like to thank Jayme and Ryan at The Cake Specialist for their generous support of Bellevue Public Library's newest collaborative program.

J.D. made himself available after Storytime to answer questions 

and let our guests get a close-up look at his story.

Our next Momaha-Bellevue Storytime will be held on Thursday, March 7th at 7 PM, when our guest will be local author Bruce Arant.  I hope to see you there!

  ~Mrs. B.