Falling Leaves

For storytime this week we learned all about my favorite season- fall! The trees around the library are turning colors and it was quite chilly this morning so this theme was perfect!

We started with Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thomson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan.

This is a very sweet story about a little mouse’s first experience with fall. The text and illustrations of this book are very simple and beautiful, making it an enjoyable read for storytime.

The second book we read was Leaves by David Ezra Stein.

This is a very sweet story and I think every child can relate to it. The bear is very disturbed by the falling of the leaves and makes a noble effort at attempting to get the leaves to stop falling but eventually he learns that fall is a wonderful thing.

Next we read Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert.The children really liked this book. They had a good time identifying Ehlert’s creations with the leaves. Overall, I have found Ehlert’s books to be a great addition to any storytime. They are so creative and eye catching, the children can’t help but get excited about them

Finally, we finished with Old Bear by Kevin Henkes.

Henkes’ illustrations are beautiful in this fantastic book about a bear who hibernates in the winter. Not only does this book teach about hibernation but it also goes through the seasons. This is an extremely calm book and a nice ending to storytime this week.

For our craft this week, we made leaf rubbings. I remember how much fun these were to make when I was a kid and with fairly easy prep work, it is a fantastic craft for storytime.

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Mice are nice

I had some difficulty deciding on today’s theme. For some reason, I felt drained out of new and fun ideas. Finally, I decided on a mouse theme. I realized quickly that this was a great choice because there are SO MANY books with mice in them.

This beautiful Caldecott Honor book was a great way to start out storytime this week. There is a mysterious element to this story and the children really loved that.

The next book we read was one of my favorites from childhood, Whose Mouse are You? written by Robert Kraus illustrations by Jose Aruego.
I think I love this book so much because I can remember it being on of the first books I read on my own. We had fun talking about Aruego’s pictures- especially one of lots of cheese.
Next we read Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley.
This is a delightful book about a mouse who helps himself to a few snacks and makes a huge mess. He then blames the owners of the house for being so messy which the children found hilarious. This book has great rhyming text which makes it fun to read and listen to.

Finally we finished today with The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood.
I love reading this book because the children always think it is going to be scary, but it’s not. It is actually a very sweet, funny story. It is always a crowd pleaser, the children always enjoy hearing this story and get a kick out of the illustrations of the little mouse.

For our craft we made another paper bag puppet, but this time it was a mouse!
Everyone enjoyed making this craft however I think it might have been a bit complex for a lot of the children. It required a lot of gluing which can be tough for little hands.
Here is the link for this craft: http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/paper_bag_mouse_puppet.htm

Music time!

This week for storytime we channeled our inner musicians for a music themed storytime! This theme was great because there are so many ways to interpret music and of course it meant lots of singing!

We began with a book called Punk Farm On Tour by Jarrett J. Krozoczka.
This books is really great, the farm animals are in a band and go on tour while the farmer is away. The entire time they are looking for their great song and end up singing about the Wheels On The Bus- a very familiar tune for this bunch. The kids really like this because they could sing a long with me and the book.

The second book we read was How Can You Dance by Rick Walton and Anna Lopez-Escriva.
A music storytime can’t be complete without a book about dancing. This book is a great addition to my storytime book list. I love it because the kids can get up and dance like the animals and situations described in the book.

Finally, we closed with This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt illustrated by R.G. Roth.

This book is written to the tune of “This Old Man” which makes it really fun to read. It is a very clever book which incorporates counting, music and jazz. Definitely a great addition to this storytime!

We didn’t read as many books this week as previous weeks because I did a few flannel boards and we sang a lot of songs. I introduced an “I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” flannel board which was a huge hit with the kids.

For craft this week, we made our own musical instruments. We made shakers with paper plates and beans. My example craft was taken accidently by one of the kids, so I didn’t get to take a picture of it.

Basically, we stapled a paper plate together on one side, threw in some beans (I am sure rice would work too), closed it up, decorated it and added some streamers on the end. They were very awesome and kid friendly to make.