Parts of Me Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Pigs Picnic – Keiko Kasza

We find out in this story that some parts don’t belong on everyone!

Flannel Board: Head, Body, Legs (a story from Liberia)

But how did our parts get to be the way they are? This story from Liberia gives an explanation.

Long ago, Head was all by himself. He had no legs, no arms and no body. He rolled everywhere. All he could eat were things on the ground that he could reach with his tongue.
At day, he rolled to a cherry tree.  “I’m tired of grass and mushrooms. I wish I could reach those cherries.” He rolled himself up a little hill. “Maybe if I could get a good head start I can hit the trunk hard enough to knock some cherries off,” he thought. He shoved with his ears and began to roll down the hill. “Here I go!” he shouted. Faster and faster he rolled. CRASH! “OWWWWWW” he cried.
“Who’s there?” someone asked.
Head looked up. Above him swung two Arms he had never seen before.
“Look down here,” Head said, “and you’ll see.”
“How can we look?” asked Arms. “We don’t have eyes.”
“I have an idea, “ said Head. “Let’s get together. I have eyes to see, and you have hands for picking things to eat.” “Okay,” said Arms. They dropped to the ground and attached themselves to Head above the ears.
“This,” said Head, “is perfect.”
Hands picked cherries, and Head ate every single one.
“It’s time for a nap,” said Head, yawning. Soon he was fast asleep.
While Head slept, Body bounced along and landed on top of him. “Help!” gasped Head. “I can’t breathe!” Arms pushed Body off. “Hey,” said Body. “Stop pushing me. Who are you?” “It’s us, Head and Arms,” said Head. “You almost squashed us. Watch where you’re going!” “How can I?” asked Body. “I can’t see.”
“Why don’t you join us?” said Head. “I see some ripe mangoes across the river. If you help us swim over there, I’ll help you see where you’re going.” “Okay,” said Body. So Head attached himself to Body at the belly button.
“This,” said Head, “is perfect.”
Soon they reached the far bank and bounced up against the mango tree. “Pick some,” Head ordered. Arms stretched as high as they could, but they couldn’t quite reach. Head looked around for a stick. Standing near the tree were two crossed Legs with feet on the ends. “Get those,” Head said to Arms.
“Join us,” said Head. “I have eyes. I can show you where to go, and you can help us reach those mangoes.” “Okay,” said Legs. So Legs attached themselves to the hands.
“No there,” said Arms. “The hands need to be free to pick mangoes.”
“I should be in the middle,” said Body, “because I’m the biggest.”
“That’s right,” said Head. “You should be at the bottom, Legs. I’ll swing around on top of Body so I can see everything. And Arms, you move to the shoulders.”
Everyone slid into place. Legs stood on tiptoe. Body straightened out. Arms stretched up, and the hands picked a mango. Head took a bite, and smiled.
“Mmm, delicious,” Head said. “Now THIS is perfect!”

(This was a little long, but kept everyone’s interest very well. It was fun having the kids help to get the body finally in the correct order.)

Book: I ain’t gonna paint no more – David Catrow

(Not the first time I’ve done this book, but it seemed to fall a little flat this time. Fun illustrations, and interactive potential.)

Activity/Song: Put your Finger On from the CD Feel the Music by Parachute Express

(This got the kids excited, a great simple interactive activity.)

Book: We’ve all got bellybuttons – David Martin

(and we continued the interacting to this story! Awesome all around.)

Puppets: A Beautiful Girl – Amy Schwarts

(Jenna meets lots of different animals who wonder why she’s different. Here she explains to little elephant the she hasn’t got a trunk, but her nose is very useful. Good interaction with the kids on this too.)

Book: Goodnight, Me – Andrew Daddo

(Sweet, simple, and the perfect ending to our storytime. Little orangutan puts all the different parts of himself to sleep.)

Activity: Looby Loo from the CD Wiggleworms Love You by Wiggleworms

(Then we got out the parachute and used it during this song! When the song finished we just played for a while.)

At the Beach Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

This week is Water Week. Since we live in a desert, that means we think about the water we use. Do you know a place with lots of water? Today we’re going to do stories and activities about the beach!  But first we have to get there.

Book: How Will We Get to the Beach? – Brigitte Luciani

(a nice progressive story in which each mode of transportation would mean leaving one item behind, until the solution comes along!)

Flannel board : Mrs. Armitage and the Big Wave from the book by Quentin Blake

Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave – Quentin Blake

(adapted for flannelboard use)

Mrs. Armitage and her dog Breakspear went to the beach one day.

“What we have to do, Breakspear,” Said Mrs. Armitage, “is to swim out to sea and wait for the Big Wave.”

But while they were waiting Mrs. Armitage could see that Breakspear’s little legs were getting tired.

“What we need here,” said Mrs. Armitage, “is something to keep a faithful dog afloat.” So she got an inflatable desert island and they went on waiting for the Big Wave.

But it was a hot, hot day and soon Mrs. Armitage was sweating and Breakspears tongue was hanging out.

“What we need here,” said Mrs. Armitage, “Is something to protect us from the suns powerful rays.”

So she got a cap with a yellow plastic brim for herselfand an umbrella with pink spots for Breakspear; and they went on waiting for the Big Wave.

 Now they were nice and cool, but they began to feel rather hungry.

“What we need here,” said Mrs. Armitage, “Is a selection of light snacks to keep us going.”

So she got a plastic duck and tied an empty box to it and filled it with tasty items. Mrs. Armitage ate an avocado burger and Breakspear had some crunchy dog biscuits and they went on waiting for the Big Wave.

 In the distance they saw a windsurfer pass by.

“What we need here,” said Mrs. Armitage, “Is something we can hail fellow sportsmen with.”

So she got a red megaphone and a horn as well because it’s always a good thing to have a horn.

Then she gave a few shouts and hoots and they went on waiting for the big wave.

 Mrs. Armitage saw a bunch of fish swimming under the water. They’d gathered around to see what the fuss was about. Mrs. Armitage was a little worried she might attract some sharks too.

“What we need here,” she said, “Is something to ward off any pests.”

So she got a sturdy boat hook. “Now we can give a prod to any shark that wants to bother us.” And they went on waiting for the Big Wave.

 And then the Big Wave came! At the same moment they noticed a little girl named Miranda who had swum out too far and was in trouble.

“Pah-hee-huh-hurge” went Mrs. Armitage on the horn. She hooked Miranda with the boat hook and off they went!

 They did a California slither, a Bali swerve, a Wakiki flip…and landed at the beach right in front of Miranda’s parents and they all went to the café to celebrate.

(A fun story that adapted for flannel board very well, do to it’s ‘add things on’ format. I used a smaller whiteboard so that when the wave came I could manipulate it for the ‘surfing’.)

Book: Pig Kahuna – Jennifer Sattler

(Fergus isn’t as excited about the water as Mrs. Armitage, lets see what he does with a surfboard! Very cute, simple story.)

Song: Dancing in the Sand from the CD The Sea, Beach, and Summer Stuff by Geof Johnson

(Fun song, where you isolate certain parts of the body for dancing: head, arms, hips, feet…and then you put them all together!)

Book: I Spy Under the Sea – Edward Gibbs

 

(Not as great as the other Gibbs I spy book, but still good, and very appropriate for the theme.)

Activity: Five Little Fishes (variation of Five Little Monkeys)

 

Five little fishes swimming in the sea

Teasing Mr. Shark, you cant catch me! You can’t catch me!

Along comes Mr. Shark swimming very slowly….Chomp!

gobble gobble gobble

(Count down remaining fish. When all the fish were gone, I asked if the shark was going to eat them! The kids all shouted NO! That’s right, sharks don’t like to eat people. Then we said bye to the shark and he swam away.)

(After the story time the shark chomped on willing children’s fingers.)

Book: Beach Day – Karen Roosa

(The alligators get distracted on the way to the beach, and when they get there the sun’s gone down and everyone has left. But they still have a good time! Great ending to the storytime.)

Activity: Bubbles (with the music I Love the Beach from the CD The Sea, Beach, and Summer Stuff by Geof Johnson)

Away We Go Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Storytime today is all about things that can take us places, what are some thing you can think of that go? (One little boy had a toy boat, it tied in perfectly with the first story!) Those are some great things, and we’ll have songs and activities about all of them! Out first story is about a boat. A big blue boat.

Book: Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat – Philip C Stead

(I adore this book, even though it’s too wordy for storytime. I shortened a lot of the text, and skipped a couple of pages. I think it’s one the grown ups appreciated more. )

Flannel Board: Freight Train – Donald Crews

Do you remember what color the Big Boat was? Blue! Lets see if you can help me name the colors on this freight train from the story by Donald Crews. (I put up the parts ‘what color is the caboose?’ and the kids shouted out the colors.) Now we have all of the train! What noise does it make? ‘Chugga Chugga…’ Good job. Oh look! The train is moving! Keep making the train noise (I then told the rest of the story, scrolling the background behind the train).

Here is the train, moving.

Moving through mountains.

Moving past cities.

Moving over tressels.

Going in darkness

Going in daylight.

Going, going…slowing, slowing…stopped.

 You did such a good job driving that train! Do you think cows would be good drivers? Let’s find out in this book!

Book: Sakes Alive!  A Cattle Drive by Karma Wilson

(A fun story, nice illustrations. My kids started to lose interest though, might try to shorten it some.)

Activity: Green says go

Did those cows follow good driving rules? No!, lets see if you know how to!  When you see a traffic light, what does Green mean? (hold up green circle). Go!, good job. What does Yellow mean? (hold up yellow circle) Slow!, that’s right! And what does Red mean? (hold up red circle) Stop! You’re so good! Now lets see if you can follow the rules. (The kids had a lot of fun with this!)

(Hold up colored circles to command the actions.

Run in place, fast with green. Slow with Yellow Stop with Red.

Repeat and continue with other actions,

jumping, spinning, and end with sitting (yellow for slow, then Stop!).

Good job! Now we’re going to have a story about an airplane. Have you ridden on an airplane? The little boy in this story hasn’t but he’s going to pretend to, and then the airplane can go anywhere he’d like!

Book: Moon Plane by Peter McCarty

(A simple book with rich illustrations. The kids were really into it.)

Song: Drivin’ In My Car – from the CD Ralph’s World by Ralph Covert

Now lets go driving in our own cars! How do you hold the steering wheel? Good job! remember to follow the traffic signals. (I held up the red circle from the earlier activity at each ‘Red Light’).

(Such a fun song! I even had a parent come up afterwards to ask what CD it was from)

Book: Dinos on the go – Karma Wilson

Isn’t driving fun! Look who’s going to be driving in this next book, Dinosaurs!

(I think the kids were a little antsy today in general. They were pretty engaged, but restless as well.)

Instruments

The different things the dinosaurs rode made different noises, and now you can make some noises with instruments.

(played Rocketship Run from the CD Rocketship Run by the Laurie Berkner Band under the instruments)