Our Favorite Books of 2015: December 28-29, 2015

Books:
Duck's Vacation by Gilad Soffer *
Duddle Puck: The Puddle Duck by Karma Wilson
Get Out of My Bath by Britta Teckentrup
It's Only Stanley by Jon Agee *
The Nuts: Sing and Dance in Your Polka-Dot Pants by Eric Litwin *
Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein
That's (Not) Mine by Anna Kang

Craft: Microphone
The children colored a cardstock microphone cutout (template below) before covering the head of the microphone with aluminum foil.

Literacy Extensions:
- We've talked about favorites and why we like stuff the past couple of weeks.  This week, try to make top ten lists of favorite things (i.e. favorite foods, favorite books, favorite animals, etc.)
- A lot of this week's books use rhyming words.  Practice rhyming with your child.

Notes:
For some extra fun this week, we handed out polka dot stickers to add to our pants for the book The Nuts: Sing and Dance in Your Polka-Dot Pants.

Christmas Story Time: December 21-22, 2015

Books:
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Dinosaur vs. Santa by Bob Shea
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! by Don & Audrey Wood *
Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas by Rubin Pingk *
The Three Bears' Christmas by Kathy Duval *
What Could Be Keeping Santa? by Marilyn Janovitz

Craft: Lace-Up Candy Cane
Children colored a cardstock candy cane cutout that was hole punched all down the center.  They then laced white yarn through the holes to make stripes.  A cardstock bow was then colored and glued onto the candy cane.  (Template below)

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice "writing skills" with your child by having them "write" thank you cards for their Christmas presents.  This can be as simple as drawing a picture of what they got and then writing their names.
- Learn about how different people celebrate Christmas.  There are several books available at the library about how Christmas is celebrated around the world.


Notes:
The candy canes could be laced in many different ways.  Each kid did it differently.  Some sewed it straight up the center.  Some alternated stripes from the different sides.  Any way they did it, it was great hand-eye coordination practice.

Templates --

 

Our Favorite Books of 2015: December 14-15, 2015

Books:
Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry *
I Will Chomp You! by Jory John *
Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett
Lizard from the Park by Mark Pett
Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad by Liz Climo *

Craft: Cupcake
This week the kids decorated a cardstock cupcake with crayons and sparkles.  They could then either attach a magnet to the back or a piece of string to turn it into an ornament for their Christmas trees.  (The template for the cupcakes is below.)

Literacy Extensions:
- Last week's tip was to talk about your child's favorite things.  This week see if your child can express why something is their favorite.  For example, their favorite fruit might be bananas because they like the taste and they are fun to peel and squishy to eat.
- After reading Rory and the Dinosaur, talk about things your child can do themselves and things they might need a little help with yet.


Template --

Our Favorite Books of 2015: December 7-8, 2015

Books:
Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPuccio *
Finders Keepers by Keiko Kasza
Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor *
My Dog, Bob by Richard Torrey *
Peanut Butter & Brains by Joe McGee

Craft: Paper Plate Owl
Our craft was based the picture at left.  The kids were given a small paper plate and two feet, two eyes, and a beak cut from cardstock.  They colored the plate before folding and gluing it as shown in the picture.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk about the word favorite and what it means.  Have your child tell your various favorite things such as food, book, game, etc.
- After reading Everyone Loves Bacon, see if your child can tell a similar story using their favorite food.

Pirate Story Time: November 30-December 1, 2015

Books:
Bubble Bath Pirates! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka *
The Night Pirates by Peter Harris *
Pajama Pirates by Andrew Kramer
The Pirate Who Said Please by Timothy Knapman *

Craft: Pirate Parrot
This week we made a parrot with a pirate's hat. The children colored the cardstock pieces and then glued them together.  (Template below)


Literacy Extensions:
- Use the book The Pirate Who Said Please to introduce good manners to your child.  The book contains a page at the end with discussion questions on manners for kids.
- Learn some pirate lingo - www.talklikeapirate.com has directions and word lists.


Template --

Superhero Story Time: November 23-24, 2015

Books:
The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon *
The Day I Lost My Superpowers by  Michael Escoffier
Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero by Anne Cottringer
Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
Superhero Joe by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman
Supertruck by Stephen Savage *
Ten Rules of Being a Superhero by Deb Pilutti *

Craft: Paperbag Supehero Puppet
Our craft was based on the picture at left.  The kids colored their superhero before gluing on a cape, mask, and chest logo.  (Template below)

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk with your child about what makes a superhero.  Is it superpowers, bravery, etc?
- Have your child make up their own superhero.  Give it a name, design its costume, make up a secret identity, and give it superpowers.


Template:

Princess Story Time: November 16-17, 2015

Books:
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen
Princess in Training by Tammi Sauer
Part-Time Princess by Deborah Underwood *
Princess Palooza by Joy Allen *
Princess Penelope and the Runaway Kitten by Alison Murray *
Princess Says Goodnight by Naomi Howland

Craft: Crown
I found a crown template online.  (There are plenty to choose from.)  The kids colored and then glued sequins to the crowns.  Strips of yellow paper were glued to the back so the kids could wear the crown.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Princess Palooza, have your child design their favorite princess (i.e. sports princess, cooking princess, etc.)
- Pick a famous princess from history and learn a little about them.

Ninja Story Time: November 9-10, 2015

Books:
Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta
Ninja! by Arree Chung
Ninja Boy Goes to School by N.D. Wilson
Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Gray Olson *
Ninja Cowboy Bear Presents The Way of the Ninja
           by David Bruins & Hilary Leung *
Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop! by Todd Tuell
The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz *

Craft: Tube Ninja
Our craft was based on the picture above.  I made a template with the mask hole with eyes that was copied onto cardstock.  Each template made two ninjas.  (Template below)  The ninja was colored and then glued into a cylinder.  A cut piece of straw (about the same height at the ninja) was tied around the ninja with a piece of red curling ribbon.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading The Three Ninja Pigs, have your child retell another popular fairy tale or story with at least one of the main characters changed into a ninja.
- Come up with some ninja training exercises for your child.  This could be walking a beam to practice balance, tiptoeing to practice stealth, or standing on one leg to practice balance.  Make it fun!


Notes:
Ninja Template

Let's Pretend! Story Time: November 2-3, 2015

Books:
Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas *
Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco
I'm a Frog! by Mo Willems *
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Craft: Frog Mask
This is a very simple mask made from the ring of a paper plate.  The center of the plate is cut out.  Two large circle eyes are glued to the colored plate along with a red paper tongue that can be curled.

Literacy Extensions:
- Play a game of pretend with your child.  Call out different animals for your child to pretend to be.
- After reading Emma Kate, discuss which is the imaginary friend -- the little girl or the elephant.  Point out the visual clues given throughout the book.

Trick or Treat Story Time: October 26-27, 2015

Books:
The 13 Nights of Halloween by Guy Vasilouich
The Ghosts Go Haunting by Helen Ketteman
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes
The Night Before Halloween by Natasha Wing *
The Shivery Shades of Halloween by Mary McKenna Siddals
The Spooky Wheels on the Bus by J. Elizabeth Mills *
We're Off to Find the Witch's House by Mr. Krieb *

Craft: Bat Trick or Treat Bag
This week's craft was based on the picture above.  About 2" of the top of a paper lunch bag was cut off to make the bat's body.  The children colored wings, feet, teeth, eyes, and ears and then glued them to the bag to make a bat.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading The Shivery Shades of Halloween ask your child to come up with more Halloween items for the different colors.
- Talk about Halloween safety with your child before going trick or treating.


Notes:
I changed the words of The Spooky Wheels on the Bus to "The Halloween Bus goes . . . " to make it even more Halloween appropriate.
The children went trick or treating throughout the library after the story time.

Pumpkins Story Time: October 19-20, 2015

Books:
Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynbach
I Like Pumpkins by Jerry Smath
Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin by Mary Serfozo *
The Pumpkin Fair by Eve Bunting *
Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas *

Craft: Jack-O-Lantern Picture
The kids were given a picture of a pumpkin to color.  They then made the jack-o-lantern's mouth and eyes by gluing on three pieces of black yarn (each about 9" long).

Literacy Extensions:
- Carve or paint a jack-o-lantern with your child.  As you are deciding on its features' discuss how different styles of features express different emotions.
- See how many different types of food your child thinks can be made with pumpkins.  If you have carved a pumpkin, save the pumpkin seeds to roast.

Leaves Story Time: October 13, 2015

Books:
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley *
Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall *
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Leaves by David Ezra Stein *
When the Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger *

Craft: Leaf Necklace
Children colored a cardstock leaf cutout before stringing it onto curling ribbon along with pony beads.  It was then tied into a necklace.


Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Leaves by David Ezra Stein, learn about hibernation and which animals hibernate during the winter.
- Make a leaf collage.  Pick up fallen leafs and see what kind of picture your child can make with those leaves.


Notes:
Story Time was not held on Monday as the library was closed for a Staff Development Day.

I like to use curling ribbon with the younger kids when making necklaces.  It is thick enough that the beads do not fall off after they are slid on.  Also, it is stiffer which makes it easier for the kids to handle and to thread on beads.

Apples Story Time: October 5-6, 2015

Books:
All for Pie, Pie for All by David Martin
Found an Apple by Harriet Zierfert *
Ned's New Home by Kevin Tseng
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson *
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins *


Craft: Paper Plate Apple
Our craft this week was very similar to the picture at left.  The children chose either a red, green, or yellow sheet of paper to rip into pieces.  They then glued them to a large paper plate.  The final step was to color and then glue a stem and leaf onto the top of the plate.

Literacy Extensions:
- It's the season to go apple picking.  Learn about how apples are grown before going apple picking with your child.
- Explore a little math with your child by having them poll the people they know to see what their favorite color of apple is.  Then make a chart of the results.


Notes:
The book Found an Apple can be sung to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine".

2015 Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 28-29, 2015

Books:
Digger Dog by William Bee *
I'm My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein *
Naked! by Michael Ian Black *

Craft: Digger
The children colored and then glued together cardstock pieces to make a digger.  The template can be found at the bottom of this entry.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Digger Dog, talk about being a paleontologist who searches for dinosaur fossils.
- After reading I'm My Own Dog, learn about dog training.  Several books are available at the library on dog training.


Notes:
Attendees at this week's story times were able to vote for their choice for the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award.  You are still able to vote even though you didn't attend by visiting the Kansas City Public Library's online voting at http://www.kclibrary.org/kids/missouri-building-block-2015 or by voting at the Arnold Branch during the month of December.

Template for Digger Craft

2015 Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 21-22, 2015

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson *
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won *
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne *

Craft: Sun Visor
Our craft this week was based on the picture at left.  Children colored and then glued sparkles to a paper plate crescent that had holes punched at the triangle ends.  After the plate was decorated, a cut rubberband was tied through the holes.


Literacy Extensions:
-  Extend the book Bear Sees Colors by going on a nature walk with your child and asking him / her to name items of particular colors.
- Talk about feelings emotions.  What makes you grumpy?  What helps to make you feel better?

2015 Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 14-15, 2015

Books:
Down by the Barn by Will Hillenbrand *
Row Row Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera *

Craft: Scarecrow
The kids were given a gingerbread man die cut, overalls, and a hat cut from cardstock to color.  They were then glued together along with yellow construction paper strips for straw.


Literacy Extensions:
- Extend Row Row Row Your Boat or Down by the Barn by adding more verses for additional animals.
- Pick an animal to learn more about.  Books are available at the library on most animals for children.


Notes:
As there was no Monday Story Time last week due to the Labor Day holiday, this week's Monday story time included the books from both this week and last week.

2015 Building Block Nominees Story Time: September 8, 2015

Books:
Buddy and the Bunnies in Don't Play with Your Food by Bob Shea *
Oh So Brave Dragon by David Kirk *

Craft: Bunny
This week, we made a bunny by coloring and then gluing two ears to a bunny cutout.  We then glued a pompom to the back for a tail.





Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Don't Play with Your Food, talk about different things we can do with our friends.
- After reading Oh So Brave Dragon, discuss why being with someone helps us feel brave.


Notes:
This is the first week of the 2015 Building Block Award nominees story times.  The last week of the month, children will be able to vote for their choice for the award.

Story Time was not held on Monday due to the library being closed the Labor Day holiday.  Next Monday's story time will contain all four books from this week and next week's Tuesday story times.

Days & Months Story Time: August 31-September 1, 2015

Books:
Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Fortune Cookies by Albert Bitterman *
Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months by Karen Katz *
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle *
When Lucy Goes Out Walking: A Puppy's First Year by Ashley Wollf

Craft: Very Hungry Caterpillar
This week for our craft we made a variation on the Very Hungry Caterpillar. (The template is below).  The children colored a circle head, seven oval body pieces, and short pieces of paper for legs and antennae.  The oval body pieces had the days of the week printed on them.  The children were to put them in order before gluing the caterpillar together.  After they were finished they could get a clothespin to mark which day of the week it is.

Literacy Extensions:
- Explain the calendar to your child.  Have them fill out a calendar template by writing in the month and the days of the week.  See if they can remember what they do on different days of the week.
- Talk about the various holidays that can be found during each month.

Template for Very Hungry Caterpillar

Rhyming Story Time: August 24-25, 2015

Books:
Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox
Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny! by  Jan Thomas *
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont *
I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger *
Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas *

Craft: Rhyming Dust Bunny Puppet
Our craft this week is pictured at left.  Crepe paper strips about 5" long were cut in half longways to make thinner strips.  The strips were glued to a paper lunch bag.  Eyes, a nose, and two ears / horns cutouts were glued to the puppet for features.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice rhyming with your child by asking them to come up with rhyming words for the word you supply (i.e. cat, fat, rat, etc.)
- Read rhyming books with your child.  See if they can supply the rhymes at the end of the line / page.

Shapes Story Time: August 17-18, 2015

Books:
A Circle in the Sky by Zachary Wilson
Circle, Square, Moose by Kelly Bingham
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh *
Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong
Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald *
Shape Spotters by Megan E. Bryant *
Shapes Are Everywhere! by Charles Ghigna *

Craft: Shapes Mouse
This week's craft was the shapes mouse that was made in the book Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh.  The children colored the cardstock cutout shapes and then glued them together to make the mouse.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice shape recognition by having your child find different shapes wherever you are at.
- Have your child practice drawing shapes.  Don't worry if they are not perfect.  It is the practice that is important.

Template for Shapes Mouse --

Colors Story Time: August 10-11, 2015

Books:
Baby Shoes by Dashka Slater
Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet *
Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin *
Warthogs Paint: A Messy Color Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards *
White Rabbit's Color Book by Alan Baker

Craft: Jester's Hat
Our craft was based on the picture above.  We used two" strips of yellow paper for the headband of the hat.  Then triangles of red, blue, orange, green and purple were glued to the handband.  Small red, blue, orange, green and purple dots were then glued to the ends of the triangles.

Literacy Extensions:
- Play I Spy spotting colors.
- Mix up some paint colors for an art project.

Numbers & Counting Story Time: August 3-4, 2015

Books:
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox *
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman *
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin *
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland

Craft: Flower Counting Picture
Our craft this week was based on the photo to the left.  We revised it to be a craft.  The kids colored a sheet with five stems and leaves on it.  They then glued on the appropriate number of circles according to the numbers written at the top of the stems.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice counting while eating.  Have your child count the number of bites it takes to eat a sandwich, the number of chocolate chips in their cookie, or the number of chips they have, etc.
- Have your child come up with their own counting rhyme like Ten Terrible Dinosaurs where they count down as items disappear.

Everyday Heroes - Construction Workers: July 27-28, 2015

Books:
The Construction Crew by Lynn Meltzer *
Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman *
The Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler
Monsters on Machines by Deb Lund
Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman *
Work, Dogs, Work: A Highway Tail by James Horvath

Craft: Tool Belt
Our craft was based on the picture above.  We made one slight change in that instead of cutting slits for the tools to fit into, we instead folded a half piece of construction paper and glued it to make a pouch that the tools could sit in.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk about different tools and their uses.  With supervision, have your child try some of the tools.
- See if your child can come up with the steps to build something (i.e. - table, house, etc.)

Everyday Heroes - Firefighters: July 20-21, 2015

Books:
Fire Truck is Flashing by Mandy Archer
Firefighters! Speeding! Spraying! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell
The Firefighters' Thanksgiving by Maribeth Boelts
If I Were a Firefighter by Thomas Kingsley Troupe
This Is the Firefighter by Laura Godwin

Crafts:
Door Hanger - Children colored the doorhanger at left before cutting out the center hole.
Badge - I found a badge online that could be colored and taped to their shirts.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk about fire safety with your child.
- Most fire stations welcome visits by local children.  Take a field trip with your child to the local fire house.


Notes:
Due to my vacation this week, the story times were led by Ms. Aly and Ms. Angie.

Everyday Heroes - Mail Carriers: June 13-14, 2015

Books:
Bear at Work by Stella Blackstone *
The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning *
A Letter for Leo by Sergio Ruzzier
Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier *

Craft: Mail Carrier's Hat
Kids colored the template at right cut from cardstock.  They then glued on the logo of the US Postal Service before gluing on strips of paper to turn it into a hat.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Bear at Work, have your child guess what kind of mail different businesses and people would be receiving.
- Have your child "write" a letter to someone.  Have them practice addressing an envelope.

Everyday Heroes - Trash Collectors: July 6-7, 2015

Books:
I Stink! by Kate McMullan *
Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash! by Barbara Odanaka
Supertruck by Stephen Savage *
Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman *

Craft: Trash Truck Picture
Children colored a coloring page of a trash truck that I found online.  They then glued on crumpled squares of colored paper for trash to the picture.

Literacy Extensions:
- In I Stink! it gives a list of items the trash truck eats.  See how many items starting with letter of the alphabet your child can come up with that they throw into the trash.
- After reading Supertruck ask your child to come up with a list of qualities that makes a superhero.

Every Day Heroes - Drivers: June 29-30, 2015

Books:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems *
The Little School Bus by Margery Cuyler *
My Big Rig by Jonathan London
The Wheels on the Race Car by Alexander Zane *

Craft: Semi-Truck
Kids colored a cab and wheels before gluing them to a rectangle truck.



Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! ask your child to come up with the reasons why Pigeon shouldn't be allowed to drive a vehicle.
- The Wheels on the Race Car is a variation on the song "The Wheels on the Bus".  See if your child can come up with verses to fit other types of vehicles.

Everyday Heroes - Teachers: June 22-23, 2015

Books:
My Creature Teacher by Laura Leuck
My Teacher Is A Monster!  No I Am Not! by Peter Brown *
Oopsy, Teacher! by Stephanie Calmenson *
What Teachers Can't Do by Douglas Wood *

Craft: Schoolhouse
This week's activity was a schoolhouse that when colored and folded formed the outside of a school and the inside of a classroom.



Literacy Extensions:
- After reading What Teachers Can't Do discuss how the teachers in the book are similar and different from their teachers. (i.e. use chalkboards vs. dry erase boards, play during recess, etc.)
- My Teacher Is a Monster! uses speech bubbles to tell parts of the story.  Find more stories that use the same format such as the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.

Everyday Heroes - Police: June 15-16, 2015

Books:
Bug Patrol by Denise Dowling Mortenson *
The Police Cloud by Christoph Niemann *
Police: Hurrying! Helping! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell
Police Officers on Patrol by Kersten Hamilton
Traffic Pups by Michelle Meadows *

Craft: Police Car
Our craft was based on the picture at left.  A paper plate was chopped in half and then triangles cut out to make into the shape of a car.  The kids colored the car and wheels before gluing the wheels, star, windows, and light to the car.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk with your child about stranger danger -- who is it safe to ask for help from?
- Discuss all the ways that police help people.

Everyday Heroes - Astronauts: June 8-9, 2015

Books:
Astro Bunnies by Christine Loomis
Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy *
I Want to Go to the Moon by Tom Saunders
If I Were an Astronaut by Eric Braun
Mousetronaut by Mark Kelly *
Zoom, Rocket, Zoom! by Margaret Mayo

Craft: Floating Astronaut
Our craft was based on the picture above.  The kids colored a paper plate to make it into a planet or a moon.  They then colored an astronaut cutout.  The astronaut was attached to the plate by a piece of yarn.

Literacy Extensions:
- Learn more about the different astronauts and animals that have been to space.  There are many books at the library that will give information on the space program and its participants.
- After reading the Astronaut Handbook, have your child attempt some of the activities the astronauts must do (i.e. survival training, swimming, freeze-dried food, etc.)

Everyday Heroes - Parents: June 1-2, 2015

Books:
Meet the Parents by Peter Bently *
My Dad Is Big and Strong, But . . . by Coralie Saudo
My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle *
My Mom by Anthony Browne
Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein *

Craft: Superhero Mom and Dad
Kids were each given two small gingerbread person cutouts to color and glue on capes to make into a superhero mom and superhero dad.


Literacy Extensions:
- Talk with your child about heroes.  What makes someone a hero?  Superpowers?  Bravery?  Who are their heroes?
- After reading My Father the Dog pick a different animal and have your child find ways that animal is like mom.

XYZ - X-Rays, Yawns & Zoo: May 26, 2015

Books:
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett *
I Dare You Not to Yawn by Helene Boudreau
Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith *
The View at the Zoo by Kathleen Long Bostrom *
You Are a Lion! and Other Fun Yoga Poses by Taeeun Yoo

Craft: Person with X-Ray
Each child was given a large gingerbread person cut-out, a quarter sheet of black construction paper, and 12 small rectangles of white paper.  The black construction paper was glued to the front of the person as a X-Ray picture.  The kids then glued on the bones to the black paper.  They could also color on clothes and features for the person.

Literacy Extensions:
- Play the alphabet game while driving.  Ask your child(ren) to find the entire alphabet using signs and license plates.
- Practice alphabet phonics by asking your child(ren) to come up with an animal for each letter of the alphabet.  This can be continued with foods, toys, etc.


Notes:
- Story time was not held on Monday this week due to the Memorial Day holiday.
- I was unable to find any books for the letter "X", so instead we made our craft for that letter.

W - Wolves & Weather: May 18-19, 2015

Books:
Bear in Sunshine by Stella Blackstone
Breathe by Scott Magoon
Diary of a Baby Wombat by Jackie French
Hello, Sun! by Dayle Ann Dodds *
I Am a Witch's Cat by Harriet Muncaster
I Am So Strong by Mario Ramos
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli *
We Need Water by Charles Ghigna
Winter Woes by Marty Kelley *
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman *

Craft: Windsock
Children were given a piece of cardstock chopped in half longways and six pieces of crepe paper about a foot long each.  The children colored the cardstock however they liked before gluing the crepe paper along one of the long bottom edges of the cardstock.  The cardstock was then glued into a cylinder to make it a windsock.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Diary of a Baby Wombat, have your child keep a simple diary for a week.  If they are not yet writing, have them draw their activities during the day.
- Talk about weather and why we have to wear certain types of clothes for different types of weather.

U / V - Umbrellas & Vegetables: May 11-12, 2015

Books:
One Rainy Day by M. Christina Butler
Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre
Scarlette Beane by Karen Wallace
Underpants Dance by Marlena Zapf *
Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal *
Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres *
Veggies with Wedgies by Todd H. Doodler


Craft: Vine Picture
Each child was given a 3' piece of green yarn to glue onto a piece of cardstock as a vine.  They then glued on pre-cut leaves and flowers.

Literacy Extensions:
- Plant a small garden with your child.  Pick just a few plants to grow.  (Seeds are available to check out from the Arnold Branch's Seed Library.)
- Learn about the different types of food: vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, etc.  Introduce the food pyramid and how many of each type of food you should eat each day.

T - Turtles & Trains: May 4-5, 2015

Books:
10 Turkeys in the Road by Brenda Reeves Sturgis
Clickety Clack by Amy & Rob Spence *
It's a Tiger! by David LaRochelle *
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson *
Turtle Island by Kevin Sherry
Whoosh and Chug! by Sebastien Braun

Craft: Bouquet of Tulips
The children were each given four tulip heads to color and glue to craft sticks.  They were then placed into a mini-styrofoam  cup.  They could write their name or a short message for Mother's Day that was then placed on the cup.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Tap the Magic Tree, learn about different types of trees.  Check out a tree identification book at the library before going on a nature walk and trying to identify the different types of trees in your neighborhood.
- Play with sounds.  Both Clickety Clack and Whoosh and Chug! feature sounds made by different objects.  Make a game of coming up with the sounds made by different objects.

S - Spiders & Snowmen: April 27-28, 2015

Books:
Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks
I'm a Shark by Bob Shea
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry *
A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid *
Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner *
Spots in a Box by Helen Ward
Squirrels on Skis by J. Hamilton Ray

Craft: Shark
Our craft was based on the picture above. Instead of making pictures of sharks, each child was given a cardstock cutout of a shark to color.  They then glued on eyes and teeth.

Literacy Extension:
- Practice letter recognition by having your child point out all the letter "S"s on a page you are reading.
- Talk with your child about how we make words plural.  Most words simply add a letter "S" to the end of the word to make it plural.  However, some words change in other ways. (i.e. foot and feet, hippopotamus and hippopotami, etc.)

Q / R - Quilts & Rain: April 20-21, 2015

Books:
Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes *
Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee
A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas *
Robots Everywhere by Denny Hebson *
Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee *

Craft: My Q Quilt
This week the kids made a paper quilt with quilt squares featuring the letter "Q" or items that start with the letter "Q".  The kids colored the squares before gluing them to a 3x3 grid.

Literacy Extensions:
- The letter "R" is a great opportunity to practice rhyming.  Instead of focusing on the start of words this week practice word ending phonics by coming up with rhyming words.
- Another fun "R" activity is riddles.  Grab a riddle book and see how many your child can figure out.  Don't worry if they don't figure out the riddles.  The word play is fun to read also.


Notes:
I was unable to find a book featuring the letter "Q" that liked.  So we ended up reading "R" books and making a "Q" craft.  It worked out pretty good.

P - Pandas & Pigs: April 13-14, 2015

Books:
Baby Penguins Everywhere! by Melissa Guion *
Can You Make a Piggy Giggle? by Linda Ashman
Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep by Barney Saltzberg *
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail
This Little Pirate by Philemon Sturges

Craft: Standing Peacock
Our craft this week was based on the picture at right.  We did make several changes to it though.  The children each got a peacock body and a tail to color and sequins to glue to the tail.  They then made the peacock "stand" by sliding the tail onto the body using slits that had been cut in them.

Literacy Extensions:
- Do you know how many different types of penguins there are?  Investigate penguins with your child and learn more about the various types of penguins.
- Practice phonics and letter recognition with your child.  See how many words your child can come up with that start with the letter "P".

O - Owls and Ocean: April 6-7, 2015

Books:
As an Oak Tree Grows by G. Brian Karas
Big Egg by Molly Coxe
Colors of the Ocean by Laura Purdie Salas
I Am Otter by Sam Garton
Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal *
My Octopus Arms by Keith Baker *
Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes *

Craft: Octopus
Our craft this week was based on the craft pictured above.  A piece of cardstock was cut in half and eight arms cut about 2/3 way of the sheet.  The sheet was then colored and glued into a cylinder.  The arms could be rolled or folded.

Literacy Extensions:
- Have your child continue the Over in the Ocean rhyme with other ocean creatures.
- Practice the different sounds of the letter "O".  See if your child can come up with words that use the different sounds (i.e. oo - Hoot, long o - old, short o - hot, etc.)

N - Nuts & Nests: March 30-31, 2015

Books:
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward *
The Nose Book by Al Perkins *
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin *
A Porcupine Named Fluffy by Helen Lester

Craft: Night Sky Picture
Our craft this week was based on the picture at left.  The kids colored a half piece of cardstock to make a night sky.  They then colored and glued on a letter "N", moon, and cloud before putting on star stickers.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading The Nose Book, have your child "write" books for other parts of the body.
- If your child colored their night sky picture with a colorful sky, point out that they added the "Northern Lights".  Then learn a little about the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis.

Notes:
I wasn't sure how the book Mama Built a Little Nest would go over.  It is a little longer than I would usually share in story time -- especially with all the captions throughout the book.  However, I just shared a small snippet of information from the captions.  The kids were fascinated by the different types of nests that birds built.