April Is Punny: Riddles -- 4/23/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee
Near, Far by Silvia Borando

Books:

Camouflage Clues: A Photo Riddle Book by Megan Cooley Peterson

Catch That Cookie! by Hallie Durand

Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg by Mia Posada

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd-Stanton

What Am I? by Linda Granfield

Craft: HippoSPOTamus

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, head) and color

- Glue large sequins to pieces for spots

- Fold legs down so hippo can stand

- Glue head to front of hippo's body

Extension Activities:

- Continue the riddle fun by checking out a book of riddles from the library.

- Rebus puzzles are a type of riddle where you combine pictures with letters to create words and messages.  Search for some rebus puzzles for kids online and see how your child(ren) do.

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April Is Punny: Word Play -- 4/16/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

This Book Is RED by Beck & Matt Stanton
Wombat by Philip Bunting

Books:

The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak
Did You Take the B From My Book? by Beck & Matt Stanton

Great Day for Up by Dr. Seuss
I Scream -- Ice Cream: A Book of Wordles by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Over, Bear! Under, Where! by Julie Hedlund

Sharko and Hippo by Elliott Kalan

Craft: Wombat

** I traced one of the wombats in the Philip Bunting's book for my template.

- Color the pieces (body, legs, head)

- Glue pieces together to make a wombat

Extension Activities:

- Have your child make their version of Wombat using a different animal.

- Have fun with rhyming.  Ask your child to come up with words that rhyme with one you give them.  Don't worry if they are real words or "fake" words.  In fact, be like Dr. Seuss and make up some new words with the rhymes.

April is Punny: Tongue Twisters -- 4/9/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

The Cat and the Hat and the Rat by Em Lynas
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Books:

A Greyhound, A Groundhog by Emily Jenkins

Orangutan Tongues by Jon Agee

Six Sheep Sip Thick Shakes by Brian Cleary

There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake by Loren Long

Craft: Fox in Socks

- Print out a fox template from the internet onto cardstock or heavy paper and cut out

- Cut out four sock shapes from cardstock or heavy paper

- Color pieces (fox, socks)

- Glue socks to fox for feet and hands

Extension Activities:

- Limber up your tongue by seeing if you and/or your child can roll it.

- Practice tongue twisters with your child.  Start with an easier one such as Peter Piper and work your way up to harder tongue twisters.

April Is Punny: Jokes -- 4/2/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

Knock Knock by Tammi Sauer

Chicken Butt! by Erica Perl

Books:

Barnyard Fun by Maureen Wright

Chicken Butt's Return by Eric Perl

Knock Knock by various authors

Max and Ruby's Preschool Pranks by Rosemary Wells

Why Did the Monster Cross the Road? by R.L. Stine

Craft: Chicken Butt

- Draw a squat bowling pin shape for chicken's body and cut out

- Draw two chicken legs (triangles at end of long skinny rectangles and cut out)

- Draw a splat for tail feathers and cut out 

- Cut a skinny cloud like shape for head feathers and cut out

- Color pieces

- Glue together as shown in picture at left

Extension Activities:

- Check out a book of jokes for kids from the library and share the jokes with family and friends.

- The Chicken Butt joke relies on rhymes to work.  See if your child can come up with more rhymes for various chicken body parts to continue on the joke.

Dive In! Bath Tubs -- 3/26/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

Bears in the Bath by Shirley Parenteau
Get Out of My Bath! by Britta Teckentrup
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

Books:

Bath Time by Eileen Spinelli

Bubble Bath Pirates! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

How Do You Take a Bath? by Kate McMullan

I'm Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich
The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson

Who Needs a Bath? by Jeff Mack

Craft: Rubber Ducky

- Print out template (at left) onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out duck

- Color duck

- Optional:  Glue on sequins for extra sparkle

Extension Activities:

- Have fun with bubbles.  Either buy some bubble solution or make your own by mixing dish soap with water.

- Watch the video of Ernie from Sesame Street singing about his bath toy -- the Rubber Ducky. 

Dive In! Swimming Pools -- 3/19/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

Can I Tell You a Secret? by Anna Kang
Fruits in Suits by Jared Chapman
The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan

Books:

Bubbles Up! by Jacqueline Davies

Dino-Swimming by Lisa Wheeler

Don't Splash the Sasquatch! by Kent Redeker

Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London

Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummings

Saturday Is Swimming Day by Hyewon Yum

Swim, Mo, Swim! by David Adler

Craft: Standing Whale

- Print out template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out template

- Color template

- Fold template lines

- Glue top inside of whale together to stands

- Optional -- Hole punch a hole at the top of the whale and tie on ribbon for a spout

Extension Activities:

- Go over water safety with your child. (i.e. life vests, floaties, no running, always with an adult, etc.)

- Go swimming.  Visit your local recreation center or public swimming pool.

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Dive In! Oceans -- 3/12/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

I Spy Under the Ocean by Edward Gibbs
Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck

Books:

Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

I Am the Shark by Joan Holub

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Scuba Bunnies by Christine Loomis

Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Turtle Tug by Michael Slack

Craft: Seahorse Puppet

- Print template (at left) onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out seahorse

- Color seahorse
- (Optional) Glue on sequins

- Tape straw to back of seahorse to turn into puppet

Extension Activities:

- How many ocean animals can your child(ren) name?  Encourage pretend play by having them act like the various ocean animals.

- Enjoy an ocean snack.  Dye some icing blue using food coloring.  Then spread onto a graham cracker.  Add goldfish crackers/pretzels to the graham cracker to make an ocean scene you can eat.

Dive In! Rivers & Lakes -- 3/5/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake by Loren Long
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris
Otters Under Water by Jim Arnosky

Books:

Captain Small Pig by Martin Waddell

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London

Pond Babies by Cathryn Falwell

Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Iza Trapani

Sally and the Some-Thing by George O'Connor

Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett Pumphrey

Craft: Otter Puppet

- Print template

- Color and cut out pieces (head, legs, arms, baby otter)

- Color bag

- Glue head to bottom of bag

- Glue baby to otter's stomach

- Glue arms to hold baby otter

- Glue legs to bottom of bag

Extension Activities:

- Take a nature walk by a river or lake.  What kind of plants, animals, etc do you see?

- Learn more about otters.  Check out a book about otters from the library.  Or watch this YouTube video about otters.

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Virtual Story Time: Dive In! -- March 2024

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.) 

Click HERE to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick

Books:

The Deep End: Real Facts About the Ocean by Drew Sheneman

Field Trip to the Ocean Deep by John Hare

The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola

Ocean Counting by Janet Lawlor

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barba Rosenstock

Extension Activities:

- Make an Ocean Discover Bottle using a recycled water bottle, blue-dyed water, and a plastic baggie.  Visit www.steamsational.com/jellyfish-discovery-bottle/ for directions.

- Visit the St. Louis Aquarium to learn about various aquatic animals.

- Make Ocean Bark with your child.  Melt white chocolate and dye blue using food dye.  Spread onto a piece of wax paper.  Place gummy fish, sharks, etc on top of the chocolate and let cool.  Break into pieces and enjoy.

Fairy Tales & Folk Songs: Week 4 -- 2/27/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
This Little Piggy by Tim Harrington
Do Your Ears Hang Low? by Jenny Cooper

Books:

The Brave Little Seamstress by Mary Pope Osborne

The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock by Jim Aylesworth

The Farmer in the Dell by John O'Brien

Jack and Jill by Daniel Kirk

Little Good Wolf by Janet Stevens

Mary Had a Little Lamb by Mary Ann Hoberman

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Jane Cabrera

Craft: Elephant

- Print template on cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces

- Color pieces

- Glue pieces together as shown in picture

Extension Activities:

- Have your child try to identify some common objects just by touch while blindfolded.

- Extend This Little Piggy by coming up with more activities the piggies could do.

Fairy Tales & Folk Songs: Week 3 -- 2/20/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges
On Top of Spaghetti by Paul Brett Johnson

Books:

The Cheese by Margie Palatini

Hansel and Gretel by Bethann Wollvin

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush by Jane Cabrera

Little Bunny Foo Foo: The Real Story by Cori Doerrfeld

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass

Craft: Little Red Hen with Pizza

- Print template at left onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out

- Color 

- Fold wings to cover pizza

Extension Activities:

- After reading Hansel and Gretel, make a gingerbread house decorating it with various candies.

- On a trip to the grocery store, ask your child to point out foods while walking through the store that are in different folk tales, folk songs, and nursery rhymes.

Fairy Tales & Folk Songs: Week 2 -- 2/13/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Hare and Tortoise by Alison Murray
The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani
Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora

Books:

The Bear Went Over the Mountain by Iza Trapani

Frog Went A-Courtin' by John Langstaff
Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Gus Grimly

Peter and the Wolf by Christopher Raschka

Redlocks and the Three Bears by Claudia Rueda

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

Three Little Kittens (and One Little Mouse!) by Barbara McClintock

Craft: Tortoise

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color pieces (body, shell circles)

- Glue together as shown in picture at left

Extension Activities:

- After reading Hare and Tortoise, hold some races.  Try different types of races (ex - relay race, hopping, complete activity, etc.).

- Learn about the different animals on farms in Africa versus the US.  Which animals are different?  Which animals are the same?

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Fairy Tales & Folk Songs: Week 1 -- 2/6/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
The Wheels on the Race Car by Alexander Zane

Books:

The Cheese by Margie Palatini

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Jeanne Willis

Hush Little Digger by Ellen Olson-Brown

If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugenios Trivizas
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Jane Cabrera

Craft: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaur Puppets

- Print out template on cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces and color

- Glue cutouts to craft sticks to make into puppets

Extension Activities:

- Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is a variation on the traditional Goldilocks and the Three Bears tale.  Have your child write their own variation of the tale using another type of animal.

- Come up with new verses for The Wheels on the Bus.  How many different actions can you come up with?

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Virtual Story Time: Fairy Tales -- February 2024

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.) 

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith

Books:

1 2 3: A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay

The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes by Ying Chang Compestine

Endlessly Ever After by Laural Snyder

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora

An Undone Fairy Tale by Ian Lendler

The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-To-Be by Mini Grey

Extension Activities:

- In Ivan the Terrier, Ivan keeps interrupting the different fairy tales so the narrator can't finish them.  Have your child tell you the endings of those fairy tales.

- Create a "Story Hopscotch Board" to a classic fairy tale.  Have your child draw 8-10 pictures that tell the story of the fairy tale.  Then lay them out in a hopscotch board.  As you jump through the hopscotch describe that part of the story.

Birds: Week 4 -- 1/30/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward
Waddle! Waddle! by James Proimos

Books:

5 Little Ducks by Denise Fleming

Don't Copy Me! by Jonathan Allen

George Flies South by Simon James

Little Black Crow by Christopher Raschka

On the Wing by David Elliott

This Is the Nest That Robin Built by Denise Fleming

Time to Fly by George Ella Lyon

Craft: Duck

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper.

- Cut out pieces (circle body and head with beak) and color.

- Cut a cupcake liner into four triangles.  (You will use two of them for the wings.)  Color them.

- Glue pieces together as shown in picture at left.

- Optional: Cut two small holes at bottom of duck to turn into finger puppet.

Extension Activities:

- After reading Mama Built a Little Nest, try making some of the different types of nests shown in the book. 

- Compete in some penguin waddle races to see who waddles the fastest.

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Birds: Week 3 -- 1/23/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

The Duck Never Blinks by Alex Latimer

Chicken Wants a Nap by Tracy Marchini

Books:

Baby Penguins Everywhere! by Melissa Guion

Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert

Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds

The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett

Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli

Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen

Craft: Folded Penguin

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out piecese (circle body and scarf)

- Color pieces on both sides

- Glue scarf to body below face

- Fold sides of body forward for wings

Extension Activities:

- Visit the Audubon for Kids website.  It has a lot of great information including games and activities for kids about birds.

- Enjoy a snack that birds would like (ex - sunflower seeds, raisins, nuts, etc).

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Birds: Week 2 -- 1/9/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Early Bird by Toni Yuly
Lovebird Lou by Tammi Sauer
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? by various authors

Books:

Albert by Donna Jo Napoli

Hello, Hippo!  Goodbye, Bird! by Kristyn Crow

The Lost Little Bird by David McPhail

Nest by Jorey Hurley

North, South, East, West by Margaret Wise Brown

Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton

Too Many Birds by Cindy Derby

Craft: Parrot

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out bird's body and cut along dotted line

- Color bird's body

- Fold down on dotted line and color back side for wing

- Cut three long strips of colored paper and glue to body for tail feathers

Extension Activities:

- After reading Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? have your child(ren) draw their own answer to the joke.

- Have fun with some pretend play by acting like different types of birds (ex - waddle like a penguin, stand like a flamingo, fly like a hummingbird, etc.).

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Birds -- Week 1: 1/2/24

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Oddbird by Derek Desierto
Sylvie by Jennifer Sattler

Books:

Bird House by Blanca Gomez

Birds by Kevin Henkes
The Crow and the Peacock by Jo Fernihough

Little Bird by Germano Zullo

Some Birds by Matt Spink

Windows with Birds by Karen Ritz

Craft: Flapping Bird
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (wings, body)

- Color pieces

- Fold wings along dotted lines

- Glue wings onto bird's body at marked location so wings will "flap"

Extension Activities:

- The birds in Oddbird are very concerned with their appearance and being colorful.  Ask your child to assemble an outfit that would impress the birds at the beginning of the book.

- Visit the St. Louis Zoo to view all the different types of birds.

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Virtual Story Time: How to Find a Bird -- January 2023

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.) 

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward

Books:

Bird House by Blanca Gomez

Bird Watch by Christie Matheson

Birds by Kevin Henkes

Hungry Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Once, a Bird by Rina Singh
Some Birds by Matt Spink

Windows with Birds by Karen Ritz

Extension Activities:

- Go bird watching.  See how many different types of birds you can see.  Can you identify them?  Check out a bird identification book from the library.

- Make a simple bird feeder for your yard.  Visit HERE for several different types to make.