Favorite Picture Books of 2025 -- 12/16/25

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.

George & Lenny Are Always Together by Jon Agee
Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris

Books:
Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend by Bob Shea
Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
I Am Tree Rex! by Mo Davey
Piece Out by Alex Willan
Six Little Sticks by Tiffany Stone
This Book Is Dangerous! by Ben Clanton

Craft: George & Lenny

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (bear, bunny)

- Color pieces

- Fold bear's arm along line and glue end to back of other side of bear

- Lightly Fold bunny in half (top to bottom) and cut small diagonal slit on tummy to make a downwards triangle

- Slip bunny onto bear's arm

- Optional: Glue bunny into place if you like

Extension Activities:

- Discuss with your child whether they prefer being alone or with friends.  Come up with a list of activities you can do in the different situations.

- Extend the book Let's Be Bees by coming up with more sounds for various things.  Turn it into a guessing game to see if you can guess what the object is from the sound.

Template --

Building Block Award Nominees: Week 4 -- 10/1/24

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.

I Am Stuck by Julia Mills
My Dad Is a Tree by Jon Agee

Books:
A Bear, A Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom
The Best Bad Day Ever by Marianna Coppo
A Good Place by Lucy Cousins
I Am Stuck by Julia Mills
I Was Born a Baby by Meg Fleming
Mister Kitty Is Lost! by Greg Pizzoli
My Dad Is a Tree by Jon Agee
NO Is All I Know! by Chris Grabenstein
Problem Solved! by Jan Thomas
Woo Hoo! You're Doing Great! by Sandra Boynton

Craft: Turtle

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out turtle

- Cut along solid line on shell

- Color turtle

- Fold shell over so solid line is underneath shell going to dotted line and glue in place so shell "pops" up

Extension Activities:

- I Am Stuck is about a turtle that is stuck on his back.  Have your children pretend to be different animals and see how they would become "unstuck".

- Take a nature walk to look at different types of trees.  Note the animals (birds, insects, etc) that live in those trees.

- Visit https://molib.wildapricot.org/Building-Block-Award for information on voting for your favorite book for the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award.  Or email aheld@jeffcolib.org with the title of your favorite book.

Template --

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.

Template --

The Alphabet: WXYZ -- 4/26/22

Join us weekly on Tuesdays for an online Story Time featuring books read by Miss Amy.  The video will be available for a week before a new online Story Time is posted.

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee
I Dare You Not to Yawn by Helene Boudreau
Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith

Books:
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Go Track a Yak by Tony Johnston
Goose Goes to the Zoo by Laura Wall
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins
When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan
Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage

Craft: X is for X-Ray Fish

- Print template on heavy paper or cardstock
- Cut out pieces (fish body, X bones)

- Color pieces

- Glue bones onto fish in center of body for skeleton

Extension Activities:

- Get outside and go on a walk.

- Make a treasure map with your child.  Have them hide a treasure in the house and then draw a simple map of the house with path and an X marking where the treasure is hidden.
- Go on a scavenger hunt to see how many things you can find that are the color yellow.

- Visit the zoo and make sure to see the zebras!

Template --

Building Block Story Time -- Week 4: September 27-28, 2021

Outdoor Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  (Registration is required to attend.)  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE to watch this week's Story Time video.

I Want a Dog by Jon Agee
The Farm That Mac Built by Tammi Sauer
Bad Dog by Mike Boldt

Books: (2021 Building Block Award Nominees)
Bad Dog by Mike Boldt
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris
The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli
Crocodiles Need Kisses Too by Rebecca Colby
The Farm That Mac Built by Tammi Sauer
I Want a Dog by Jon Agee
One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler
The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems
Saturday by Oge Mora
Stomp by Uncle Ian Aurora

Craft:  Farm Tic Tac Toe

- Print out template on heavy paper or cardstock

- Color barn and animal game pieces

- Cut out pig and chicken game pieces

Extension Activities:

- Click HERE to cast your vote for the 2021 Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award.
- All three of this week's books could easily be extended by adding more animals to the stories.  Ask your child to continue one of stories.

Template --

Lions Story Time: April 29-30, 2019

Books:
How to Be a Lion by Ed Vere
How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens *
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
A Lion is a Lion by Polly Dunbar
Lion Lessons by Jon Agee *
Quiet! by Paul Bright
Roar! A Noisy Counting Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards *

Craft: Lion Headband
Children colored a lion head on a strip of cardstock.  A second strip of paper was glued to it to turn into a headband.

Extension Activities:
- This week's letter is "L".  Ask your child to point out the Ls on the page as you are reading.
- Visit a zoo to learn more about lions and other animals.

Our Favorite Books of 2018 Story Time: December 3-4, 2018

Books:
Big Box, Little Box by Caryl Hart
Crunch, The Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap
Do You Believe in Unicorns? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia *
The T-Rex Who Lost His Specs! by Jeanne Willis *
The Tiptoeing Tiger by Philippa Leathers
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee *

Craft: Unicorn Puzzle
Children colored a coloring sheet of a unicorn.  They could then cut on the lines on the back of the sheet to turn it into a puzzle.

Literacy Extensions:
- This week's books are some of our favorite picture books from 2018.  Discuss what the word "favorite" means.  Have your child list their favorite books.
- Big Box, Little Box lists how different boxes can be opposites.  Have your child "write" their own book of opposites using a similarly common object.

Building Block Award Nominees Story Time - Week 2: September 11-12, 2017

Books:
Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio *
Frog on a Log? by Kes Gray *
Lion Lessons by Jon Agee (Monday only) *

Craft: Frog on a Log
The children colored a cutout cardstock frog with a tab at the bottom.  They then colored a quarter cardstock sheet with a slit cut longways in the middle.  The sheet was rolled and glued into the shape of a frog.  The frog was inserted into the slit to make it sit up.

Literacy Extensions:
- Extend the book Frog on a Log by naming additional animals and having your child come up with something that rhymes for the animals to sit on.
- Ask your child to "tell" you the story the boy tells in Dragon Is Terrible.

Notes:
Due to the Labor Day holiday, the Monday and Tuesday story times are slightly off this month to allow for the children to hear all ten Building Block nominee books.


Template --

Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 5, 2017

Books:
Lion Lessons by Jon Agee
There's a Giraffe in My Soup by Ross Burach

Craft: Lion
The children colored a lion's head before gluing on orange paper strips for the lion's mane.

Literacy Extensions:
- Extend the book Lion Lessons be seeing if your child can do the various lessons needed to become a lion.
- The Building Block Award asks children to read ten nominee books and then vote for their favorite.  Talk about favorite things with your child.  Have them pick out various things that are their favorites (i.e. - color, food, television show, book).  Make sure they pick only one thing for each category.

Jon Agee Story Time: July 24-25, 2017

Books:
It's Only Stanley by Jon Agee
Life on Mars by Jon Agee *
Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee *
My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee *
The Retired Kid by Jon Agee *

Craft: Sock-topus
The kids were given an octopus template which was colored and then glued into a cylinder.  The legs were spread apart before gluing on a multi-colored paper sock to each leg.

Literacy Extensions:
- Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog introduces kids to simple riddles and wordplay.  If your child likes the book, try out some simple knock knock jokes that also include wordplay.
- Life on Mars tells two different stories -- one in text, one in pictures.  Before reading the book to your child, show them the pictures and see what story they come up with to go along with them.


Template --

Cut on the lines to make legs.  The shaded section is cut off and thrown away.

Best of 2016: December 27, 2016

Books:
The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio
It Came in the Mail by Ben Clanton
Lion Lessons by Jon Agee *
Oh No, Astro! by Matt Roeser
Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen *

Craft: Waffle
The kids colored a cut out woodpecker and glued onto a jumbo craft stick as a tree.

Literacy Extensions:
- Lion Lessons tells kids how to act like a lion.  See if your child can follow the lessons to become an honorary lion.
- Use It Came in the Mail to talk about letter writing.  Have your child practice writing a letter.

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.

Jon Agee Story Time - July 1-2, 2013

Books:
The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee
Milo's Hat Trick by Jon Agee
Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee *
My Rhinoceros by  Jon Agee *
Nothing by Jon Agee
The Retired Kid by Jon Agee *
Terrific by Jon Agee

Craft: Octopus
The craft looked very similar to the one pictured above.  The main different is that we only used a half sheet of cardstock rather than a whole sheet.  I pre-cut the tentacles before the story time so all kids had to do was color and then glue the octopus together.

Literacy Extenders:
- Check out a book of riddles and see how many you and your child can answer. (i.e. Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog)
- Talk about what it means to be retired (i.e. The Retired Kid)