Rainbow Colors -- 7/29/25

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.

The Rainbow Snail by Karin Akesson
I'm a Unicorn by Helen Yoon

Books:
Ava and the Rainbow (Who Stayed) by Ged Adamson
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

Craft: Crayon

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (crayon, eyes)

- Cut four strips of black paper the width of the crayon

- Color the crayon

- Glue strips to top and bottom of crayon for stripes

- Glue eyes to crayon

- Draw face onto crayon

- Optional: Cut additional black strips to glue on for arms and legs

Extension Activities:

- Have some fun with prisms.  Show your child(ren) how prisms reflect light into the different rainbow colors.

- Take a poll to see what the most popular color is.  Let your child(ren) ask friends and families for their favorite colors and then graph the results.

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Black & White -- 7/22/25

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.

Baby Penguins Everywhere by Melissa Guion
I'll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
Black Cat, White Cat by Silvia Borando

Books:
The Black and White Factory by Eric Telchin
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Penguin Problems by Jory John & Lane Smith
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
The Skunk by Mac Barnett
Something Stinks by Jonathan Fenske

Craft: Snoopy with Doghouse

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (dog house, Snoopy)

- Color pieces

- Fold doghouse in half at roof so stands

- Glue Snoopy onto top of doghouse

Extension Activities:

- Enjoy a snack of Oreos.

- Have fun with some resist art painting.  On a white piece of paper draw a design with a white crayon.  Then use black watercolor paints to paint over the whole sheet.  It will reveal the "hidden" picture.

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Pink -- 7/15/25

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.

Sylvie by Jennifer Sattler
Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson
I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt

Books:
For Pete's Sake by Ellen Stoll Walsh
The Pink Hat by Andrew Joyner
Pink Is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward
Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann
Where Are You? by Sarah Williamson

Craft: Heart Wreath
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out wreath.  After cutting out large circle, gently fold in half to cut center solid lines.

- Color wreath.  Color back if you would like the wreath to have a colored background.

- Fold triangles down on dotted lines.

- Fold small triangles and glue around edge of outer circle to make wreath.

- Optional:  Fold triangles up on dotted lines to make a crown with points sticking up.

Extension Activities:

- Do some pink painting with strawberries.  Cut the tops off of strawberries and press down to make pink patterns.

- Make a simple pink worm craft.  Slide pink pony beads onto a pink pipecleaner.

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Purple -- 7/8/25

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.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Raisin and Grape by Tom Amico

Books:
Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Purple Puffy Coat by Maribeth Boelts
Silly Boobies: A Love Story by Ame Dyckman
When Pencil Met the Markers by Karen Kilpatrick

Craft: Purple People Eater

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, wings, horn, eye)

- Color pieces

- Glue wings to sides of body, horn to top of body, and eye in center

- Add mouth and other featuers

Extension Activities:

- Draw a purple adventure like Harold did.

- Try some new purple foods -- eggplant, purple carrots, cabbage, plums, etc.

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Blue -- 7/1/25

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.

The Big Blue Spot by Dave Holwitz
Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Peter Peck

Books:

Blue Boat by Kersten Hamilton
The Blue Table by Christopher Raschka

The Blue Umbrella by Emily Ann Davison
Blueberry Mouse by Alice Low
Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
One Blue Gnu by Danna Smith

Craft: Bird with Birdhouse
- Color pieces (bird, wooden stick, birdhouse)

- Fold roof down to make overhang and glue at top point so stays in place

- Roll wooden strip into loop and glue

- Glue loop to birdhouse next to "hole"

- Glue bird to loop

Extension Activities:

- Have your child squeeze blueberries into water to create an edible paint.

- Create a blue sky picture by adding star stickers to blue paper.

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Virtual Story Time: Color Our World -- July 2025

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.

Color the Sky by David Elliott
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

Books:

Dr. Seuss's Book of Colors by Dr. Seuss

Green on Green by Dianne White

Mix It Up by Herve Tullet
The Rainbow Snail by Karin Akesson

Red Sings for Treetops by Joyce Sidman

Remixed: A Blended Family by Arree Chung

Extension Activities:

- Have fun decorating cookies or cupcakes with different colored icing.  Let the kids mix their own colored icing using food coloring and plain white icing.

- Play a game of I Spy using color clues.

- Ask your child to organize things by color (ex - their clothes in the closet, books on a shelf, etc).

Green -- 6/24/25

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.

Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
Little Green Donkey by Anuska Allepuz

Books:
The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
A Girl and Her Gator by Sean Bryan
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Green Beans by Elizabeth Thomas
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Craft: Caterpillar
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, head)

- Cut along straight black lines to get legs

- Color pieces (back and front)

- Fold legs so every other leg is folded backwards or forwards

- Glue head to front of caterpillar

Extension Activities:

- Go on a leaf scavenger hunt.  How many different types of green leaves can you collect.  Can you identify them?  If not, check out a leaf identification book from the library.

- Have a green food taste testing.  Try different green foods such as kiwi, grapes, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, cucumbers, pickles, etc.

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Yellow -- 6/17/25

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.

Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel
Counting to Bananas by Carrie Tillotson

Books:
5 Little Ducks by Denise Fleming
I Am Not a Chair by Ross Burach
The Little School Bus by Margery Cuyler
This Is the Sunflower by Lola M. Schaefer
Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach
Yellow Copter by Kersten Hamilton

Craft: Bee

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, wings)

- Color pieces

- Roll strip of paper (body) and glue in place to make bee's head

- Glue on wings to bee's back

Extension Activities:

- Make Banana Pops to eat.  Peel a banana and slide onto a craft stick.  Dip the banana in yogurt, chocolate, or peanut butter.  Roll the banana in nuts, sprinkles, mini chips, etc.  Freeze.

- Hold a Rubber Ducky Race at your local pool.  Give each child a rubber ducky and see which one crosses the pool first.

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Orange -- 6/10/25

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.

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
It's a Tiger! by David LaRochelle

Books:
Beware of Tigers by Dave Horowitz
Carrot & Pea by Morag Hood
Hello, Little One: A Monarch Butterfly Story by Zeena M. Pliska 
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage

Craft: Clownfish

- Print template (above) onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out clownfish

- Color clownfish

- Cut orange paper into small pieces.  Glue pieces to stripes of clownfish

Extension Activities:

- Hold a taste testing of orange foods -- oranges, canteloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, cheez-its, cheetos, goldfish crackers, etc.

- Plant a carrot top.  Cut off the top of the carrot and trim away the leaves.  Place the carrot top in a small container on top of a layer of pebbles.  Let your child pour water in up to the carrot.  Wait for it to start to grow roots and then transplant to dirt.

Red -- 6/3/25

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.

I Am Bat by Morag Hood
The Starry Giraffe by Andy Bergmann

Books:

Crabby Crab by Chris Raschka
The Little Fire Truck by Margery Cuyler
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Red Truck by Kersten Hamilton
Ten Apples Up on Top! by Theo LeSieg

Craft:  Ladybug

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, antennae)

- Color pieces

- Glue wings so they overlap slightly

- Fold and glue antennae to top of ladybug

Extension Activities:

- Enjoy a fruit a salad made with red fruits -- apples, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, watermelon, etc.

- Visit a fire station to view a fire truck. 

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Virtual Story Time: Summer Colors -- June 2025

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.

The Colors of Summer by Danna Smith
Ten in a Hurry by Lo Cole

Books:

Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley

The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman

Magic Colors by Patrick George

Extension Activities:

- The Colors of Summer gives colors on a summer beach day.  Have your child write their own version of the book using colors they would see on their summer day at home, at the park, etc.

- Go on a color scavenger hunt.  Try to find something for each color of the rainbow.

- Make a colorful suncatcher by placing tissue paper pieces between two pieces of contact paper.  You can then cut out the shape you would like for your suncatcher.

Back to School: Art -- 8/22/23

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 Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
Warthogs Paint by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Books:
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw
Seen Art? by Jon Scieszka
When Glitter Met Glue by Karne Kilpatrick

Craft: Shapes Collage
- Cut out various shapes of different sizes from colored paper
- Glue shapes onto a piece of white paper to make a picture

Extension Activities:
- Play a game of I Spy or go on a scavenger hunt asking your child to find items of different colors.
- Visit the St. Louis Art Museum. What kind of art there did your child(ren) like?

Colors: August 16, 2022

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am and Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm.  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 for this week's Story Time video.

Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman
Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold

Warthogs Paint: A Messy Color Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Craft: Crayon

- Print out template on heavy paper or cardstock and cut out

- Color crayon your favorite color

- Cut out four black strips of paper

- Glue black strips onto crayon as shown at left (two at top and two at bottom)

- Glue on eyes

- Draw on face

Extension Activities:

- Practice color sorting by having your child sort a bag of M&Ms or Skittles by color.

- Go on a color scavenger hunt trying to find an object for each color of the rainbow - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple.

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Picture Book Genres: Learning Concepts -- 7/5/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am and Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm.  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 for this week's Story Time video.

Ten Hungry Pigs by Derek Anderson

Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold

Books: (Alphabet, Numbers, Colors, Shapes, Safety, Manners, etc.)

Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

Monkey Time by Michael Hall

My Little Sister Hugged an Ape by Bill Grossman

Please Play Safe! by Margery Cuyler

Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Ten in a Hurry by Lo Cole

Triceratopposite by Bridget Heos

Up, Down & Around by Katherine Ayres

Craft: Alphabet Dominoes

- Print the template above onto cardstock

- Trace letters and color pictures

- Cut out dominoes

Extension Activities:

- The more you read to your child the more their vocabulary increases.  Participate in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the JCL-Arnold Branch to encourage reading to your child.

- Go on a color scavenger hunt.  See how many of items you can find for each color.  Or make it a competition between several people.

Colors Story Time: August 15 (Outdoors) - August 16 (Virtual), 2021

Outdoor Story Times are held weekly on Monday mornings at 10:00 am and 11:00 am.  (Registration is required to attend.)  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold

Books:

Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

Freight Train by Donald Crews

The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman

Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Warthogs Paint: A Messy Color Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Craft: Tissue Paper Elephant
- Print and cut out template on heavy paper or cardstock

- Cut multiple colors of tissue paper into small squares

- Color elephant

- Glue tissue paper squares to elephant

Extension Activities:

- Go on a color scavenger hunt.  Have each child pick a different color.  Then have them count the things they find that are their chosen color.

- Make colored ice cubes by adding a drop of food color to water before freezing.  (Optional - Stick a popsicle stick in each cube before freezing for easy holding.)  Then use the ice cubes to "paint" on either paper or outdoor sidewalk.

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Virtual Story Time: Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert -- 8/18/20

 This is a weekly online story time featuring a book read by Miss Amy on Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.

Click HERE  to view the latest video.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Related Books:  (Colors)

Blue Goose by Nancy Tafuri

Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley

Freight Train by Donald Crews

The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger

Monkey Colors by Darrin Lunde

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold

TumbleBook Stories: (Available through www.jeffcolib.org by clicking on E-Content.)

Red Is a Dragon by Roseanne Thong

Craft: Rainbow Flower

- Color flower's center and craft stick (stem)

- Glue colored strips in a starburst pattern

- Glue flower's center in middle of rainbow starburst

- Glue craft stick to back of starburst

- Glue green leaves to craft stick stem

Option -- Print out a picture of your child and cut into a circle.  Glue to middle of starburst as the flower's center.

Extension Activities:

- Play a game of I Spy looking for items based on colors.

- Go on a color scavenger hunt.  See how many items of each color you can find.

- Sort items (i.e. MMs, Fruit Loops, buttons, etc) by color.

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Green Story Time: March 16-17, 2020

Books:
The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
Good Luck Bear by Greg Foley
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal *
Snip Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman *
Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox *

Craft: Shamrock Necklace
The kids colored a shamrock cutout which was then strung onto a length of curling ribbon along with beads to make into a necklace.

Extension Activities --
- Where Is the Green Sheep is a great lead in to going on a scavenger hunt.  Ask your child to find items of different colors throughout your house.
- Learn about St. Patrick's Day.  There are several books at the library that can be checked out or search online for kid friendly websites and videos.

Orange & Yellow Story Time: March 9-10, 2020

Books:
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds *
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss *
In My New Yellow Shirt by Eileen Spinelli *
Yellow Copter by Kersten Hamilton

Craft: Monarch Butterfly
The children colored a pair of monarch butterfly wings or they glued on orange and black paper squares to the wings.  The wings were then glued to a jumbo craft stick.  Half a pipe cleaner was twisted around the top of the craft stick to make antennae.

Extension Activiites:
- After reading In My New Yellow Shirt, ask your child to "write" their own version of the story using a different colored shirt.
- Learn more about various types of butterflies by taking a trip to the Butterfly House.


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Red & Pink Story Time: March 2-3, 2020

Books:
Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell *
Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems
Ned's New Home by Kevin Tseng
Sylvie by Jennifer Sattler *
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli


Craft: Loop Ladybug
This week's craft is based on the picture at left.  The kids colored a strip of cardstock as well as a circle head.  The strip was glued into a loop.  The head was glued onto the loop as well as sequins as spots.  Half of a pipe cleaner was threaded through holes in the head to make the antennae.

Extension Activities:
- Practice color recognition by having your child go through the house pointing out the different items that are red or pink.
- Have fun with ice painting.  Freeze colored water in ice trays with a popsicle stick stuck in them.  Kids can then "paint" with the frozen water.  Colors can be mixed as the ice starts to melt.

Colors & Shapes Story Time: August 19-20, 2019

Books:
Butterfly, Butterly: A Book of Colors by Peter Horacek *
A Circle in the Sky by Zachary Wilson *
Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet *
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth

Craft: Butterfly Matching Sheet
The kids match shape cutouts to the shapes on a butterfly coloring sheet.



Extension Activities:
- Play a game of I Spy mixing it up between looking for colored and shaped objects.
- Practice color mixing with dyed ice cubes.  Make colored ice cubes using food coloring.  Ask your child to guess what colors they will get by mixing the different melted cubes.


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