Building Block Award Nominees: Week 3 -- 9/24/24

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.

Mister Kitty Is Lost! by Greg Pizzoli
Problem Solved! by Jan Thomas
A Bear, a Bear, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom

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: Porcupine

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out body and color

- Cut spikes from colored paper

- Glue spikes to porcupine's body

Extension Activities:

- The narrator's dog is missing at the end of Mister Kitty Is Lost.  Ask your child "continue" the story in the same kind of format to find the dog.

- Work on problem solving.  Give your child examples of problems and ask them for the solution.

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Owls Story Time -- 11/15/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  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.

Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli

Books:

Baz & Benz by Heidi McKinnon

Hooray for Today! by Brian Won

Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor

Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Craft: Owl

- Print out template on heavy paper or cardstock

- Cut out pieces (body, 2 wings) and color

- Glue wings to either side of body

Extension Activities:

- After reading (or watching) Good Night Owl, ask your child what in the story was not true about owls.  Explain how owls are nocturnal.  They sleep during the day and are awake at night.

- Take a visit to the Wild Bird Sanctuary to learn more about owls.

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All About Food: Watermelon & Cherries Story Time -- November 15-16, 2021

Outdoor Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am, weather permitting.  (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 for this week's Story Time video.

Blueberry Mouse by Alice Low
I Am Bat by Morag Hood
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

Books:  (Fruit)
Fruit Bowl by Mark Hoffmann

Fruits and Suits by Jared Chapman

Go, Go, Grapes! by April Pulley Sayre
The Monkey Goes Banana by C.P. Bloom

Ned's New Home by Kevin Tseng
Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSeig

Craft:  Watermelon

- Glue small red pieces of paper to the center of a paper plate

- Glue small green pieces of paper around the edges of the paper plate

- Fold plate in half

- Draw on face and seeds

Extension Activities:

- See how many different types of fruit your child can name.  Have them poll family and friends to see which fruits are their favorites.

- Visit the grocery story or local market.  Ask your child to name the different fruits they see.

- Try a fruit that you haven't had before.

Building Block Story Time -- Week 2: September 13-14, 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.

The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli
Stomp by Uncle Ian Aurora

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: Book Hog Bookmark
- Print out template on heavy paper or cardstock

- Cut out pieces and color

- Glue hat to top of head

- Glue ears to head on both sides of hat

- Fold and glue long shape around bookmark below head for motorcycle vest

- Glue arms behind vest on either side



Extension Activities:

- Stomp is all about following directions.  Play a game of Follow the Leader or Simon Says.
- Read a book to a pet or stuffed animal.  Don't worry if your child can't read yet.  Have them "read" or tell the story from the pictures.


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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Bedtime) Sing-Along Story Time: May 29, 2018

Books:
Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep by Barney Saltzberg *
Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli *
Hush Little Baby: A Folk Song by Marla Frazee
Rock-A-Bye Baby by Jane Cabrera
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jane Cabrera *

Craft: Star Streamer
The children were given a twinkle star cutout to color.  They then glued on sparkles and streamers to the bottom.  A string was tied through a hole punch at the top of the star.

Literacy Extensions:
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Jane Cabrera extends the popular song by adding several verses.  See if your child can come up with some verses highlighting other animals and parts of the world.
- Good Night Owl is a good book to discuss how to problem solve.  Ask them how they would have solved the problem of finding the "noise".


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Fruits Story Time: October 24-25, 2016

Books:
Blueberry Mouse by Alice Low
Ned's New Home by Kevin Tseng *
Raisin and Grape by Tom Amico
Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book by Stephen Savage *
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli *

Craft: Banana Man
The children colored a banana cutout before gluing on yellow strips of paper that were accordian-folded for arms and legs.


Literacy Extensions:
- Have your child take a poll to see which fruits are most liked in your family.
- After reading Ten Orange Pumpkins, have your child come up with a similar story using a different type of fruit.

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.

Favorite Books of 2014: December 22-23, 2014

Books:
Digger Dog by William Bee *
Froodle by Antoinette Portis
Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli *
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin *

Craft: Paper Tube Race Car
Our craft this week was based on the picture at right.  A quarter sheet of cardstock was rolled and glued into a cylinder to make the car's body.  Four circles were glued on for tires.  A person was colored and stuck through a slit cut in the car's body.

Literacy Extensions:
- Discuss how there are different ways to be number one - not just winning first place. (i.e. Number One Sam)
- Talk about bones and skeletons.  Explain how it is our bones that hold us together and allow us to stand up.

2014 Building Block Nominees Story Time: September 29-30, 2014

Books:
Moo! by David La Rochelle *
This Little Piggy by Tim Harrington *
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli *

Craft: Watermelon Person
This week we made watermelon people based on the picture at left.  We made ours out of half of a paper plate.  The children colored the edge of the plate green before gluing on a red semi-circle and four accordian-folded green strips of paper for arms and legs.  They could then draw on seeds and a face.

Literacy Extensions:
- Visit the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award website to vote for your choice for the 2014 Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award.
- Extend the book This Little Piggy by having your child come up with more activities for the toes to do.

Our Favorite Books 2013: December 30, 2013

Books:
Oliver and His Alligator by Paul Schmid *
Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite by Nicola O'Byrne *
That Is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli *

Craft: Alligator
The craft we did is based on the picture to the left.  The template can be found at http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/02/06/id-snap-at-the-chance-to-be-your-valentine/.  Ours was a little different in that we did a flat body instead of the pillow box body.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk with your child about how plants grow (i.e. The Watermelon Seed)
- Discuss with your child things that they are scared of and ways they might cope (i.e. Oliver and His Alligator)