The Ugliest Monster in the World -- 10/21/25

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 Ugliest Monster in the World by Luis Amavisca
Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry

Books:
Frankenbunny by Jill Esbaum
I Will Chomp You! by Jory John
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

Craft: Vampire Puppet
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (head, cape, bowtie)

- Color pieces

- Glue head to top of large craft stick

- Glue cape to back of craft stick centered at bottom of head

- Glue on bowtie below vampire's head

Extension Activities:

- After reading a monster book, poll your child(ren) for which monster is the ugliest, scariest, friendliest, etc.

- Ask your child to write their own version of Bunnies!!! with different animals and things for the monster to greet.

Template --

Rain, Rain, Go Away! -- 2/11/25

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.

Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee
Puddles!!! by Kevan Atteberry

Books:

Hello, Rain! by Kyo Maclear

Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont

Rain by Cynthia Rylant

Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt

Raindrops to Rainbow by John Micklos

Singing in the Rain illustrated by Tim Hopgood

Craft: Rain Mobile

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (rainbow/clouds/sun and raindrops_

- Color pieces

- Cut either yarn, curling ribbon, or thin paper strips into three 1' long pieces

- Glue yarn, curling ribbon, or thin paper strips to bottom of clouds piece

- Glue raindrops onto the yarn, curling ribbon, or thin paper strips to hang underneath the clouds

Extension Activities:

- After it rains, go outside to go puddle splashing.

- Create rainbows using prisms.  

Template --

Virtual Story Time: Favorite Building Block Award Winners -- September 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.

Bunnies!!! by  Kevan Atteberry
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin

Books:
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont
I'm Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich
Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos
Naked! by Michael Ian Black
Pug Meets Pig by Sue Gallion

Extension Activities:
- Visit the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award website for complete list of award winners and past nominees.
- Join us for our in-person story times at the Arnold Branch in September 2024 to hear the 2024 award nominees.

Rain -- 4/18/23

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.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems
Puddles!!! by Kevan Atteberry

Books:
Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse
Drip, Drop by Sarah Weeks
Hello, Rain! by Kyo Maclear
Raindrops to Rainbow by John Micklos Jr.
Singing in the Rain by Arthur Freed
Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle
Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee

Craft: Rainbow Cloud (with Name)
- Print template onto heavy paper or cardstock
- Cut out cloud and raindrops
- Cut long strips (1/2" x 8") of paper in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple
- Color cloud and raindrops
- Optional: Write letters of name onto raindrops
- Glue strips of colored paper to bottom of cloud to make a rainbow

- Glue raindrops to cloud/rainbow making sure to spell out name if you chose that option

Extension Activities:

- Talk about rainbows and how they are made.  Experiment making rainbows by spraying water into the air on a sunny day or using a prism.

- Discuss safety and emergency preparedness measures to take during severe weather.  Hold some practice drills so your children know what to do in the event of bad weather.

Template --

Building Block Award Story Time: September 4, 2018

Books:
10 Little Ninjas by Miranda Paul *
Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry *
Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos *

Craft: Bunny Puppet
Children colored cutout ears, eyes, nose, and teeth before gluing to a paper bag to turn into a puppet.



Literacy Extensions:
- Come up with your own version of 10 Little Ninjas asking for suggestions for different types of characters.
- After reading Mustache Baby, discuss different activities and what makes them good or bad behavior.

Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 19-20, 2016

Books:
Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry *
Get Out of My Bath! by Britta Teckentrup *
Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold *
The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan *

Craft: House
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  Children glued a large H cutout and a triangle to a piece of paper to make into a house.  They then colored it their favorite color(s) and drew on doors and windows.


Literacy Extensions:
- Practice color recognition and counting while in the car.  Ask your child to identify the color of the houses and buildings you pass.  Then have count all the houses / buildings of a particular color.
- After reading The Whale in My Swimming Pool, have your child extend the story by coming up with ways to try to get the bear out of the bed.

Template --

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 --