Learning Concepts: All About Me -- 8/26/25

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 Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
We've All Got Bellybuttons by David Martin
How Are You Peeling? by Saxton Freymann

Books:
Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
I Feel . . .  by D.J. Corchin
Look At You! A Baby Body Book by Kathy Henderson
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis
Who Has Wiggle-Waggle Toes? by Vicky Shiefman

Craft: Sunny All About Me   
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (center circle, rays)

- Color center with child's name or picture

- Decorate rays as directed and color
- Glue rays to center to make sun

Extension Activities:

- Make a self-portrait.  Have a variety of art and collage supplies for the children to use to make their portraits.

- Play a game of charades using emotions.  

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Learning Concepts: Seasons & Time -- 8/19/25

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 Completed Hickory Dickory Dock by Jim Aylesworth
Busy Builders, Busy Week! by Jean Reidy
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

Books:
All Year Long by Kathleen W. Deady
Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Jump Into January: A Journey Around the Year by Stella Blackstone
Mouse Seasons by Leo Lionni
Telling Time by Jules Older

Craft: Hickory Dickory Clock with Mouse

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (clock arms, mouse)

- Write hour numbers around edges of paper plate

- Colors arms and punch hole into end that is not the arrow

- Use a brad to attach the arms to the center of the paper plate.

- Color mouse

- Cut a piece of yarn and tape to back of mouse for tail

- Glue mouse to clock

Extension Activities:

-  Make a chart with your child of the day's activities writing down what they generally do each of the day they are awake.

-  Poll family and friends to see what their favorite season of the year is.  Why is their favorite season?

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Learning Concepts: Same, Different, Opposite -- 8/12/25

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.

One of These Is Not Like the Others by Barney Saltzberg
Different? Same! by Heather Tekavec

Books:
Always by Emma Dodd
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena
Same and Different by National Geographic Kids
The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson
You and Me: We're Opposites by Harriet Ziefert


Craft: Same/Different Puppets
- Print two of the template onto cardstock or heavy paper
- Cut out people
- Color people
- Glue people to craft sticks to make into puppets
- Have your child tell you how the puppets are the same and different


Extension Activities:
- Play a game of Simon Says using opposite actions.
- Read a book backwards.  Then read it forwards.  See how it makes a difference to the story.


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Learning Concepts: ABC & 123 -- 8/5/25

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.

Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani
10 Dogs by Emily Gravett

Books:

B is for Bananas by Carrie Tillitson

The Case of the Missing Cake: Not an Alphabet Book by Eoin McLaughlin

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh

The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

Roll Over: A Counting Song by Merle Peek

Craft: Ice Cream Cone

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (cone, scoops)

- Color pieces

- Glue scoops to cone

- Optional: Use a spinner or dice to determine how many scoops to add to your cone

Extension Activities:

- Play the Alphabet Game while riding in the car.  Try to find each letter of the alphabet on road signs or license plates.

- Practice counting throughout the day by counting various activities (ex - number of sips to finish a cup of drink, number of steps to walk through a room, number of buttons on shirt, etc).

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Learning Concepts -- 8/13/24

 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 online Story Time.

How to Count to 1 by Caspar Salmon
Go and Get with Rex by David LaRochelle

Books:

10 Hungry Rabbits by Anita Lobel

Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

Little Plane Learns to Write by Stephen Savage

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Shape by Shape by Suse McDonald

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Craft: Turtle Numbers Count

- Print template at left

- Color turtles

- Rip colored paper into small pieces

- Glue corresponding number of pieces to each turtle that matches that shell's number

Extension Activities:

- Play a game of I Spy.  Switch it up by giving clues based on the first letter of the object, the color of the object, etc.

- Practice letter recognition by asking your child to find a different letter on each page of a book you are reading together.

More Learning Concepts: 8/30/22

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.

Same Same by Marthe Jocelyn
Oops, Sorry: A First Book of Manners by Richard Morgan

Books:

Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone

Hap-pea All Year by Keith Baker

Is Mommy? by Victoria Chang

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Triceratopposite by Bridget Heos

Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres

Which Is Round? Which Is Bigger? by Mineko Mamada

Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! by Mem Fox

Craft: Animals Match

- Print out template at left onto heavy paper or cardstock

- Color the matching animals as similar as you can

- Cut the sheet apart on the straight lines to create twelve cards

- Play a game of Memory Match using the cards

Extension Activities:

- Throughout the day, ask your child to come up with how different items are the same.  (ex. peas and carrots, boots and shoes, etc.)

- Have some fun with measuring.  Give your child a tape measure and ask them to measure different items to see which are bigger and smaller.

Numbers: 8/23/22

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.

Warthogs in the Kitchen by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

Books:

Bear Counts by Karma Wilson

Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 by Bill Martin Jr.

Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson

Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh

One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl

The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

Soup for One by Ethan Long

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson

Craft: Flower Count

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

- Color and cut out at least 15 circles

- Color stems on sheet

- Glue the number of circles onto the stems as indicated

Extension Activities:

- You can practice counting almost anywhere throughout the day.  Examples include counting how many times you chew your food during lunch, how many commercials are shown during a tv show you are watching, or how many steps it takes to walk down a hallway.

- Practice number recognition by asking your child to find certain numbers around you.  They could be on a clock, signs, etc.

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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The Alphabet -- 8/9/22

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.

Animal ABC by Marcus Pfister

Books:

A is for Salad by Mike Lester

ABC of Feelings by Bonnie Liu

Animalicious: A Quirky ABC Book by Anna Dewdney

The Bookstore Cat by Cylin Busby

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Click Clack Quackity-Quack by Doreen Cronin

Jeepers Creepers: A Monstrous ABC by Laura Leuck

Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets by Sara O'Leary

Sign Language ABC by Lori Heller

Craft: Name Dog

- Print template on heavy paper or cardstock

- Color template (head, tail) and cut out

- Cut out a square for each letter of your child's name

- Have your child write their name on the letters (one letter per square)

- Glue pieces together to make a dog with child's name spelled out in the middle

Extension Activities:

- Play a version of I Spy using the starting letter of the item they are looking for.

- Ask your child to sound out and spell some simple sight words (i.e. cat, dog, up, etc.).

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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.

Shapes Story Time -- 8/30-31/2021

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.

Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald
Shapes Are Everywhere by Charles Ghigna

Books:

Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone

Circle Dogs by Kevin Henkes

A Circle in the Sky by Zachary Wilson

Go, Shapes, Go! by Denise Fleming

Love, Triangle by Marcie Colleen
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth

Shapes That Roll by Karen Berman Nagel

Tangled by Anne Miranda

Craft: Shapes Collage

- Cut out shapes from colored paper

- Ask child to make pictures from those shapes

- Optional:  Glue shapes as picture onto a piece of large paper

Extension Activities

- Play a game of "I Spy" focusing on shapes.

- Give your child a handful of pretzel sticks.  Ask them to arrange the pretzels into various shapes.

Opposites Story Time: August 23-24, 2021 (Outdoor & Virtual)

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 to watch this week's Story Time video.

You and Me: We're Opposites by Harriet Ziefert
Triceratopposite by Bridget Heos

Books:

Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson

Black? White! Day? Night! by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Dogs by Emily Gravett

Good News, Bad News by Jeff Mack

Magic Opposites by Patrick George

The Opposite Zoo by Il Sung Na

Pomelo's Opposites by Ramona Badescu

Stop, Go, Yes, No! A Story of Opposites by Mike Twohy

What's Up Bear? A Book about Opposites by Frieda Wishinsky

Craft:  Little Bunnies Opposite Match

- Print out template on heavy paper or cardstock.

- Color bunnies.

- Cut on dotted lines to make cards.

- Mix up cards and try to find matching opposites.

Extension Activities:

- Make a beaded necklace using small pony beads and large wooden beads.  Ask your child to do a pattern of small and large beads.

- Play a game where the kids do the opposite of what you say.  An example would be bending down if told to stretch up high. 

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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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Counting Story Time: 8/9/21 (Outdoors) & 8/10/21 (Virtual)

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.


Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman

Books:

Bear Counts by Karma Wilson

Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr.

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

Dinosaur Countdown by Nicholas Oldland

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow

One Little Chicken: A Counting Book by David Elliott

The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

Soup for One by Ethan Long
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson

Warthogs in the Kitchen: A Messing Counting Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Craft: Turtle Count
- Print out template (at left).

- Color turtles.

- Tear construction paper into small pieces.

- Glue the number of construction paper pieces to the turtles as indicated by the numbers on the shells.

Extension Activities:

- Practice counting throughout the day.  Examples include counting the number of chips on your plate for lunch, counting how many cars pass your house in a certain amount of time, counting the number of toys on the floor, etc.

- Sing various counting songs such as "Hundred Bottles of Rootbeer on the Wall", "Ten in a Bed", "The Ants Go Marching", etc.

Learning Review Story Time: August 26-27, 2019

Books:
5 Little Ducks by Denise Fleming *
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan A. Shea
Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena *
Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming *
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres

Craft: Megaphone
The children colored the megaphone cutout before gluing it into a cylinder.  A handle was then glued into a circle and taped onto the megaphone.

Extension Activities:
- Take a field trip to a museum for some educational fun (i.e. Magic House (science), Art Museum, History Museum, etc.)
- Find out what your child is interested in learning about.  Check out some books on that topic from the library.


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Day/Night, Black/White: Opposites Story Time: August 27-28, 2018

Books:
Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson *
Black? White! Day? Night! by Laura Vaccaro Seeger *
Dogs by Emily Gravett
Double Take! A New Look at Opposites by Susan Hood
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper *
Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena

Craft: Stop / Go Sign
This week's craft was based on the picture at left with a few modifications.  We made one sign with STOP on one side and GO on the opposite.  The children colored two circles to glue onto a used CD-rom.  They then glued or taped a jumbo craft stick with STOP written on one side and GO on the other side to the CD to match the colored circles.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice opposites by making it a game.  Have your child try to come up with opposites throughout the day.  (i.e. hungry and full, up the stairs and down the stairs, etc.)
- Review all the various learning concepts you've covered this past month -- alphabet, counting, colors, and opposites.  Introduce other concepts such as shapes.

Art Story Time: August 29-30, 2016

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson *
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Go, Shapes, Go! by Denise Fleming *
I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry *
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Craft: Whale
This week's craft goes with the book I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean.  The kids drew pictures on a whale cutout and then colored it.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice color and shape recognition by playing I Spy.
- Tangrams are a great way to play with shapes.  Tangram patterns can be found online.


Notes:
Last week's story times focused on science.  They were covered by another staff member as I was on vacation.

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Math Story Time: August 15-16, 2016

Books:
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox *
One More Bunny: Adding from One to Ten by Rick Walton
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin *
Ten Eggs in a Nest by Marilyn Sadler *

Craft: Color by Numbers Sheet
The children practiced their number recognition by completing a color by numbers sheet.  Template below.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice number recognition.  Look for numbers around you and see if your child can identify them.  (i.e. clock, signs, etc.)
- Count while you eat.  Count the number of chips you have or the number of bites it takes to eat your sandwich.

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Reading Story Time: August 8-9, 2016

Books:
A Is for Salad by Mike Lester
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak *
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. *
Jeepers Creepers: A Monstrous ABC by Laura Leuck *
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth

Craft: Monster Bookmark
Kids colored a monster-shaped bookmark and glued on horns and sequins.


Literacy Extensions:
- Play the alphabet game while in the car.  Take turns finding the various letters of the alphabet on signs or license plates.
- There are a lot of fun foods that incoporate letters that you can have kids identify while they eat (i.e. Scrabble Cheezits, Alphabet Soup, M&Ms, etc.)

Rhyming Story Time: August 24-25, 2015

Books:
Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox
Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny! by  Jan Thomas *
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont *
I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger *
Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas *

Craft: Rhyming Dust Bunny Puppet
Our craft this week is pictured at left.  Crepe paper strips about 5" long were cut in half longways to make thinner strips.  The strips were glued to a paper lunch bag.  Eyes, a nose, and two ears / horns cutouts were glued to the puppet for features.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice rhyming with your child by asking them to come up with rhyming words for the word you supply (i.e. cat, fat, rat, etc.)
- Read rhyming books with your child.  See if they can supply the rhymes at the end of the line / page.