Mermaids -- 4/28/26

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.

How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace
Five Little Mermaids by Sunny Scribens

Books:
The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime by Eija Sumner
How to Spot a Mermaid by Jane Yolen
Mermaid Lullaby by Kenneth Kraegel
Mermaids Are the Worst by Alex Willan
Mermaids' Song to the Sea by Dianna Hutts Aston

Craft: Mermaid

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (person, tail, hair)

- Color pieces

- Glue tail over legs

- Glue hair to top of head

- Optional:  Glue on sparkles if you like

Extension Activities:

- Mermaids love sparkly jems and jewelry.  Make a mermaid crown and add sequins to it for extra sparkle.

- Watch one of the movie versions of The Little Mermaid.

Template --

Ocean Animals -- 4/14/26 & 4/21/26

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.

(There are so many great Ocean Animal books that we did two weeks of this theme.)

I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs
Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone
Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Books:
Chomp: A Shark Romp by Michael Paul
Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton
How to Put an Octopus to Bed by Sherri Dusky Rinker
I Need Pants! by Susan Sweet
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Milo Is Missing Something by Vern Kousky
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Sharky McShark by Alison Murray
Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Craft: Squid
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out squid's head

- Color squid's head

- Cut 5 strips of crepe paper (about 4-5" long)

- cut each crepe paper strip in half longways

- Glue strips to bottom of squid's head

Craft: Shark

- Color paper plate and fold in half

- Draw on mouth and eye

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color and cut out pieces (fin, tail)

- Glue fin to top of shark along fold

- Glue tail to back of shark


Extension Activities:

- Go on an ocean animal scavenger hunt.  Hide ocean animal stuffies or print out pictures of various ocean animals to hide.

- Have fun with a parachute or a sheet as the ocean creating waves.  Alternate between gentle, soft waves and stormy, crashing waves.  Add ocean animal stuffies or a toy boat to the top of the "ocean" if you have them.

Squid Template --

Shark Template --

Beach -- 4/7/26

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.

Just One Wave by Travis Jonker
Crabby Crab by Chris Raschka
Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

Books:
Beach by Elisha Cooper
Big Family Beach Day by Nina Crews
Chu's Day at the Beach by Neil Gaiman
Duck & Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills
Here Comes the Ocean by Meg Fleming
Sandy Feet! Whose Feet? Footprints at the Shore by Susan Wood
Six Sandy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle

Craft: Starfish

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out starfish

- Color starfish

- Fold starfish so lap over each other and smile is one line and glue into place

- Fold legs along dotted lines so starfish will sit a little flat

- Optional: Glue on sparkles

Extension Activities:

- Have fun making waves in either a small kids play pool, bathtub, etc.  Try dropping different items to see how they make different types of waves.

- Try to walk like crabs.  Sit on the floor with legs bent and hand behind you on the floor.  Lift up onto your hands and legs.  Try walking sideways like a crab.  Maybe try racing each other.

Template --

Virtual Story Time: Ocean -- April 2026

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.

Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick

Books:
The Blobfish Book by Jessica Olien
Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill by Matt Lilley
I Am the Shark by Joan Holub
Ocean Counting by Janet Lawler





Extension Activities:
- Learn more about different ocean animals by checking out one of the informational books at the library.
- Visit the St. Louis Aquarium to view and learn more about various ocean animals.
- Get active by moving like different ocean animals (ex - crab walk, dolphin jump, octopus wave, fish wiggle, etc).

Dive In! Oceans -- 3/12/24

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.

I Spy Under the Ocean by Edward Gibbs
Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck

Books:

Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

I Am the Shark by Joan Holub

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Scuba Bunnies by Christine Loomis

Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Turtle Tug by Michael Slack

Craft: Seahorse Puppet

- Print template (at left) onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out seahorse

- Color seahorse
- (Optional) Glue on sequins

- Tape straw to back of seahorse to turn into puppet

Extension Activities:

- How many ocean animals can your child(ren) name?  Encourage pretend play by having them act like the various ocean animals.

- Enjoy an ocean snack.  Dye some icing blue using food coloring.  Then spread onto a graham cracker.  Add goldfish crackers/pretzels to the graham cracker to make an ocean scene you can eat.

Virtual Story Time: Dive In! -- March 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 to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick

Books:

The Deep End: Real Facts About the Ocean by Drew Sheneman

Field Trip to the Ocean Deep by John Hare

The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola

Ocean Counting by Janet Lawlor

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barba Rosenstock

Extension Activities:

- Make an Ocean Discover Bottle using a recycled water bottle, blue-dyed water, and a plastic baggie.  Visit www.steamsational.com/jellyfish-discovery-bottle/ for directions.

- Visit the St. Louis Aquarium to learn about various aquatic animals.

- Make Ocean Bark with your child.  Melt white chocolate and dye blue using food dye.  Spread onto a piece of wax paper.  Place gummy fish, sharks, etc on top of the chocolate and let cool.  Break into pieces and enjoy.

I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs -- 5/23/23

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 Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs
Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck

Books:
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
Off to See the Sea by Nikki Grimes
One Lonely Seahorse by Saxton Freymann
Pup 681: A Sea Otter Rescue Story by Jean Reidy
Save Your Friends! by Hyewon Kyung
Scuba Bunnies by Christine Loomis
Swallow the Leader: A Counting Book by Danna Smith
Turtle Tug to the Rescue by Michael Slack

Craft: Crab
- Cut a small paper plate in half for crab's body and color
- Print template onto heavy paper or cardstock and cut out pieces (legs, pinchers, eyes)

- Color legs, pinchers, and eyes before gluing to paper plate as shown

in picture

Extension Activities:

- Enjoy a Sea Snack.  Make blue raspberry jello in a clear punch cup.  Add Swedish Fish or jello or place goldfish crackers on top.
- Make a simple coral craft by sticking pipecleaners into a small ball of playdough.  Twist the pipecleaners to finish look.

Template --

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean -- 5/16/23

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'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Milo Is Missing Something by Vern Kousky

Books:
Hello, My Name Is . . .: How Adorabilus Got His Name by Marisa Polansky
How to Put an Octopus to Bed by Sherri Dusky Rinker
Octopants by Suzy Senior
President Squid by Aaron Reynolds
Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always by Tao Nyeu
Take Your Octopus to School Day by Audrey Vernick

Craft: Squid
- Draw a simple squid body (rounded triangle with eyes and smile) on heavy paper or cardstock and cut out.

- Color squid body

- Cut crepe paper into  2 six inch crepe paper pieces.  Then cut each of those pieces into four narrow strips.

- Cut crepe paper into a eight inch piece.  Then cut that piece into four narrow strips.  (You will only need of the final strips.)

- Glue eight shorter crepe paper strips and two longer strips onto bottom of squid's body.

Extension Activities:

- After reading I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, try to determine the size of different sea creatures (i.e. sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, etc) in relation to each other.

- Learn about some of the differences between squids and jellyfish by checking out some nonfiction books from the library or researching online.  One difference is that an octopus has eight tentacles while a squid has ten.

Barnacle Is Bored -- 5/2/23

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.

Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske
Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Books:
Don't Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Sea Monkey & Bob by Aaron Reynolds
Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Craft: Barnacle
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper
- Cut out barnacle
- Color barnacle
- Glue barnacle into cylinder






Extension Activities:

- Have a discussion about boredom.  Poll family members to see what they find boring.  Discuss things you can do to fight boredom.

- All of this week's books have to do with emotions in some way. Talk about different emotions.  Play a game by asking your child to identify the emotions the different characters in a book they are reading are feeling.

Template --

Facebook Story Time: Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske - 5/26/20

This is part of a series of weekly story times offered on Facebook due to the current health crisis.  Each Tuesday, a recording of a story will be posted on Facebook.  It will be available to view for a week before a new story is posted.

Go to www.facebook.com/JeffCoLibMo and click on Videos to view the latest story.

Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Feske

Books:
Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale
Down by the Sea with Mr. McGee by Chris Van Dusen
I'm a Manatee by John Lithgow
          * Books available on Tumblebooks through www.jeffcolib.org.

Craft: Under the Sea Paper Craft
Craft is pictured at left.
- Color a paper plate as the ocean.
- Glue on tissue paper strips or pieces of yarn for seaweed.
- Glue on goldfish crackers.






Extension Activities:
- See how many different ocean animals your child can name (i.e. shark, dolphin, crab, etc.).
- Watch an ocean themed movie such as Finding Nemo, Shark Tale, or The Little Mermaid.
- Make an ocean sensory bottle.  Fill a third of a recycled water bottle with water and add a couple drops or blue food coloring.  Shake to spread the color.  Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil.  You can also drop in some small ocean figures if you have them (fish, stars, etc.).  Seal the bottle by gluing the lid on.

Ocean Animals Story Time: January 17, 2017

Books:
Clumsy Crab by Ruth Galloway
I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs *
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry *
Nugget and Fang by Tammi Sauer
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone *

Craft: Paper Plate Stingray
This week's craft is based on the picture above.  Paper plates were cut into quarters.  Each child got one quarter to color.  They then attached half a pipe cleaner to a hole punched at the pointy end of the quarter.  Two googily eyes were glued onto the curved edge.

Literacy Extensions:
- Visit a local aquarium or zoo with ocean animal exhibits.  In the summer, the St. Louis Zoo offers the chance for people to pet stingrays and baby sharks.
- Practice your counting while reading the books.  Ask your child to count the different types of ocean creatures in the books.

Ocean Story Time: November 18-19, 2013

Books:
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry *
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry *
Pigs Ahoy! by David McPhail
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Scuba Bunnies by Christine Loomis *
Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone *

Craft: Squid
This week we made the squid from I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean.  A bullet-shaped squid body was cut out from card stock. Then crepe paper cut in half longways was glued to the bottom for the tentacles.  Two longer strips were glued in the middle with two shorter pieces glued on each side.

Literacy Extensions:
- With your child try to determine the size of sea creatures such as shrimp, jellyfish, sharks, etc. from smallest to largest to go with I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean.
- Talk about emotions and how different people make you feel (i.e. The Pout-Pout Fish)