Rain, Rain! Storytimes- Week of November 14, 2011

It's Wet and Rainy Day Storytimes this week!

Our Preschool Lineup:

"Can't Wait to Celebrate" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
R is for Rain
Move Over Rover by Karen Beaumont
"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" from Songs for Wiggleworms
Raindrop Plop by Wendy Lewison
Middle of the Puddle- Flannel Story
"Itsy Bitsy Spider" from Songs for Wiggleworms
Thirsty Thursday by Phyllis Root
Stamps and Stickers

Our Toddler Lineup:

"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" from Songs for Wiggleworms
R is for Rain!

Thirsty Thursday by Phyllis Root
"Milkshake Song" from Songs for Wiggleworms
It's Raining- Flannel Story
Make a Rainstorm- Action Play
Ducks Like to Swim by Agnes Verboven
"Leaky Umbrella" from Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song
The Big Storm- Puppet Story
Stamps and Stickers

Make a Rainstorm

Hear the gentle rain (rub hands together)

Listen to the raindrops (snap fingers)

That rain is really coming down! (slap thighs)

It's really pouring now! (stomp feet)

It's starting to die down (slap thighs)

The rain is slowing (snap fingers)

The rainstorm is almost over (rub hands together)

Now here comes the sun! (arch arms overhead)


Ready 2 Read Skill: Sounds

Even very small children love to interact with sounds in books like Ducks Like to Swim. Have your child help "call the rain' with each animal.

Songs and rhymes are great ways for kids to have fun while developing understanding of different sounds.

Make a rainstorm with your little one! Show them all the different sounds you can hear in a rainstorm by making them with your hands and feet.

Snip! Snap! Crocs and Gators Storytime- Week of Nov 7

This week our stories were all about Alligators and Crocodiles!

Our Preschool Lineup:

"Jumping and Counting" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
A is for Alligators!
Where's Your Smile Crocodile? by Claire Freedman
"Knuckles Knees" from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi on his Toe Leg Knee
There's a Crocodile Under My Bed by Ingrid Schubert
Five Little Monkeys- Flannel Story
"Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song 
The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
Stamps and Stickers

Our Toddler Lineup:

"Shake Your Sillies Out" from Raffi's More Singable Songs
A is for Alligators!

How Do You Make a Baby Smile by Philemon Sturges
"Alligator Pie" Rhyme
Finger Poppin' from Preschool Aerobic Fun
A Kiss Like This- Flannel Story 
The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
"Jumping and Counting" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Little Bunny and the Crocodile- Puppet Story
Stamps and Stickers

Alligator Pie

Alligator, alligator,
Alligator Pie. (clapping hands like alligator jaws)
If I don't get some
I think I'm gonna cry. (rub eyes with fists)
You can take away the grass (wave fingers like grass)
And take away the sky, (arch arms overhead)
But please don't take away
My Alligator Pie! (clapping again)



Ready 2 Read Skill: Loving Books

Books that encourage interaction are one way of getting squirmy little ones excited about reading. Ask your child to do the actions in How Do You Make Your Baby Smile?

Pop-up books like The Wide Mouthed Frog are lots of fun and will have your child looking forward to reading time!

Remember, the best way to show your kids how fun books are, is by loving them yourself! Let your child "catch" you reading something you love!

The Mysterious Gap

You may have noticed a sad lack of posts lately. Rest assured, our storytimes have continued at the Hilltop Library! We have not had updates for the month of October while Elisa L. was at the Main branch downtown. But we are picking up again with our storytime updates!

Happy Birthday! Storytimes- Week of Sept 24

This has been a week of celebrating BIRTHDAYS in our storytimes!

Our Preschool Lineup:
"Can't Wait to Celebrate" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
C is for Cake!
Fantastic Mr. Wani by Kanako Usui
"Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song
Let's Make a Giant Cake- creative dramatic
A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas
"The Milkshake Song" from Songs for Wiggleworms
Stamps and Stickers

Our Toddler Lineup:
Can't Wait to Celebrate from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
C is for Cake!
A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas
"Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song
Let's Make a Giant Cake- creative dramatic
POP! Went Another Balloon by Keith Faulkner
"My Big Balloon" fingerplay
The Day Barnaby Bear Fell into the Batter Bowl- flannel story
Stamps and Stickers

My Big Balloon (fingerplay)
Here I have a big balloon.
Watch me while I blow.
Small at first, then bigger,
Watch it grow, grow, grow!

Do you think it's big enough?
Maybe I should stop,
For if I blow much longer
My balloon will surely POP!



Ready to Read Skills- Storytelling (Narrative Skills)
Repetitive books are great ways to prompt your child about what they think happens next. In POP! Went Another Balloon, ask your child whether Toby will get away from the birds this time.

Asking questions about what is happening involves your child in an active way. While reading Fantastic Mr. Wani, ask where all the other animals are going. Wonder if Mr. Wani will make it on time to the party.

Bake a pretend cake and talk about the beginning (mixing), the middle (baking) and the end (eating!).

Dinosaurs! Sept 17-23

We did lots of stomping and roaring with dinosaurs at our storytime this week!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup included:

Song- Clap Your Hands! (from Wiggleworms Love You)
D is for Dinosaurs!
Book- Tyson the Terrible by Diane and Christyan Fox
Song- We Are the Dinosaurs (from Whaddaya Think Of That?)
Book- Snappy Little Dinosaurs by Dugald Steer
Flannel- Build a Dino
Song- Very, Very Tall (from Wiggleworms Love You)
Flannel- Sleepy Dinosaurs
Dinosaur Stamp and Stickers!





Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:

D is for Dinosaurs!
Book- How to Raise a Dino by Natasha Wing
Song- If You're a Dino and You Know it
Book- Tyson the Terrible by Diane Fox
Flannel- Sleepy Dinosaurs
Book- Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
Dinosaur Stamp and Stickers!

If You're a Dino and You Know it

If you're a dino and you know it
Stomp your feet. (Stomp, Stomp!) (2x)
If you're a dino and you know it
Then your face will really show it,
If you're a dino and you know it
Stomp your feet. (Stomp, Stomp!)

If you're a dino and you know it
Roar out loud. (Roar, Roar!) (2x)
If you're a dino and you know it
Then your face will really show it,
If you're a dino and you know it
Roar out loud. (Roar, Roar!)
If you're a dino and you know it
Scratch your claws. (Scratch, Scratch!) (2x)
If you're a dino and you know it
Then your face will really show it,

If you're a dino and you know it
Scratch your claws. (Scratch, Scratch!)

If you're a dino and you know it
Swish your tail. (Swish, Swish!) (2x)
If you're a dino and you know it
Then your face will really show it,
If you're a dino and you know it
Swish your tail. (Swish, Swish!)

If you're a dino and you know it
Chomp your food. (Chomp, Chomp!) (2x)
If you're a dino and you know it
Then your face will really show it,
If you're a dino and you know it
Chomp your food. (Chomp, Chomp!)

Ready to Read Skill- Sounds (Phonological Awareness)

Have your child stomp her feet and yell "Boom!" each time you point to the words "Boom, Boom, Boom" in Tyson the Terrible.


Rhyming books like Snappy Little Dinosaurs help to develop awareness of similar sounds.


Sing songs with lots of different sounds that your child can make. If You're A Dino and You Know It gives children many different sounds to play with.

Creepy, Crawly BUGS!- Week of Sept 13, 2011

This week BUGS starred in all our creepy, crawly stories!

Our Storytime Lineup included:

Song- Finger Poppin'
B is for Bugs!
Book- The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn
Rhyme- Butterfly, Butterfly
Book- Big Bug, Little Bug by Paul Stickland
Flannel Story- Five Little Ladybugs
Book and Song- The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Lorianne Siomades
Puppet Story- Sitting In My Box (based on the book by Dee Lillegard)
Butterfly Stamp and Stickers!

Butterfly, Butterfly

Butterfly, butterfly dancing all around  (hook thumbs & fly fingers up and down)  

Butterfly, butterfly now you’re on the ground  (flutter fingers to the floor)  

In a tree hard to see, now you’ve flown away  (flutter fingers up and behind back)  

Butterfly, butterfly please come back someday (flutter fingers to front again) 

Ready to Read Skill- Using Books (Print Awareness)

Your child will love turning the pages on pop-up books like The Very Lazy Ladybug.


Big Bug, Little Bug is great for showing kids that words mean different things. With the word"BIG" in large font and the word "little" in small font, children begin to understand that print carries meaning.

Try turning The Itsy, Bitsy Spider upside down and see if your baby notices!

New Storytime Schedule

Our Storytimes are back for the Fall! Here is our Fall Schedule:

• Tuesday, 9 a.m.- Baby Laptime
• Tuesday, 10 a.m.- Toddler Storytime
• Thursday, 10 a.m.- Toddler Storytime
• Thursday, 7 p.m.- Bilingual Storytime (Spanish and English)
• Saturday, 10 a.m.- Preschool Storytime

And be sure to ask about our new Ready to Read Club!