27
Feb
Library Storytime
I was waiting until National Library Week to have “Library Storytime”, but the library is closed for Easter the Sunday of that week, and alas I’m not a patient person, so yesterday was as good as any day in my book to celebrate. And that is just what we did. We read books about reading and books and libraries and made a library card holder for our craft.
Before I started reading, I ask the kids how old they thought someone had to be to get a library card.
“4!”
“3?”
“8..?”
After a minute of guessing, I explained that library patrons had to be at least 1 minute old and a resident of the state to be eligible for a library card. So, if they didn’t already have a library card, and if their mom or dad or your caregiver said that it was okay, they could get their very own library card today!
Which was part of my incentive to make library card holders for the craft- to get kids interested in having and caring for a library card.
I’m proud to say, four storytimers received their first library card yesterday.
Sharing the library love.
Library Storytime Lineup:
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
A cute book about a few bored barnyard animals and their trip to the library. A great read-aloud book with fun word play.
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies
I remember when Bats at the Beach came out way back when I worked at a bookstore. Obviously, this is my favorite of the series, with a great message about visiting the library.
Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea
The little kids loved this one. We’ve read it quite a few times at home as well.
Library Lily by Gilian Shields, illustrated by Francesca Chessa
A new book to the library, Library Lily teaches the value of books and the value of stepping outside them.
Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson
I love everything about this book. The illustrations, the story, the message… easily one of my all time favorite picture books.
Library Card Holder Craft:
This was a really fun craft! I pre-made felt card holders and the kids decorated them with their initials. I was a little worried it would take a long time to prep, but it took just as much time as it usually does it with any paper cutting crafts. Made a total of 45 card holders in an hour and a half.
(Feel free to snicker at my extremely poor sewing skills….)
Materials used: felt sheets in a variety of colors, embroidery floss (i.e. friendship bracelet thread), needle, fabric scissors, decorations (we used foam letter stickers).
First, I cut out a small rectangle, about 4×5 inches, from a standard sheet of felt. It works out that you can cut four rectangles per sheet.
Arrange the rectangle so that it the shorter side (the 4 inch side) is on top.
Thread your needle with embroidery floss. I used about 12 inches of thread, doubled up, with a knot on the end.
Fold the felt rectangle, leaving a little bit of space on top.
I started stitching back to front from the left hand corner of the soon to be pocket.
You can make the stitches as close together or as spaced as you prefer.
When finished stitching, I doubled the last stitch and made a knot in the back.
Finished back of the library card holder.
Finished front of the library card holder.
Decorate as desired.
A special home for a special card.
For general information on how you and/or your child can obtain a library card click here.
image sources: peanuts via prettybooks, book book book, bats at the library, dinosaur vs the library, library lily, otto the book bear
25
Feb
Tournament of Kids Books
I live in (my opinion) THE BEST college basketball town.
University of Kansas Basketball was founded by the inventor of basketball, James Naismith, back in 1898, so you could say Lawrence, Kansas, the home of the University of Kansas, and the place I proudly live, has a strong history of college ball. The roots run deep.
It’s the reason that this time of the year, during the March Madness season, Lawrence is full of energy. It hangs in the air like an oncoming storm. We’re a town that loves basketball and we love our Kansas Jayhawks. So, to get the kids of Lawrence excited about the upcoming tourney AND excited about reading, the time has come to present…
Lawrence Public Library’s First-Ever Tournament of Kids Books!
Here’s the game plan….
Each week in March, the children of Lawrence are encouraged to vote for their favorite books bracket-style, from Sweet Sixteen all the way to the Championship round.
Tournament of Kids Books brackets are now available in our library or on the library’s website for casting predictions or to follow the progress of the tournament. Voting for the first round starts March 1!!! At the end of each round, one lucky ballot will be selected to win a prize provided by The Friends of the Lawrence Public Library. All ballots will be tallied and the winning titles advance to the next round.
First Round Ballots Due Saturday, March 10
Second Round Ballots Due Saturday, March 17
Third Round Ballots Due Saturday, March 24th
Championship Round Ballots Due Saturday, March 31
The champion of the sixteen books will have a shield installed inside the jacket cover naming it: “Winner of the Tournament of Kids Books 2012, Voted by The Kids of Lawrence”. There will also be a winners ceremony in the beginning of April.
The titles chosen to compete were the top 16 most circulated (most checked out) children’s fiction and young fiction books in 2011. Meet the 2012 opening round contenders:
The Heroes of Olympus #1: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
vs.
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My Weird School Daze #11: Mr. Tony is Full of Baloney by Dan Gutman
vs.
Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny by Barbara Park
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Ranger’s Apprentice: The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
vs.
Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
vs.
Warriors, Omen of the Stars #2: Fading Echoes by Erin Hunter
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Magic Tree House #31: Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne
vs.
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
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Geronimo Stilton #26: Mummy with No Name by Geronimo Stilton
vs.
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Dork Diaries #2: Tales of a Not So Popular Party Girl by Rachel R. Russell
vs.
Happy Birthday Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
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Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon
vs.
Diary of a Wimpy Kids #5: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
Paired up, ready for battle…..
Who do you think is the front runner?
Who’s the sleeper?
Who will win it all?
Download your Tournament of Kids Books 2012 bracket here or from the
Lawrence Public Library website.
It all starts March 1….
image sources: ku basketball, lost hero, eleven, mr tony is full of baloney, dumb bunny, icebound land, big nate strikes again, harry potter, fading echoes, summer of the serpent, gregor, mummy with no name, ivy and bean, dork diaries, happy birthday bad kitty, dragonbreath, ugly truth
20
Feb
Miss Becca’s Storytime Mixer
This week we took a break from themed storytimes and went for a straight up Storytime Mixer. No rhyme or reason to the books picked other than they are all great books. Books from me to you. Books to share with my friends; my storytimers are good friends of mine. Afterward we made friendship bracelets.
Storytime Mixer Lineup:
Kids love this book. Parents love this book. Author/Illustrator Oliver Jeffers had both laughing.
A Dog Is a Dog by Stephen Shaskan
Another hilarious book that was well received by both kids and parents.
Bootsie Barker Bites by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Peggy Rathmann
This book was introduced to me by a fellow co-worker that often shelves books in the children’s room. She said it was a favorite of her daughter’s when she was a little girl, so I thought I’d share it with the storytime gang. Everyone knows someone like Bootsie Barker when you were young. Everyone knows that no one likes a bully.
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan Shea, illustrations by Tom Slaughter
We’ve been reading this book at home most of January and February. It is so, so, so clever and perfect for all ages. It was the most requested book by parents wanted to check it out after storytime. This book and the next on the lineup…
Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
I purchased this book back when I worked at a bookstore fresh out of college. It is one of my favorites with messages we all can learn from. I chose this book to share with my storytimers, but I also read it for myself. Jon J. Muth writes in the Author’s Note:
“When you look into a pool of water, if the water is still, you can see the moon reflected. If the water is agitated, the moon is fragmented and scattered. It is harder to see the true moon. Our minds are like that. When our minds are agitated, we cannot see the true world.”
Reading this book reminds me to be still. Even if it is just for a moment, a pause between reading books at storytime to see the faces that are listening. Those brief bouts of stillness, while short, are effective. They are reminders of what I place value on most.
Zen Shorts is a little longer than the other picture books. By the time I was finished there wasn’t enough time to read the last book, but I’m adding it the lineup list nonetheless…
Caldecott winning illustrator, Tom Lichtenheld’s newest book about a cloud that really isn’t sure where it’s place is in the world to later find, big or small, he can make a difference.
Storytime Mixer Craft:
I was given a bag of beads by a children’s librarian that had recently retired and decided to put them to good use for the Storytime Mixer craft. Have to admit though…. I was a little hesitant to make bracelets. As a girl, I loved making bracelets, but I didn’t think the boys would want to participate. Turns out the boys were the ones wanting to make two or three or four. I also needed a little break from prepping crafts for the week. The bracelets only took 20 minutes to prepare, which was done a few hours before storytime.
Other than the beads I already had, I did end up buying more beads, but only 2 small bags. I couldn’t resist the star beads on clearance. The materials used included: assorted plastic beads, elastic beading thread (thick variety that is also found in the fabric section of any craft store), and scissors.
Before storytime, I cut 10-inch pieces of the elastic string and double knotted one end.
After storytime the kids rifled through the bead colors and selected beads they wanted to use.
The beads were threaded one by one on the string.
And when threading was complete the bracelet ends were double knotted together. The older children were able to manage this, but the younger ones needed assistance from myself or their caregiver.
Child-friendly scissors were left out in case they wanted to cut the string ends off of their bracelet.
There you have it. Bracelet made.
Each one unique.
I ended up giving away all of my examples at storytime, but two young ladies each made me a bracelet.
Made my day.
One broke last night, but I thought I’d wear the one remaining today.
L is wearing her storytime bracelet too.
molly cornelius- librarian picture, stuck, a dog is a dog, bootise barker bites, do you know which ones will grow, zen shorts, cloudette
16
Feb
Adventures As Annie
Lately, I’ve been going back in time. And I’m not talking about a daydream trip down memory lane.
Farther.
For example, last Saturday I went to Ancient Greece.
To the Anceint Olympic Games.
To the stars and back.
True story.
If you have children in grade school, are a teacher, bookseller, or librarian, it’s more likely than not you’ve come across the ever-popular Magic Tree House series by the talented Mary Pope Osborne. This book series for young readers first published back in 1992 has remained to be one of the bestselling, most circulated, most loved story for kids just starting to read chapter books. Each book stars sibling duo Jack and Annie and their magic tree house that takes them back in time and around the world on fantastical (and educational!) adventures.
Last Saturday, I morphed into the part as “Annie” and my coworker and collaborator as “Jack” for Magic Tree House Adventures, a brand new monthly club at the library for children 5 & up. Each session is themed after a different Magic Tree House book and chock full of activities, games, and crafts. Some of the kids will have read the book we have designated for the club, some may have not, but the idea is to use the series as a way to get kids excited about the series, of history, and reading.
Our first session was themed after Hour of the Olympics (#16 in the Magic Tree House series) where Jack and Annie visit Ancient Greece.
And if you were wondering….
Yes, “Jack” and I wore togas.
It was good fun.
Here’s what we did for the hour:
Where Are We? Who Are They?
“Where Are We? Who Are They?” is a game “Jack” and I made up as a brief introduction to Ancient Greece. A picture slide show game composed of 8 pictures projected onto a jumbo screen. When a picture popped up on the projector, I had the kids guess what it was of. For example, a picture of ancient Olympia is displayed and I asked, “Where is that? Is it downtown Lawrence? Is it where your Aunt Suzy lives?” Here is where they would come back with guesses… right or wrong, after they gave their answers, I gave a few brief facts about the picture and move onto the next slide. Next, a picture of Plato shows up, so I asked, “Who is that old guy? Your grandpa?” The kids laugh and guess and so on and so on.
A fun, short activity about the times and culture Ancient Greece. They think it’s a game, but they’re actually learning. Kinda like sneaking in vegetables at dinner.
Olympic Long Jump
One of the events of the Ancient Olympic games and of modern Olympic games is the long jump. So, after “Where Are We? Who Are They?” the kids were divided into two groups and competed in a standing long jump competition.
After each child took a turn at jumping, the three longest jumpers of each group were presented with a modern Olympic medal i.e. a gold tin jar lid assembled to a gold string.
Constellations Presentation
After our own Olympic games and award presentation, we went straight into the night.
Using a planetarium projector I already own, all the lights were shut off in the auditorium and the stars shown bright as I went through a few of the more simple constellations and the Greek Mythology behind them. Ursa Major and Minor, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and of course the the mythological creature that appears in the Hour of the Olympics book, and my personal favorite, Pegasus.
Olive Branch Crown Craft
To finish, we made olive branch crowns, an idea found on Quality Kids Crafts. Downloadable instructions including the olive branch cut outs of which we also used can be found here.
Books
A few kids finished their craft early which I expected and was ready for. I had an two entire tables full of books about ancient Greek civilization, the ancient Olympics, today’s modern Olympics, Greek mythology, constellations, biographies, graphic novels, anything and everything that pertained to what we discussed during the club. I invited them to choose as many books as they would like to look at to check out after the session.
They raided the table.
I had 40+ books on display and only had to 8 left over.
Attendees also took home their very own “Magic Tree House Adventure Journal”. The character, Jack in the Magic Tree House always carries his journal with him to jot down notes during his and Annie’s wild adventures, so we recreated that journal but with information from the meeting and more!
This way the kids have a take-home activity and the parents/caregivers have a guide of what was discussed as well.
Here’s a peak at what was inside:
The pictures were the same images used for the “Where Are We? Who Are They?” slideshow. The facts are simple notes from my presentation outline, as well as The Magic Tree House Research Guide: Ancient Greece and the Olympics.
My co-worker who played “Jack” assembled the journal and did an awesome job to boot!
I found these constellation images in an old stars and planets field guide at a thrift store. “Jack” scanned them for the journal.
And since there were some younger kids that might not be able to jot down notes of their own, we also included coloring pages.
Endnotes
Since this was my very first library program (other than storytime), I was ridden with nerves of how it was going to turn out. Visions of kids being bored out of their minds and wanting to leave. Of total chaos. Or the worst… disappointment.
But that isn’t what happened.
It was a success. Hallelujah! Over 50 kids were in attendance, all well-behaved, eager to learn, and most importantly having fun. Which was all I wanted for Magic Tree House Adventures– To have fun. To get kids excited about reading. To demonstrate how books fact or fiction can bring to life another world, a vast place of endless exploration. As in the words of Dr. Seuss:
The more that you read, The more that you’ll know The more that you learn The more places you’ll go.
Next Month
In March, we’re off to Ireland:
Leprechaun in Late Winter, Magic Tree House #43 by Mary Pope Osborne
image source: treehouse, hour of the olympics, olympia, leprechaun in late winter
13
Feb
Valentine’s Day Storytime
Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day is all about sharing the love, so for yesterday’s storytime craft we made Valentine Bookmarks for the library’s Bookvan, a vehicle that delivers books to the city’s nursing homes and retirement communities. After making bookmarks, we also made an easy and kooky craft inspired by one of my favorite craft blogs, Make and Takes.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Books first. Crafts after.
Valentine Storytime Lineup:
Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie Friedman, Illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath
Ruby Valentine loves Valentine’s Day. She works so hard preparing for the holiday she accidentally sleeps through the entire day. A lovely, rhyming tale of how to treat everyday as if it were Valentine’s Day.
How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague
Jane Yolen has made a few appearances on this blog. It’s hard not to mention her when presenting great books to kids. This one from her and Mark Teague’s series of dino picture books had the kids laughing with each turn of a page.
I felt like the parents enjoyed this one just as much as the kids. A story about how you can love someone even if you aren’t with them that very moment. In this case, two working parents send “love waves” to their child throughout the day and into night.
Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
This book is on order at the library and wasn’t going to make it in time for Valentine’s Day Storytime, so I went ahead and purchased it. I liked the story so much and both Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Peter H. Reynolds so, SO MUCH. Plant A Kiss was a spectacular ending to Valentine’s Day Storytime, especially since it incorporated the storytime theme of “sharing the love” and how small acts of kindness make a big impact, as we transitioned into making bookmarks for Bookvan recipients.
Valentine Crafts:
Like I mentioned earlier, we made two crafts after storytime. The first were Valentine Bookmarks and the second were “Love Goggles”! We’ll start with the bookmarks first..
Materials used for this craft: Ribbon, stickers, pre-cut bookmarks (I cut these on cardstock using our library’s handy accucut device, scissors, glue stick, and vintage valentines.
Found these little valentine gems at a thrift store a few weeks ago. My co-worker scanned them and then printed out color copy duplicates, which I cut out beforehand.
Taking a bookmark and a 6-inch piece of ribbon, I folded the ribbon in half and threaded it through the boomark eye.
And made a basic knot.
Decorated the bookmark with stickers and by gluing on the vintage valentines, and cutting them to size if needed.
And there you have it! I had the kids make as many bookmarks as they wanted to make for the Bookvan. Some made 1, some made 3 or 4. They all turned out darling.
I paired up with another one of my storytelling co-workers, who also did the bookmark craft with her storytime kids and together the children of the library made
93 BOOKMARKS for the BOOKVAN! That’s a lot of love to go round!
Now for the craft they took home…. “Love Goggles”
This idea was all 100% Make and Takes! Once I saw it, I knew the kids would love it.
Materials used: Pipe cleaners and scissors.
To start, take one pipe cleaner and fold it into a “V”.
Bend the ends..
..and twist together into a heart shape.
Repeat with another pipe cleaner to make 2 hearts.
Cut an inch piece of pipe cleaner..
…and use that small piece to wrap around both hearts, connecting them together.
Like so.
Cut another pipe cleaner in half.
Take one half and twist the end to one side of the outside of the joinned hearts. Take the other half and do the same on the other side of the other paired hearts.
Bend the ends to make temple tips so they stay on your ears.
Love Goggles!
Wear and Care!!!
I’ve only got eyes for you…
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
image sources: love ruby valentine, how do dinosaurs say i love you, love waves, plant a kiss
6
Feb
Starry Night Storytime
The plan for yesterday’s Sunday Storytime was to do a theme about outerspace and to then make an outerspace starscape for the craft, but the Saturday before a patron suggested doing something with Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Great idea! So, I ditched the books about space and selected books about stars, nighttime, and the moon. Scanned through Van Gogh books that might be a good read for storytime, but ended up adapting something more storytime appropriate. After working five minutes here and five minutes there, I was able to piece together Sunday’s Storytime despite the very busy weekend. Oh, and I figured out a craft a few hours before the show. I don’t like doing things last minute, but it all came together in the end. Whew..
Starry Night Storytime Lineup:
Stars by Mary Lynn Ray, illustrated by Marla Frazee
Everything about this book is terrific and appeling to kids of all ages. It was much talked about for this years Caldecott too!
I was read this book when I was a little girl. A funny story about one bear’s trip to the moon.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star as told and illustrated by Iza Trapani
There are multiple versions of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to choose from, but this version is a tried and true book used by the other children librarians, and I also picked it because the poem is very sweet.
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
I think it’s safe to say that all kids like Eric Carle. A colorful book about the phases of the moon and how one proud papa would go to the moon for his little girl. This book is especially good for storytime because it has large flaps and a very large foldout of a full moon.
Van Gogh Painting and Poetry Demonstration
Poem by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober, set to paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, adapted from the book In the Garden with Van Gogh.
For my last reading, I recited a poem to paintings by Van Gogh. Since I couldn’t quite find a book about Van Gogh and/or about his painting The Starry Night that would be a good fit for storytime, I had to improvise. At home, L and I have been reading a few board books about artists called Mini Masters by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober. They are awesome!! And L loves them. (Her favorite is Matisse.) Luckily, we had the one about Van Gogh checked out, but the only problem was that it’s a board book and too small for storytime. So, here’s what I did:
I turned this board book…
In the Garden with Van Gogh by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Into this demonstration….
I googled all the images from In the Garden with Van Gogh, printed them all out on 8×11 paper, and glued them to cardstock. Then I typed up the poem, printed it out, and pasted the corresponding verses to the back of each picture.
For storytime, after double-checking they were all in the right order, I held up a picture for all to see and read the verse on the back as the kids viewed the painting. It was a hit. The book ends with The Starry Night, which was also a perfect transition into our craft.
If you haven’t checked out the Mini Masters board books by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober, I highly recommend them.
Starry Night Craft:
For our starry night craft, everyone made their own rendition of Van Gogh’s whimsical, Starry Night. It was the least complicated and personal favorite yet of this year.
Materials for this craft include: print-outs from this Dragoart.com image, pre-cut cardstock frames a co-worker generously donated to me awhile back, crayons, liquid school glue, glue sticks, glitter, and stickers. If you want to go the extra mile, try also using glow-in-the-dark paint. I offered it to the kids and only a couple actually used it which I thought was odd. Anyway, the only prep work involved was cutting up sticker sheets, printing out starry night images, and making an example. (Woot, woot!)
Make sure you have newspaper or a tablecoth down, because this one can get messy and glitteriffic.
Start by coloring with crayons.
I had a large picture of The Starry Night hanging up for kids to look at, but I encouraged them to make it their own and with their own favorite colors. Why not make a red sky? Or purple stars?
Plaster some stickers where you see fit. We used sticker sheets of stars that I pre-cut into individual stars and foam stickers.
Using glue, outline or fill in spaces that you’d like to add some shine too. Then sprinkle some stardust aka glitter. We used gold, silver, blue, and translucent glitter most of which was left over from December’s storytime crafts.
Shake off all excess glitter.
Glue entire back of the cardstock frame with a glue stick.
Apply frame to picture glue-side down.
My starry night.
Here are a couple other examples…
This one above I put together right before storytime as an example for the kids.
This one with the red frame is another example made by a co-worker.
He’s an artist.
I like his version best, so I thought I’d share it with you too.
image sources: the starry night, stars, mooncake, twinkle, twinkle little star, papa please get the moon for me, in the garden with van gogh,
30
Jan
Fuzzy Friends Storytime
I hemmed and hawwed over what to do for storytime this week, but I was reading Hopper and Wilson by Maria Van Lieshout the other night which prompted me to create a storytime theme around stuffed animals and it only seemed natural to make stuffed animals as our after-storytime craft. I think everyone really enjoyed this one!
Fuzzy Friends Storytime Line-up:
Where’s My Teddy by Jez Alborough
Had a large storytime book format for this story, which is so much fun because it makes the “gigantic bear” seem so much bigger!
I Must Have Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
Willy the boy and Earl the cat duke it out over stuffed animal Bobo’s affections. This book makes me want to get another cat, because I too want a cat named Earl. Needless to say, my husband was really excited to revisit this topic.
The classic, Corduroy. I read this one when I was little and it remains to be entertaining to kids of all ages.
The Stuffed Animals Get Ready for Bed by Alison Inches, illustrated by Bryan Langdo
A rhyming tale of one little girl’s evening getting her stuffed animals ready for bed.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Have you ever met a kid that didn’t like Mo Willems? He brings in the laughs every time. Another reason I like reading Knuffle Bunny is because the pictures were taken in Park Slope (a neighborhood in Brooklyn), the area I lived in throughout my time in New York City.
Sock Creatures Craft:
Socktopus!!! This craft is extremely easy to do. If your house is like ours- where socks disappear every time we do a load of wash- this is a good way to give a lonely sock mate a new life.
Materials needed: Sock, poly-fil which can be found at a craft store in the quilting/fabric area, rubberbands or hairbands, scissors, and decorations (I used felt, fabric scraps, yarn, and ribbon).
Take one or two large handfuls of poly-fil and stuff them into the toe of the sock.
Make sure it’s all rounded out and pushed to the top sock toe.
Wrap a rubber band or a hairband around the base of what will be the octopus head. Make sure it is tight enough so none of the poly-fil will come out.
Using scissors, cut thin strips from the sock opening all the way up to the rubber band.
There might be a leg or two that are bigger than the others because of the sock heel, so I just trimmed that part off.
Glue whatever decorations you have on hand to make a face. Fabric glue or school glue both worked with the kids yesterday.
A completed socktopus. Cute, right?
I also showed them how to make bunny rabbits out of socks. It only takes a few more handfuls of poly-fil and one more rubber band. I trimmed the sock to the heal beforehand so the ears would be short. A few kids used this idea and made people instead. Wish I would have taken pictures. They were hilarious.
This craft is also cat approved.
image sources: where’s my teddy, must have bobo, corduroy, stuffed animals get ready for bed, knuffle bunny
23
Jan
Chinese New Year Storytime
新年快乐!
Happy Chinese New Year!
Today marks the Lunar New Year, so for yesterday’s storytime we celebrated the event with some special books and a dragon craft. It was by far the biggest crowd I’ve ever read to (about 60+). A great way to ring in the new year!
Chinese New Year Storytime Line Up:
Bringing In the New Year by Grace Lin
Grace Lin is the author of the critically acclaimed Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and her new 2012 novel, Dumpling Days. This picture book was a wonderful introduction to the festivities of the Chinese New Year. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, please do. She writes books for all ages.
A New Year’s Reunion by Yu Li Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng Liang
I wasn’t going to read this book at first be cause I thought it too serious, but my husband persuaded me to add it back into the lineup and I’m glad he did. A heartfelt book about a father who is a migrant worker traveling home only once every year for the Chinese New Year.
Ten Mice for Tet! by Pegi Deitz Shea and Cynthia Weill, illustrated by Ngoc Trang To, embroidery by Pham Veit-Dinh
A simple introduction to the celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year also celebrated on the Lunar New Year.
Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent
The classic folktale. I was read this book by my school librarian when I was a a wee young girl and the majority of the kids yesterday recognized this widely read book as well.
Fortune Cookies by Albert Bitterman, illustrated by Chris Raschka
A fun finish to a more serious storytime, Fortune Cookies illustrates one girl’s week of adventures day by day, fortune cookie by fortune cookie.
Chinese New Year Craft:
It’s the year of the Dragon! Way cooler than the pig (what I am), or the rat, or the goat. And much more fun to find a craft for. Attached to the handouts I give at storytime was a Chinese Zodiac Calendar, which the kids really enjoyed looking at and finding out which animal they were.
Once I saw this dragon puppet craft circulating pintrest via JellyFish Jelly a few months back, I have been saving and saving toilet paper and paper towel rolls. It had to be done. And the kids LOVED it.
Materials needed: solo cups, paper towel/toilet paper tubes, sting or yarn, paint stirrer or a ruler or a stick, cut-out paper dragon faces, and cray paper.
There was quite a crowd and I wasn’t prepared to have so many people in attendance and unfortunately ran out of dragons to make. Thankfully, I had swedish fish to hand out as a backup along with a few dragon mask printouts.
The dozens of toilet paper tubes were cut in half and paper towel tubes were cut into sixths.
Poked holes in all the cup bottoms with an old seam ripper. You can also use scissors or a tack.
Cut a piece of yarn about 12-14 inches and double knot the end. Start threading first a cup, then a tube, cup, then tub, etc. until you’ve threaded all 6 or 7 cups. The last cup does not need a tube. Double knot the end.
When I first started making them, I used 7 cups (and 6 tubes) per dragon, but quickly switched to 6 cups (and 5 tubes) so I could make more dragons.
After strung together I hole-punched the first cup near the rim, and the third to last cup.
Then I cut two strings in equal length in the desired length you’d like your puppet to hang.
Tie a tight double knot to of one of the strings to the first hole-punched hole of the first cup. This is going to be the head of the dragon.
Tie the other end of the string to a stick. I used free paint stirrers from Home Depot. They were very nice about giving me a large quantity.
Do the same with the second string except tie one end to the third to last cup and the other end to the stick/paint stirrer.
Now it’s time to decorate. I printed out dragon faces on colored paper to be glued or taped to the head.
I also taped strips of cray paper to the bottom of the cups.
About 4-5 strips per cup.
And that’s it.
A Mighty Dragon Puppet!
If my instructions seemed a bit too abbreviated, printable instructions can be found at JellyFish Jelly.
Happy New Year!
image sources: bringing in the new year, new year reunion, ten mice for tet, tikki tikki tembo, fortune cookies, dragon paper cut,
23
Jan
Awarded
7:23am.
The coffee was made, breakfast started, everyone was up and awake (two entirely different states of being by the way..)
The computer was powered up.
At attention.
Because this morning wasn’t our everyday morning. This morning at 7:48am, the 2012 ALA Youth Media Awards were announced live online at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, Texas.
After much review of potential Caldecott and Corretta Scott King books and potential Newbery books, for the Printz, the Schneider, the Geisel, William C. Morris, and the list goes on….. For librarians, educators, and the highly praised authors and illustrators of 2011, this morning like Christmas morning. But better.
Without much further ado…
The Best of the Best of 2012 include:
Newbery Award Winner
“For the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature”
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Newbery Honor Books
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Velchin
Caldecott Award Winner
“ For the most distinguished American picture book for children”
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
Caldecott Honor Books
Blackout by John Rocco
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Me… Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Corretta Scott King (Author) Award Winner
“Recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults”
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Honor Books
The Great Migration: Journey to the North by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrations by Leo & Diane Dillon
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner
Underground by Shane W. Evans
Honor Book
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Michael L. Printz Award Winner
“For excellence in literature written for young adults”
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
(Where Things Come Back also claimed the 2012 William C. Morris Award)
Printz Honor Books
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, illustrated by Maira Kalman
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The entire list of award winners can be found here.
How do you feel about the results?
I’m happy Dead End in Norvelt won the Newbery, but am quite heart-broken Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt didn’t even take home an honor…
image sources: dead end in norvelt, inside out, stalin’s nose, ball for daisy, blackout, grandpa green, me..jane, heart and soul, great migration, never forgotten, underground, where things come back, why we broke up, the returning, jasper jones, scorpio races
16
Jan
I Have A Dream Storytime
For Sunday’s storytime, we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. with “I Have a Dream” Storytime. All books selected were meant to embrace a few of MLK’s dreams of treating others equally, with respecting, accepting and celebrating differences, working together, and dreaming big dreams.
I Have A Dream Storytime Lineup:
Martin’s Dream by Jane Kurtz, illustrated by Amy June Bates
A good, rhyming book about MLK for kids of all ages.
Martin Luther King Jr. Song
by Jacqueline Woodson
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Freedom, freedom, let it ring. Let it ring said Dr. King. Let us live in harmony. Peace and love for you and me. Freedom, freedom, let it ring. Let it ring said Dr. King.
The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane DeRolf, illustrated by Michael Letzig
Another straight forward, easy read about diversity and working together.
Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
I think I first read this book in the late summer and afterwards put it on a long list I keep as a possible storytime book and I’m excited that I finally had to perfect occasion to read it. It’s a charming story with wonderful illustrations. I have a feeling Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw has great things ahead of her as a children’s author/illustrator.
My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry, illustrated by Mike Litwin
Usually on Saturday night, I go through all the books (sometimes a mere 5, sometimes 15+) of the potential storytime books for the next day. And because I am indecisive, I have my husband read through them too. And my sister was in town last week, so she got to read through them as well. This book was both my husband’s and my sister’s favorite of the group. This author/illustrator duo also wrote a similar book with a boy character, My Name is Not Alexander.
An Awesome Book! by Dallas Clayton
A book dedicated to dreaming and dreaming BIG! I read Dallas Clayton’s An Awesome Book of Thanks for Thanksgiving Storytime and both kids and parents really enjoyed it. I’m a huge Dallas Clayton fan and would love for him to visit our library some day. You can read An Awesome Book! in it’s entirety here.
I Have A Dream Craft:
Dream Boxes
I’ve always wanted to use cigar boxes in a craft for storytime.
And so I did!
For the craft portion of I Have A Dream Storytime, we made “Dream Boxes”, a safe place to go when we want to remember our dreams.
With the help of a couple cigar shops in the Lawrence area (On The Rocks and Centro Cigars) I was able to secure all the boxes needed for storytime. The only prep work that needed to be done was cutting and taping colorful cardstock on the box top. Which I didn’t really have to do, but it made it easier for the kids to draw pictures or write their name if they wanted to. It also made for an easy surface to work with.
The materials used ran the gamut. Tape, glue sticks, school or craft glue, stickers, plastic jewels, crayons, markers, and printouts were what I used. Other material ideas could include old magazines and maps, ribbon, fabric, feathers, paper doilies, etc. When I said the only thing I prepped were the boxes, that wasn’t entirely accurate because I did print out “Dream” phrases, clipart pictures, and wallpaper samples. (fyi: Anthropologie has a variety of fun, kid-friendly wallpaper pattern picks)
And there you have it….
Safe keeping for all your wildest dreams.
image sources: MLK, martin’s dream, the crayon box, same but different, name is not isabella, an awesome book
