We started our Halloween-themed storytime by talking about what costumes we wore for Halloween, then we sang a song using the book If You’re a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca and Ed Emberley.  I love the action and movement prompts in this colorful book.

 

If You're a Monster and You Know It

 

Then we read Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette.  It’s got a nice rhyme and lots of repetition.

 

Ghost in the House

 

The kids helped me tell the story of Go Away, Big Green Monster (by Ed Emberley) with my puppet friend Goon.  They delighted in pulling off bits of his face but they were nice enough to put his face back together when we were done!
Go Away Big Green Monster glove

 

After that we read a funny parody of the classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown called Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex. I love his parodies. The illustrations are a bit creepy for very little ones, but the original is so familiar to little ones that I thought they would still be a good audience for it. If you liked it, definitely check out his parody of The Runaway Bunny called The Runaway Mummy!

 

goodnight goon

 

We did a felt board about five little bats:

 

Five Little Bats

Five little bats hanging upside down,
The first little one didn’t make a sound.
The second one said, “I’ll fly far tonight.”
The third one said, “I don’t like sunlight.”
The fourth one said, “I want to eat some bugs.”
The fifth one said, “Let me give you a hug.”
Five little bats hanging upside down.
Shhh! It’s daytime, don’t make a sound!

 

And we finished by dancing to the music video “Monster Mash” from the Disney Sing Along Songs Happy Haunting DVD. Usually film time is a time for sitting and watching, but this time everybody had to get up and dance! It’s too fun not to do it.