On October 30, we had our last eStorytime of 2015. Since the programs are held on Friday mornings, and most of the Fridays in November and December are holidays, we’ve decided to put the eStorytimes on hiatus for a bit. Of course, if you love them and want to see them back in the new year, please let us know!
So, to finish out this year’s series, we talked about human’s best friend — dogs!
Apps We Shared
Our first app was based on the classic board book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. A young child writes a letter to the zoo asking for a pet — but nothing that they send back is just right. Until they think very very hard and come up with the best companion. Unfortunately, the app is no longer available for download, but you can still check out the book from your local Pasadena Public Library branch.
Next we played with the Sago Mini app Friends (FREE: iOS, Android, Windows, Amazon). We helped Harvey the dog go on various playdates with his friends, including settling down for a nap with Robin the Bird, growing a flower with Jinja the Cat, and blowing bubbles with hamster. This is a wonderful app for generating conversation with your child.
I love doing flannelboard stories during my regular storytimes, and I love that Felt Board from Software Smoothie ($2.99; iOS) makes it easy to bring this idea into eStorytime as well! Here’s a screenshot and the rhyme that we shared on the electronic feltboard:
Five Little Puppy Dogs
5 little puppy dogs by the kennel door
One left the crowd, then there were four.
4 little puppy dogs, running round a tree
Mother called one home and then there were three.
3 little puppy dogs playing with a shoe
One ran after a cat, then there were two
2 little puppy dogs having so much fun
One went to find a bone, then there was one
1 little puppy dog sitting in the sun,
She went in the kennel and then there were none.
We finished up our eStorytime with two book apps. First up, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd, from Penguin New Zealand ($4.99; iOS). Hairy Maclary the dog sets out with his friends for a stroll – but what happens when they meet up with the neighborhood cat? This is a silly rhyming story. (And if you’re a Doctor Who fan, it’s narrated by David Tennant!) Last, we saw Little Critter take care of his new puppy in Just Me and My Puppy by Mercer Mayer, from Oceanhouse Media ($1.99; iOS, Android, Kindle, Nook).
Movements
Try these fun actions at home with your child! It’s fun to pretend to be a dog!
Rover Can
Can you do what Rover the dog can do?
Rover can catch.
Rover can shake.
Rover can roll over.
Rover can chase his tail.
Rover can beg.
Rover can speak.
What else can Rover do?
Puppy Dog, Puppy Dog
Puppy dog, puppy dog turn around (turn around)
Puppy dog, puppy dog touch the ground (touch the ground)
Puppy dog, puppy dog way up high (stand up straight)
Puppy dog, puppy dog touch the sky (hands up high above head)
Puppy dog, puppy dog touch your toes (touch your toes)
Puppy dog, puppy dog touch your nose (touch nose)
Puppy dog, puppy dog touch your knee (touch knees)
Puppy dog, puppy dog sit down please (sit down)
Book
When you’ve been spending a lot of time looking at a screen, it can be nice to take a break to read a traditional book. I also like reading a print book at our eStorytimes because it shows how apps and media can go hand-in-hand, and you can use one to enhance the other. For our dog storytime, we read the silly story of Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. When George’s mom asks George to bark, he does everything EXCEPT make a proper dog noise. What can be wrong with him? It may take a trip to the vet to find out.
If you want to expand on the media/book relationship even more, this also comes as a wonderful video from Weston Woods that the library carries on DVD, or via our BookFlix database.
Continue the Fun
Want some more fun apps to play with?
Visit the Children’s Room and play with these on our iPads.
Or, check out our Pinterest pages: