We read about some pets who were “behaving badly” – I think if you look at the covers of the books listed below you’ll understand what I mean.   It was all so much fun and the children listened and participated beautifully.  Here are some of the books, songs and activities we shared.

Books We Shared

In Sam Lloyd’s picture book, Mr. Pusskins, we meat a mean, disgruntled cat who anyone else might have given up on.  He learns a very valuable lesson when he runs away from his loving owner, Emily.  At first he gets into all sorts of mischief and finds it quite fun until he is cold, wet and alone on the city streets.  An emotional story with some twists and turns and, of course, a happy ending.

In Oh No, George by Chris Haughton, George is a well-meaning, easily excitable pup who just can’t stay out of trouble.  His owner leaves to run a few errands and George tries to be good while he’s away but…there is a cake, there’s some dirt, there’s a cat…it’s just too much for George to handle.  A really funny story that will sound familiar to anyone who owns a not-so-well-behaved dog.

We meet a pretty aggressive dinosaur in Martin Waddel’s, The Super Hungry Dinosaur.  He just barges into a little boy’s backyard and tries to eat his mom, his dad and finally his beloved dog!  The little boy says an emphatic NO to all three, but he and his dog make doubly sure the dinosaur isn’t able to stomp all over them.  A funny story that has lots of action and shows a little boy standing up for himself and those he loves.

FLANNEL STORY WE SHARED

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly (and my Pets)

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don’t know why she swallowed that fly,
Perhaps she’ll cry.

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider.
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she’ll cry.

There was an old lady who swallowed a bird.
How absurd, to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she’ll cry.

There was an old lady who swallowed my pet cat.
Imagine that, she swallowed my cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she’ll cry.

There was an old lady who swallowed my pet dog.
What a hog! To swallow my dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she’ll cry.

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don’t know how she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the dog to catch my cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she’ll cry.

There was an old lady who swallowed a horse
Well now she’s full of course.

We share a lot of songs & rhymes during storytime!  You’ll find lyrics/words to those songs & rhymes (without music) here.

Welcome Song (song)
(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Welcome, welcome everyone
Now we’re here, let’s have some fun!
First we clap our hands just so
Then we bend and touch our toes
Welcome, welcome everyone
Now we’re here, let’s have some fun!

Open Shut Them (fingerplay)

Click her for video:  Open Shut Them

Open shut them, open shut them (open hands wide, close them tight)
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap 3x)
Open shut them, open shut them (open hands wide, close them tight)
Place them on your lap, lap, lap (bounce hands on lap)
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them (crawl fingers up to chin)
Right up to your chinny, chin chin (tap chin with fingers)
Open up your little mouth BUT (open mouth)
Do not let them in! (quickly place hands behind your back)

 

“We’re Going to the Market” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman
(Using egg shakers)

We’re going to the market, we’re going to the fair,
To see a senorita with flowers in her hair.
So shake it baby shake it!
Shake it if you can,
Shake it like a milkshake and drink it from a can!
Shake it to the bottom, shake it to the top,
And turn around and turn around until we holler STOP!  (Repeat 1x)

“Goodbye Friends” (in sign)

Click here for video:  Goodbye Friends 

Goodbye friends, goodbye friends
Goodbye friends, it’s time to say goodbye.

Now it’s Time to Say Goodbye (tune:  Mary Had a Little Lamb)

Now it’s time to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye,
Not it’s time to say goodbye, we’ll see you all next week!

Music from CDs We Shared

Children love to sing and dance to music.  Here are some of the songs/bounces on CD that we used in storytime.

“Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Kathy Reid-Naiman

Clap everybody and say hello, (clap hands)
Clap everybody and say hello,
Clap everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Stamp everybody and say hello, (stomp feet)
Stamp everybody and say hello,
Stamp everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Wiggle everybody and say hello, (wiggle body)
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Jump everybody and say hello, (jump up and down)
Jump everybody and say hello,
Jump everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Sing everybody and say hello, (wave hi)
Sing everybody and say hello,
Sing everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammet & Elaine Bueffel
Click here for video:  Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
So the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

“I’m a Little Teapot”
Click here for video:  I’m a Little Teapot

I’m a little teapot, short and stout.
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up, here me shout,
Just tip me over and pour me out,
Tip me over and pour me out!

“Two Little Blackbirds”
Click her for video:  Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill,
One named Jack and the other named Jill.
Fly away jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill!

“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Click here for video:  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are…

VIDEO WE WATCHED

Katie Loves the Kittens

EXTEND THE FUN AT HOME