This week we told stories about cats, with several different visual adaptations of cat books. We had help from some of our feline friends:
Books We Shared
Sleepy Kitty uses adorable photos of kittens to illustrate its text about a kitten who doesn’t want to go to bed (asks for a drink of milk, a goodnight kiss, just like little kids do). Research has shown that babies and toddlers respond with great interest to books with actual photographs.
A Bed for Kitty by Yasmine Surovec tells the story of Chloe who loves her kitty, and her kitty who does NOT like his new bed. Chloe tries everything to get him to try his new bed, until she finally plops down on it herself!
Puppet Stories
What Will Fat Cat Sit On?
What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas shows different farm animals’ responses to an odd threat: the threat of being sat upon by Fat Cat!
Great Big Cat and Teeny Little Mouse
There was a GREAT BIG CAT (say “great big cat” in a big voice)
and a Teeny Little Mouse (say “teeny little mouse” in a small squeaky voice)
Who ran around and around (Roll hands with cat and mouse around each other)
In a tall, tall house! (Stretch arms above head)
Until that teeny tiny mouse (say “teeny little mouse” in a small squeaky voice)
got caught at last (have cat catch mouse)
Because that GREAT BIG CAT (say “great big cat” in a big voice)
ran around so fast! (Roll hands with cat and mouse around each other)
Flannel Boards We Shared
Little Cat, little cat
Little cat, little cat
Are you under the [color] hat?
Nursery Rhyme We Shared
The Three Little Kittens
Three little kittens,
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! Lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow,
Now we shall have no pie.
The three little kittens,
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.
What! Found your mittens,
You darling kittens!
Then you shall have some pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow,
Now we shall have some pie!
The three little kittens,
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear,
We greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.
What! Soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then they began to cry,
Mee-ow, mee-ow,
They began to sigh.
The three little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh mother dear,
See here, See here,
Our mittens we have washed.
What! Washed your mittens,
You ARE good kittens.
But I smell a rat nearby!
Action Songs & Bounces We Shared
We share a lot of songs, bounces & rhymes during storytime!
You’ll find lyrics/words to those songs & rhymes we shared without CD accompaniment here.
Five Little Mice (my translation of Cinco Ratoncitos)
Five little mice, all gray from head to toe (hold up five fingers)
Wiggle their ears (wiggle baby’s ears)
and wiggle their nose (wiggle baby’s nose)
1,2,3,4,5, (open fingers one by one)
they run around the house (make your fingers “run” around)
Because the cat is coming, (act like you’re “stalking” prey)
and he’s hungry for some….MOUSE! (say the last word loudly and suddenly, tickling baby)
(See a video of me singing the original Spanish rhyme!)
Icky Bicky Soda Cracker
Icky bicky soda cracker
Icky bicky boo
Icky bicky soda cracker
Up goes you! (lift baby high)
Icky bicky soda cracker
Icky bicky boo
Icky bicky soda cracker
Up goes you! (give baby a cuddle)
Goodbye Friends (song in sign)
Click here for video: Goodbye Babies (Friends)
Goodbye babies, goodbye babies
Goodbye babies, it’s time to say goodbye.
Peek-a-Boo
Peek-a-boo, where are you
Hiding in your…
place! PEEKABOO!
Peek-a-boo, I see you
and your smiling…
face! PEEKABOO!
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.
I tried a new opening song called “Song In My Tummy,” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band. I might go back and forth though and see if I can slowly acclimate everyone to this new song.
“One Two Three Whee!” from Groovy Green by Mr. Eric & Mr. Michael
Continue the Fun
Here are some more books about cats to check out at your Pasadena Public Library Branch: