We had so much fun reading all about animals in today’s Toddler Storytime!  Below are the books, rhymes, flannel activity, fingerplays, songs and video we shared!


BOOKS WE SHARED

  


I Love Animals by Flora McDonnell is filled with animals you’re likely to find on a farm!  We met Jock the farm dog, some hopping hens, a runaway goat, a loud donkey, a casual cow, a mama pig and her piglets, a rolling pony, some sheep, a mama and her kittens AND a strutting turkey!  Did I miss anything?  Both written and illustrated by Flora McDonnell, the text is simple and the visuals are bright and unusually large making this the perfect read aloud for a toddler.

Emily Gravett’s Monkey and Me is a lively story about a little girl and her toy monkey! The rhythmic pattern of the words -“Monkey and me, Monkey and me, Monkey and me…we are going to see…” engage and delight as each turn of the page reveals a different animal.  There is an elephant, a kangaroo, some penguins and more.  The beauty of the story lies in its simplicity, word repetition and suspense.

I Can Help by David Hyde Costello introduces toddlers to the concept of helping and showing kindness.  It is also chock full of animals in the wild: a monkey, a giraffe, a gorilla, a sunbird, an elephant and a not-so-wild animal – a duck.  A wonderfully illustrated and colorful foray into a loving “animal” kingdom.


FLANNELBOARDS WE SHARED

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

(based on the book by Bill Martin, illustrated by Eric Carle)

“Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?

I see a red bird looking at me.

Red Bird, Red Bird, What do you see?

I see a yellow duck looking at me.

Yellow Duck, Yellow Duck, What do you see?

I see a blue horse looking at me.

Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see?

I see a green frog looking at me.

Green Frog, Green Frog, What do you see?

I see a purple cat looking at me.

Purple Cat, Purple Cat, What do you see?

I see a white dog looking at me.

White Dog, White Dog, What do you see?

I see a goldfish looking at me.

Goldfish, Goldfish, What do you see?

I see children looking at me.”


Action Songs & Fingerplays 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.

Welcome, Welcome Everyone
(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle)

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 – Video:  Open Shut Them

Open, shut them, open, shut them, (open and close hands)
Give a little clap, clap, clap.  (clap three times)
Open shut them, open shut them (open and close hands)
Put them in your lap, lap, lap. (place hands in lap and bounce them 3X)

Creep them, crawl them, creep them crawl them, (crawl fingers up arms)
Right up to your chinny  chin chin. (place fingers on chin)
Open up your little mouth (open mouth and say ahhhhhh)
But do not put them in!! (put hands behind your back)

This is Big

This is big, big, big (stretch hands far to sides)
This is small, small, small (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short (hold palms close vertically)
This is tall, tall, tall (hold palms far apart vertically)
This is fast, fast, fast (roll hands quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow (roll hands slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes (nod head)
This is no, no, no (shake head)
Credit: Mel’s Desk

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – Video:  Twinkle Twinkle

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.

Itsy Bitsy Spider – Video:  Itsy Bitsy

Goodbye Friends (in sign) – Video:  Goodbye Friends

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


Music from CDs We Shared

Children love to sing and dance to music.  Here are some of the action songs & rhymes on CD that we used in storytime.  Click onto the CD titles to find these items in our library catalog.

“Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

“Roll Your Hands” from Toddlers on Parade by Kathy Reid-Naiman

“I’m a Little Teapot” from Toddler Favorites by Music for Little People

“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Its Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

“ABC”  from Go Baby Go! Baby Loves Jazz by Baby Loves Jazz Band

Two Little Blackbirds” from  Circle Time: songs and rhymes for the very young by Lisa Monet

“We’re Going to the Market” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman

“Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes” from Its Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel


We used our shaker eggs and bells for this song!  “We’re Going to the Market”


Video We Shared

Iggy’s Pet Friends


Continue the Fun

If you’d like to read more books about animals, check these out at your local Pasadena Public Library!