Our summer session of Toddler Storytime is underway.  Each week you’ll find a blog post that covers the books, rhymes, songs, flannel stories, fingerplays, puppets and video we shared.  There will also be some information about the benefits of reading, singing and talking to your toddler.

For our second storytime of the session we enjoyed reading and singing about ZOO ANIMALS!  Below you’ll find a record of everything we shared!

FUN FACT:  The best way to support your infant’s emerging language and literacy skills is to read, sing and play together!  Click the link below for more information about the importance of reading early and often to your child.

Books We Shared

 
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell is a lift-the-flap and pop-up book with a twist.  Someone writes a letter to the zoo asking for a pet but it seems every “pet” the zoo sends is either too fierce, too loud, too scary, too tall…you get the picture!  All of those “wild” animals were quickly shipped back to the zoo.  However, the book has a happy ending.  The zoo folks think long and hard and finally send over the perfect house pet – a dog!
Carlo Likes Counting by Jessica Spanyol introduces us to a giraffe named Carlo who escapes from the zoo to COUNT!  (Well I made up the escape part; I just imagine he escaped from the zoo.  He is a giraffe after all and Southern California is not this animal’s natural habitat.)  Spanyol’s colorful book involves counting and is full of things children love – ice cream, fish, teddy bears and more!  A fun, interactive way to introduce counting to your toddler.  The book also makes for a great bath time story because Carlo ends his counting adventures by taking a bubble bath!

Puppet Activity We Shared

I WENT TO THE ZOO AND I BROUGHT BACK A…

I went to the zoo and I brought back a giraffe! (munch, stretch, munch)

I went to the zoo and I brought back a BEAR! (Growl!)

I went to the zoo and I brought back a PENGUIN! (waddle, waddle, waddle)

I went to the zoo and I brought back a KANGAROO! (hop, bounce, hop)

I went to the zoo and I brought back a LION! (Roar!)

I took them out of my box but they were so LOUD that I couldn’t keep them at the library!  So I put them back in my box and returned them to the zoo!


Flannel Board We Shared

Where’s My Baby?

Carlo the giraffe from the book Carlo Likes Counting joined us for a matching game.  He helped us match the baby zoo animals with their mommies!


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!

Clap Everybody and Say Hello! (see “CDs section” below to find this song in our CD collection)

Clap everybody and say hello, clap everybody and say hello, clap everybody and say hello, no matter what the weather

Stamp everybody… (stamp feet)

Wiggle everybody… (wiggle your body)

Jump everybody… (jump up and down)

Sing everybody… (open arms wide)

Roll Your Hands (see “CDs section” below to find this song in our CD collection)

Roll, roll, roll your hands as fast as fast can be! (roll hands)

Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.

Clap, clap, clap your hands as loud as loud can be!  (clap hands)

Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.

Tap, tap, tap your feet as softly as can be! (quietly tap feet)

Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.

Shake, shake, shake your feet as quickly as can be!  (quickly shake feet onto the ground)

Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.

Roll, roll, roll your hands as fast as fast can be! (roll hands)

Do it now, let me see, do it now with me. (keep rolling until the end of the song)

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

Closing Songs

You are My Sunshine (short version)

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray.

You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
And I love you more every day.

Goodbye Friends (in sign) – Video:  Goodbye Friends

Goodbye friends, goodbye friends,
Goodbye friends, 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

Video We Shared

Goodnight Gorillathe video was based on by the picture book by Peggy Rathmann

  


Continue the Fun

If you want to read more books about Zoo Animals make sure to check these out from your local Pasadena Public Library!