We had lots of fun during our preschool storytime last Saturday!  Whales snuck into each of our stories – whales that grew too large to keep in the bathtub, whales with advice and whales that appeared in a great “messterpiece” created by an “ocean” artist.  Sound strange?  Maybe.  But remember, nothing’s impossible during storytime.  Here are some of the books, songs and activities we shared.

Books We Shared

  

 Fish Story by Keith Faulkner and Jonathan Lambert is about a little boy who finds a tiny grey fish in his net while fishing in a tide pool.  He puts the fish in a jar and brings it home…but it grows too big for the jar!  So he places it in the bathtub but it grows too big for the tub!  He finally realizes it is much too big to keep, so he puts it in a wheelbarrow and takes it back to the sea.  He gets a goldfish instead but he misses his “BIG” fish.  Every now and then he can see the fish from his bedroom window.  Truth be told, his fish is really a WHALE!  A great “fish” story with a few lift the flap surprises!

In Puffin Peter by Petr Horacek, two puffins named Peter and Paul are the best of friends.  They go out diving one day but a terrible storm brews and Peter gets lost.  Paul frantically looks for Peter and runs into a blue whale who offers to help.  They let the ocean take them to the arctic, the tropics and the jungle where they finds birds that share some of Peter’s physical characteristics but they aren’t Peter!  Finally , they land on some tiny islands where they find Peter safe and sound!  A picture book with vivid drawings, emotional suspense and opportunities to identify different birds.  A great read aloud for preschoolers.

Kevin Sherry’s funny and colorful picture book, I’m the Best Artist in the Ocean, begins with a very talented giant squid painting and drawing his surroundings.  He draws fish, crabs, manta rays, jelly fish – anything he sees. Well he splashes some little fish with paint and they get a bit perturbed but it isn’t until he runs into a cranky shark who asks him to “STOP!” that he unveils his “messterpiece” – a giant whale with a number of sea creatures inside his belly.  Fantastic visuals, humor and a pull out surprise make this very appealing for younger children.


FLANNEL BOARDS WE SHARED

Slippery Fish

Click here for video with song:  Slippery Fish

Make swimming motions as you sing….
The Slippery Fish, the Slippery Fish,
Was swimming through the water.
The Slippery Fish, the Slippery Fish,

Oh no…(put your hands to your mouth)
He was eaten by…. (place octopus over little fish)

An Octopus, an Octopus
Squiggling through the water,
An Octopus, an Octopus,

Oh no (put your hands to your mouth)
He was eaten by…(place tuna fish over octopus)

A Tuna Fish, a Tuna Fish,
Moving through the water,
A Tuna Fish, a Tuna Fish,

Oh no (put your hands to your mouth)
He was eaten by…(place shark over tuna fish)

A Great White Shark, a Great White Shark,
Lurking in the water,
A Great White Shark, a Great White Shark,

Oh no (put your hands to your mouth)
He was eaten by…(put Whale over shark)

A Humongous whale, a Humongous whale,
Moving through the water,
A Humongous Whale, Humongous Whale

Oh no….I have a terrible tummy ache.  (BURP)  Ooops, Excuse Me!

(When using the felt board, put all of the characters on your felt board.
Lay the new character on top of the one that is supposed to be eaten.
In the end, all of the characters will be under the whale.)

Credit:  Charlotte Diamond

Fish Bowl

 

On Saturday I got my wish,
When I found a tank for my fish

But an empty tank is not much fun,
So I bought a blue fish and now I have one.

I have a fish, but one won’t do,
So I bought a green one and now I have two.

I have two fish swimming happily,
But I bought a yellow one, and now I have three.

I have three fish, but I want more,
So I bought a red one and now I have four.

I have four fish that jump and dive,
But I bought a pink one and now I have five.

On Saturday, I got my wish
When I found a tank for a fish.

A tank full of fish is lots of fun,
But the cat just saw them so I’d better run!

Credit:  Abby the Librarian


Rhymes & Songs & Fingerplays We Shared

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,
Dhake 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 baby)
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Jump everybody and say hello, (lift baby up high)
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.


Video We Watched

Swimmy


Extend the Fun at Home