On Saturday we read stories about the people who help out around our neighborhood!


Books We Shared

Supertruck by Stephen Savage combines an overview of different kinds of jobs and vehicles with a story about an unlikely hero. Everyone thinks garbage truck “just collects the trash,” but when a blizzard engulfs the city in snow, there is only one truck with the power to dig everyone out…Supertruck!

I’m pretty sure the kids were unanimously familiar with Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems–since its publication in 2003 it’s become a modern classic. But sometimes it’s nice to do an old favorite in a storytime, especially when everyone knows the format, shouting “NO!” every time the Pigeon asks for permission to drive. This one had lots of audience participation; there’s a reason it’s so well-known.

I was surprised to learn, though, that Biblioburro was a familiar book to one of the older siblings who attended Saturday’s preschool storytime! This book is also kind of classic but not as ubiquitous. It’s the true story of Luis Soriano, a Colombian schoolteacher who found a way to bring books to villages that had none, and that were too remote and difficult to access by truck. He took books to children on the backs of burros, and brought literacy to people who had no other access to it. I love sharing this story, and using it to impress upon kids how lucky they are to live in a city like Pasadena, California where there are ten library branches, one within walking distance of every resident.

Here’s a great video about Soriano:

Flannel Boards We Shared

Blue Car, Blue Car, What Do You See?

Blue car, blue car,
What do you see?
I see a black police car looking at me.

Black police car, black police car,
what do you see?
I see a green tractor looking at me.

Green tractor, green tractor,
what do you see?
I see a red fire truck looking at me.

Red fire truck, red fire truck,
what do you see?
I see a white ambulance looking at me.

White ambulance, white ambulance,
what do you see?
I see a yellow school bus looking at me.

Yellow school bus, yellow school bus,
what do you see?
I see CHILDREN looking at me!

Thank You Letters

In this flannelboard activity I pretended to be a secretary who needed to address some letters, but didn’t know who the letters were for. I read the letters out loud and the kids guessed who they were for, based on the clues. So the letter about healing someone’s ears is for the doctor, the letter about keeping the school clean for the janitor, and the letter about fixing the toilet for the plumber, etc. Then we put sticker labels on each envelope.

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.

Button Factory

Hi, My name is Joe
And I work in a button factory,
One day the boss came up to me and said
“Are you busy, Joe?”
I said “No.”
“Then push this button with your _____.”

1) Left hand
2) Right Hand
3) Left Foot
4) Right Foot
5) Butt
6) Head

(The next time, when the boss asks “Are you busy, Joe,” say YES!)

(Source: https://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/mynameisjoe.html#ixzz5BZiNEEjL)

Goodbye Friends (song in sign)

Click here for video:  Goodbye Babies (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 songs/bounces on CD that we used in storytime.

“Song In My Tummy” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band

“Clap Your Hands” and “[If] I Was a Bird” by Old Town School of Folk Music on their Wiggleworms Love You CD.

“Shake My Sillies Out” by Raffi, from A Child’s Celebration of Silliest Songs.

Video We Shared

from the DVD

We watched “Officer Buckle and Gloria” based on the book by Peggy Rathmann, from the Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site DVD. Police Officer Buckle’s safety speeches get a new lease on life when he starts working with a new K-9 unit, Gloria, but he has no idea why it is that the children cheer enthusiastically every time he visits them. When he finally realizes that Gloria is the star of the show, he gets hurt feelings! It’s a wonderful story, with a good lesson, and it won the Caldecott award for telling the story so well with pictures.

Continue the Fun

Here are some more books about community workers to check out at your Pasadena Public Library Branch: