Last Saturday we read some great stories about cats AND helped find a missing kitty named Tippy Toes. We also acted out a story about a dog and a cat who were best friends. Here are the books, songs, flannel board, mini play, action rhymes and video we shared.
Books We Read
In Sam Lloyd’s Mr. Pusskins we are introduced to a very unhappy cat! His owner Emily loves him very much but he could care less – “she bored his whiskers right off!” Inevitably he escapes for a more exciting life. At first he has loads of fun making a ruckus and hanging out with a “pesky cat gang” but that doesn’t last. It starts to get cold outside and Mr. Pusskins finds himself hungry and tired. His cat friends eventually ignore him and he begins to long for someone to brush his fur and feed him and tell him how WONDERFUL he is. This is really the story of a cat who learns to appreciate the love of a dear, sweet girl and realizes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. A read aloud filled with various emotions and a lesson in being thankful.
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel shows how different creatures see a cat! Its all about perspective! A flea sees a cat from a much different vantage point than a mouse, than a person, than a snake.
“The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws …”
What do you think when you see a cat? A little lion? A sweet, cuddly pet? A predator? A “scaredy” cat? It all depends on your prespective. This is a deceptively simple picture book that helps children develop critical thinking skills.
MR. DOG AND MRS.CAT
(2 children from the audience offered to help me tell this story while everyone else provided support during the chorus. The hats were their costumes!)
This is Mr. Dog and he lives in a little house over here.
This is Mrs. Cat and she lives in a little house over here.
One day Mr. Dog opened his door and came out
“Oh it is such a lovely day I think I will go and visit my friend Mrs. Cat.”
So he closed his door and went up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill
until he came to Mrs. Cat’s door.
He knocked on the door, “clock! clock! clock!”
Mrs. Cat was taking a nap so she didn’t hear Mr. Dog when he knocked on the door. “clock! clock! clock!”
“Oh, Mrs. Cat must not be home,” said Mr. Dog.
I think I’ll go back home.
So he went up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill.
He opened the door and went in and closed the door.
But he was so tired that he had to lie down and take a nap.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Cat woke up from her nap. She opened the door and came out. “Oh, what a lovely day, I think I’ll go and visit my friend Mr. Dog.”
So she closed her door. She went up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill.
Until she came to Mr. Dog’s house. She knocked on the door. “clock! clock! clock!”
But Mr. Dog was taking a nap and didn’t hear her when she went “clock! clock! clock!”
So Mrs. Cat thought Mr. Dog must not be home. “So I’ll go home.”
So she went up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill until she came to her house.
Se opened the door and went in.
Meanwhile Mr. Dog finished his nap. “Ah, I do wish I could see my good friend Mrs. Cat.”
Mrs. Cat thought, “I wish I could see my friend Mr. Dog. I‘ll try again.”
So each of them opened their doors, closed their doors and they went up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill up the hill and down the hill until they met in the middle. “Why hello Mr. Dog! I was on my way to see you.”
“Well Mrs. Cat, I was on my way to see you.”
“I came to see you earlier but you weren’t home.”
“Oh that must have been while I was taking a nap.”
“I came to see you but you weren’t home.”
“That must have been when I was taking a nap.”
“Well come on over to my house now.”
So they went up the hill and down the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill until they came to Mr. Dog’s house.
They opened the door and went in.
They had such a lovely time. They had tea and crumpets with lemon crud and fresh butter. It was delicious.
Then it was time for Mrs. Cat to go home. So they opened the door and came out.
Mr. Dog waved as Mrs. Cat went up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill until she came to her house.
Then each of them opened their doors and went into their houses and closed their doors. THE END.
Flannel Board
Where is Tippy Toes?
Tippy Toes, Tippy Toes, where are you?
We need to find you so give us a clue!!!
Are you under the….green, blue, orange, polka dot, zebra-striped rug???
We found quite a few animals before we found Tippy Toes under the zebra-striped rug!
(Pssst…he was there the entire time!)
Action Songs & Fingerplays
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)
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
The itsy bitsy spider
Went up the water spout
Down came the rain and
Washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
Now the itsy bitsy spider
Went up the spout again
You are my Sunshine
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 babies, 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
“We’re Going to the Market” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman [With Shaker Eggs]
“Oh Children Ring Your Bells” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman!
“Jazzy ABCs” from Go Baby Go! by Baby Loves Jazz
Video We Shared
The video we watched: Katie Loves Ktitens
Continue the Fun at Home
If you’d like to read more books about cats, check out these books from your local Pasadena Public Library!
