For our second storytime of the winter session we read stories about FROGS!  There were “ribbits” and some hoppin’ and a jumpin’ going on this morning!  Below are the books, rhymes, songs, finger plays and flannel boards we shared. 

A FUN FACT (brought to you by our mascot, Freddie the frog):

To help your child hear and know sounds in words you can:

  • Read stories with rhyming words.
  • Read books featuring different sounds (animals, instruments, etc.)

(We did both during our storytime today!)

When you help your child hear and know sounds in words you are putting literacy into motion and helping them develop phonological awareness.

If you want more in depth information on how to help your child’s emerging literacy, click here:  Fairfax County Library


Books We Shared

Jump by Scott M. Fischer is an interactive, rhyming book that follows different animals as they “jump” to escape from predators!  Sounds scary but it really isn’t – it is fun, full of mishaps and cumulative.  Of course we start with a bug who’s a “snug little bug” until it spies a frog and jumps!!  And the frog is “sleeping like a log” until it sees a cat and jumps!!  I think you get the picture.  Near the end of the story we even see a shark and a whale make an appearance.  Not to be missed, this makes a wonderful lap sit and/or read aloud book.

I Love to Eat Bugs! by John Strejan is a personal favorite.  This is a pop-up book with personality and children love the intricate design of the animals that jump out in 3-D (pardon the frog pun).  An elephant, a gorilla, a lion, a hyena all pop out to tell us what they like to eat.  On each page we have our wide-mouthed frog in the corner replying with “I love to eat bugs!”  Well our frog is silenced by a crocodile who claims to love eating wide mouthed frogs.  Read the book to see what happens! (I promise no frogs get eaten in this story.)


Rhyming Flannel

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

Five green and speckled frogs

Sat on a speckled log,

Eating some most delicious bugs – YUM YUM!

One jumped into the pool where it was nice and cool,

Now there are four green and speckled frogs – GLUB GLUB!

Repeat with four, three, two, one and finally NONE!

Watch the YouTube video below to practice at home!


Finger Puppet Rhyme

(Start by holding up 5 fingers – I happened to have these puppets but fingers work just as well.)

Five little froggies sitting on a well,
One looked up (point up)
and down he fell. (fall down)
Froggies jump high (reach up high)
Froggies jump low (reach down low)
Four little froggies hopping two and fro.
(Keep going until there are no more frogs.)


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 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


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


Video We Shared

Where’s the Frog?


Continue the Fun

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