Another themed Saturday storytime special, filled with the most fantastique Fancy Nancy Storytime fun! This outline has a lot of extra content because I came up with so many activities that made me super excited. Not everything made it into my storytime since I had a limited amount of time.
I had so much fun getting FANCY for this storytime, particularly after getting to know Nancy Clancy and her universe. I was more familiar with Baby Shark and Elephant & Piggie before those storytime specials, but for some of these storytimes, I’ve got to really explore these characters for the first time. Nancy is such a sweet kid who just wants to make everything better with lots of accessories, lace, and glitter.
I made a preview video you can watch here:
To help continue the Fancy Nancy fun at home, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Download it here.
Watch the full storytime here (starts about 5 minutes in):
The general storytime layout–in order of what I presented–is below, with videos where applicable. All the extra videos I didn’t use for the program are at the bottom.
Fancy Nancy Storytime Outline
Backdrop Setup: Fancy Nancy pennant banners, book covers, and images. I’m happy to share these printable files if anyone is interested–just let me know in those comments or send us an email.
Intro Song: Add a Little Fancy by Fancy Nancy
Fancy Nancy Dance Soiree Checklist: Whenever possible, I like to give my special storytimes a storyline to help with transitions and to make the experience more entertaining for everyone.
In our Fancy Nancy storytime, we were hoping to complete our Fancy Nancy Dance Soiree Checklist (soiree is a fancy word for party). If we completed all of our tasks by the end of storytime, we might just get a magical phone call from the one and only Fancy Nancy inviting us to an after-storytime dance party!
Download your own Fancy Nancy Soiree Checklist here:
Get to Know Our Hostess (Book): Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
(And Her Secret Indentity) (Music): Dazzle Girl by Fancy Nancy (with scarves)
It’s book list season! I’ve read a lot this year, and I am excited to highlight my favorite releases of 2020. I’m thrilled to start this year’s lists with 2020 favorite storytime books.
These lists are personal. The storytime books that work for me may not work for you–and that is okay! We each have our own storytime preferences. Also, I very well may have missed some great titles that were released over the last year–so make sure to check out all of the great lists all over the internet.
I had so many favorites this year that I split picture books over two lists: storytime favorites and picture book favorites. Make sure to check both places for amazing 2020 titles!
Which titles were your favorites of the year? Please share in the comments!
#Baby by Michael Joosten Adorable baby photographs paired with humorous hashtags will make this a winner for both babies (who will love the close ups of other babies) and grown ups (who will appreciate the humor). Fun choice for virtual baby storytime.
A is for Another Rabbit by Hannah Batsel “A is for A Rabbit. B is for Bunny. C is for Can you believe how many rabbits are on this page?” A rabbit-obsessed narrator makes an owl angrier and angrier as this alphabet book fails to follow normal expectations. Try this out at an elementary school storytime.
Animals Brag About their Bottoms by Maki Saito Bottoms are cool. Animal bottoms are SUPER COOL. For toddlers, focus on identifying the animal by their bottom. For preschoolers, read through the story and talk about loving our bodies in all their unique shapes and sizes. Pair with a nonfiction book about animals, Whose Poop Is That?, or any Steve Jenkins title.
The Babies and Kitties Book by John Schindel and Molly Woodward Redd A companion to the adorable The Babies and Doggies Book, this book features photographs of babies…and kitties! Wonderful photographs featuring diverse babies are paired with fun actions that work well in a storytime environment (climbing, hiding, jumping).
Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Amanda Redd and illustrated by Nneka Myers “In my family, when the sun goes down, our hair goes up!” A little girl shows us her Black family’s nighttime hair routines, but when it comes time for her to go to bed, she can’t find her bonnet! Where could it be? A fantastic own voices book that centers a diverse narrative in a bedtime storytime.
Do Sharks Bark? by Salina Yoon These lift-the-flap books are perfect for toddler or preschool storytime. Read them as they are written–opening each animal mouth for that sound–or try retelling them with puppets.
Don’t Feed the Coos! by Jonathan Stutzman and illustrated by Heather Fox Coos are so cute! And they are begging you for a snack…but don’t give in! If you feed one, they will all come! Lots of humor and giggles about what happens if you feed pigeons (or seagulls or ibis or ducks depending where you live).
The Elephants’ Guide to Hide and Seek by Kjersten Hayes and illustrated by Gladys Jose Elephants love playing hide and seek–but they aren’t very good at it. Consult this handy guide for tips and tricks to improving your hide and seek game. Ask storytime attendees to think of new places or ways for an elephant to try to hide–maybe even places in your library!
Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Elisa Chavarri A clever retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Frederico tries to take food to his grandfather’s store, but a hungry wolf has other ideas. A bouncy rhythm makes this fun to read aloud. Spanish words are scattered throughout, with a glossary and pronunciation guide in the back.
Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James and illustrated by Matthew Rivera Lola is one fussy bird–she doesn’t want to eat shrimp like her fellow flamingos. She is determined to try any other food, and each of those foods changes the color of her feathers. Lots of repetitive text and humor make this a fun family read aloud.
The Ghosts Went Floating by Kim Norman and illustrated by Jay Fleck A spooky Halloween story sung to the tune of The Ants Went Marching. Perfect for counting practice, with a catchy tune that will soon have everyone singing. The last few pages include a Halloween tie in with the spooky friends all attending a Halloween party, though those could be skipped.
Going Up by Sherry J. Lee and illustrated by Charlene Chua Sophie and her dad are excited for Olive’s birthday party! Sophie pushes the elevator button, and they start the long journey up their building–but at each floor, the elevator stops, and more neighbors crowd in. Repetitive text helps keeps readers engaged as they meet the diverse residents of this apartment building.
Hey Baby!: A Baby’s Day in Doodles by Andrea Pippins Lovely photographs follow a 1-year-old through everyday activities. The black and white contrast is great for young eyes (if a little busy for a virtual storytime setting). Great actions and motions to compare the baby’s day to your family’s day.
I Love Me! by Laronda Gardner Middlemiss and illustrated by Beth Hughes Celebrate diversity, identity, community, and everything that makes you special. Rhyming text, vibrant illustrations, and the repeated “I Love Me!” makes this a great fit for toddler and preschool storytimes
I Love My Fangs! by Kelly Leigh Miller Little Dracula loves his two, pointy, beautiful fangs! But then–oh dear–one falls out. How can Dracula be a vampire with just one tooth? Why won’t it pop back in? Lots of humor and drama surround our adorable young vampire, including a hilarious battle with the tooth fairy. Bright, colorful illustrations will keep the youngest readers engaged.
Jules vs. the Ocean by Jessie Sima Jules wants to build the best sandcastle ever! But the ocean has other plans, washing away all of Jules’ attempts–and eventually it takes her bucket too. A fun summer beach story filled with dry humor in both the words and illustrations.
Lia & Luís: Who Has More? by Ana Crespo and illustrated by Giovana Medeiros Lia and Luís argue over who has more of their favorite snacks. A great way to include math concepts in storytime including measuring, counting, estimating, and weighing. Perfect for STEM programs!
Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse by Jonathan Stutzman and illustrated by Heather Fox I am a fan of everything Llama! While this sequel isn’t quite as amazing as the original, Llama gets into even more hilarious shenanigans in an effort to never have to clean his house again.
Lift by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat Wow! This book is visually gorgeous, but also contains serious storytime potential. Iris tapes a broken elevator button to the wall of her room. When she pushes the button, a new world opens up. A great book for older readers paired with an activity where kids create their own imaginary worlds that they would like to find behind magical elevator doors.
On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex A poor kid wakes up with gum in their hair, and their grown up is determined to get the gum out. Instead, they make things much, much, much worse along the way. Lots of laughs.
One of These Is Not Like the Others by Barney Saltzberg Three cows and one elephant–one of these is not like the other! A great read-aloud for toddlers practicing similarities and differences (and celebrating both). Easy to skip spreads to shrink the length of the book.
Our Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. Ali and illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell Musa’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Gupta, proposes a yearlong show and tell, where each child shares with their classmates about their favorite day of the year. As a class, they celebrate Eid Mubarak, Rush Hashanah, Christmas (with some Lantinx cultural elements), and Pi Day. A great way to have a conversation about holidays without focusing on one religion (or, in the case of Pi Day, any religion at all).
Sloth Went by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Bensom Shum Is there ever an audience where poop books don’t get a good laugh? Encourage young sloth to climb down a tree for his weekly poop. Pair with fascinating facts about how sloths poop in the wild, or a conversation about bathrooms and potty training.
Smug Seagull by Maddie Frost Smug Seagull can snatch more snacks than you! But…who is this new crab? How is crab so good at swiping? Is there enough room at the beach for two snack snatchers? A perfect read aloud to pair with Mo Willems’ Pigeon.
Speak Up by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Ebony Glenn When you see something that doesn’t feel right, when you make a mistake, when you can help someone in need, use your voice and speak up! While this book’s message is simple, it approaches kindness, activism, and using your voice in a tone perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders.
Turtle Walk by Matt Phelan “Turtle walk! Nice and slow. Here we go. Are we there yet? No.” This repetitive story is delightful. Adorable turtles make their plodding walk, exploring the wonders of the world, slowly making their way through the seasons to the cave where they will nap for the winter. Lots of fun to read aloud with a great refrain to repeat as a group.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Diaper You by Ellen Mayer and illustrated by Ying-Hwa Hu Mama changes baby’s diaper in this simple board book. While the action is straightforward, the book excels in modeling ways a caregiver can turn a small exchange, like changing a diaper, into an early literacy experience by singing a modified version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, practicing animal sounds, identifying body parts, and more. A great board book to highlight in a virtual storytime.
Unicorns Are the Worst! by Alex Willan Unicorns are the worst! Goblin is not happy when unicorns move in next door with their glitter and tea parties. Why are unicorns so well loved while goblins are so underappreciated? Funny story perfect for fans of unicorns, magic, humor, and new friendships. Bright illustrations will draw in young readers and also make this a good book to share virtually.
We Will Rock Our Classmatesby Ryan T. Higgins We Don’t Eat Our Classmates is one of my favorite storytime books–and I am so glad Penelope is back for more fun! She is excited to play her guitar at the school talent show until she hears a classmate say that dinosaurs can’t rock and roll. Her classmates have a lot of opinions about what dinosaurs can be…does Penelope have the courage to show off everything she is capable of? A great elementary read, especially to start a conversation about bullying and microaggressions with kindergarteners and first graders.
Welcome to the Party by Gabrielle Union and illustrated by Ashley Evans This is a baby storytime win! Beautiful illustrations, wonderful rhymes, and perfect actions for a group of babies or toddlers.
What Color Is My Hijab? by Hudda Ibrahim and illustrated by Meenal Patel A simple book that highlights both colors and diversity as a little girl chooses what color hijab she will wear today. Great choice for toddlers or preschoolers.
What Will Fit? by Grace Lin Grace Lin’s new series of math board books are perfect for introducing simple math concepts for toddlers. Make sure to check out the whole series!
When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt Celebrate kindness with this beautiful book by a Native author and illustrator. Perfect for talking to preschoolers and kindergarteners about being kind and helping others.
Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Luisa Uribe A girl tells her mother how frustrated she was after her teacher and classmates couldn’t pronounce her name. Her mother teaches her that her name is a song as well as how to embrace your name and identity. A beautiful book perfect for elementary school conversations about the importance of pronouncing names correctly.
Flannel and magnet activities are a staple of storytimes–especially my virtual storytimes! While I’ve always enjoyed these activities, we typically had very large in-person storytime audiences. I’ve never had the best vision, and I was always the kid (and adult) who was stuck in the back of a crowded room and who couldn’t see the tiny shapes on a flannel board or magnet board. I have some tricks to still make flannel and magnet activities work in a large crowd–mostly giant magnet and flannel pieces on a board I’m holding up high–but I like the intimacy of a virtual storytime where everyone can see everything I am doing.
While I love the cuteness of a high quality flannel set (Mister Keith is the flannel making king), I personally lean more towards magnet sets. I can stumble my way through making a nice flannel set I am happy with, but more often I try to find high quality images to create my own magnet sets. These can be printed over and over and laminated for reuse. Magnets stick a bit better for me (on a cookie sheet I hold up) are are generally less likely to fall off than flannel board pieces.
Looking for more flannel and magnet activities for your storytimes? Your one stop shop is Flannel Friday. Their Pinterest boards are regularly updated and filled with a world of cuteness.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Flannel and Magnet Activities
Animal Guessing Game (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
B-I-N-G-O
There was a farmer who had a dog And BINGO was his name-o B-I-N-G-O B-I-N-G-O B-I-N-G-O And BINGO was his name-o
The Bridge Is Up
A book retelling of The Bridge Is Up by Babs Bell.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Retelling of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Brown Owl, Brown Owl, What Do You See?
Retelling of Brown Owl, Brown Owl, What Do You See?, a spooky book adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Retelling of the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Count the Balloons(Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
Red Balloons, red balloons, how many do we see? Red balloons, red balloons, count them now with me!
Dear Zoo
Retelling of the book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.
Dinosaur Behind a Door
Dinosaur, dinosaur playing hide and seek! Are you behind the yellow door? Let’s take a peak!
Dog’s Colorful Day
Retelling of the book Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd.
Down Around the Corner
Down around the corner at the bakery shop Were five yummy/fancy cupcakes with sprinkles on top. Along comes a…. With a dollar to pay. She picks out a cupcake and takes it away.
Fancy Nancy, Fancy Nancy Playing hide and seek. Are you behind the __ teacup? Let’s take a peek!
Fancy Words (Fancy Nancy)
Paired Words:
Hello – Bonjour
Great – Fantastique
Sad – Crestfallen
Pretty – Glamorous
Thank You – Merci
Goodbye – Au Revoir
Five Fancy Peacocks
One fancy peacock feeling mighty fine Spreading his tail in the bright sunshine. Another peacock has come to play. Now two fancy peacocks have a great day.
Continue with: 2, 3, 4
Five Ferocious Lions
Deep in the jungle, what did I hear? Five ferocious lions roaring loud and clear. ROAR! said the lions. SCAT! said I. And one ferocious lion ran away… Goodbye!
4, 3, 2, 1…
Five in the Bed
There were five in the bed, And the little llama said “Roll over! Roll over!” And they all rolled over And one fell out.
Five Little Bats
Five little bats sleeping in a tree Hanging upside down Where no one else can see. The sun sets and the moon shines bright, And one little bat flies out of sight.
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day. Over the hill and far away. Mother duck said QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! But only four little ducks came back.
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Eggs
Give it a whack, (clap) Hear it crack, (hand behind ear) Drop it in the middle, (pat hands on your lap) One egg frying on the griddle.
Five Little Fishies
Five little fishies, swimming in the sea Teasing Baby Shark – “You Can’t Catch Me!” Along comes Baby Shark, as quiet as can be… And SNAPS that fishy right out of the sea!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Owls
Five little owls sitting in a tree Shouting “hoo, hoo, hoo” As loud as can be!
One flew away, And then there were… 1, 2, 3, 4!
Five Little Penguins
Five little penguins playing in the snow, Slipping and sliding to and fro.
One looked up and yelled “Oh no!” “I see a great big ball of snow!”
Rolling down the hill it stopped with a splat, All that’s left is a fuzzy hat.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Five big snowballs wearing fuzzy hats, Rolled back home dressed just like that!
Five Little Pigeons
Five little pigeons jumping on the bed One fell off and bumped his head! The driver called the doctor, and the doctor said No more pigeons jumping on the bed!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Pigeons Sitting in a Tree
Five little pigeons sitting in a tree One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three four!
Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean
Five pigs so squeaky clean Cleanest pigs you’ve ever seen. Wanted to go outside and play. Oink! Oink! One jumped into the mud. Landed with a great big THUD Now there are four pigs so squeaky clean.
Five Sharks in the Bathtub
Five sharks in the bathtub, Going for a swim. Knock, knock. Splash, splash. Come on in!
Froggy Gets Dressed
Retelling of the book Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London.
Get Dressed Fancy (Fancy Nancy)
It’s time to put our dress on, Dress on, Dress on, It’s time to put our dress on 1, 2, 3!
Continue with: shoes, gloves, glasses, crown
Now that we’re all dressed! Now that we’re all dressed! Now that we’re all dressed! Let’s be FANCY!
Go Away Big Green Monster
Retelling of book Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly.
Goodnight Moon
Retelling of the book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
The Great Big Enormous Turnip
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Retelling of the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff.
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean
Retelling of the book I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry.
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Retelling of the book Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino.
The Little Old Lady Who Was NOT Afraid of Anything
Retelling of the book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.
L-L-A-M-A
There was a llama who wore pajamas, And Llama was his name-o! L-L-A-M-A L-L-A-M-A L-L-A-M-A And Llama was his name-o!
Llama Llama Playing Hide and Seek
Little Llama, Little Llama Playing hide and seek. Are you behind the __ bed? Let’s take a peek!
Letter Matching (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
Oh, have you seen the letter W The letter W, the letter W Oh, have you seen the letter W? It makes the sound wuh-wuh-wuh
Little Blue Truck
A retelling of the book Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle.
Little Crab, Little Crab
Little crab, little crab, Where do you hide? Are you in the…shell? Let’s look inside!
Little Fox, Little Fox
Little fox, little fox Are you in the YELLOW box?
Little Monster, Little Monster
Little monster, little monster Playing hide and seek!
Are you behind the __ door? Let’s take a peak!
Little Mouse, Little Mouse
Little mouse, little mouse, Are you in the…. RED house?
Little Snail, Little Snail
Little snail, little snail, Are you in the _ pail?
Little Spider, Little Spider
Little spider, little spider, Playing hide and seek!
Is spider behind the __ leaf? Let’s take a peak!
Magic Butterflies
Five fuzzy caterpillars spinning cocoons Hoping spring will come real soon! With a little bit of magic And the warm sunshine– Clap, clap, clap, there’s a butterfly!
Make a Pig
Marco the Polar Bear
Marco the polar bear As white as the snow Sat on the ice Where the cold waters flow
“Lunch! I need lunch!” he said. “I’ll make a wish!” He stuck out his paw And came up with a fish!
What color is it?
Move Over, Rover
Retelling of the book Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont.
My Heart Is a Zoo
Sometimes my heart wants to clap like a seal. Sometimes my heart wants to hop like a bunny. Sometimes my heart wants to jump like a frog. Sometimes my heart wants to roar like a lion. Sometimes my heart wants to fly like a blue jay.
N-A-N-C-Y
I know a girl who is so fancy, Nancy is her name-o! N-A-N-C-Y N-A-N-C-Y N-A-N-C-Y And Nancy is her name-o!
Old Brass Wagon
Circle to the side, old brass wagon. Circle to the side, old brass wagon. Circle to the side, old brass wagon. Now there’s one my darling!
Continue with: Oval to the side Square in the middle Triangle up high Rectangle down low Heart to the back We’ll stop at six my darling!
One Dinosaur Went Out to Play
One dinosaur went out to play, On a giant fern one day. She had such enormous fun, That she called for a friend to come… OH DINOSAUR!!
One Elephant in the Bathtub
One elephant in the bathtub, Going for a swim, Knock, knock (clap) Splash, splash (slap knees) Come on in! (wave)
Continue with: 2, 3 – all fell in!
One Elephant in the Bathtub (Elephant & Piggie)
One elephant in the bathtub, Going for a swim! Knock, knock! (clap, clap) Splash, splash! (slap legs) Come on in! (wave)
Continue with: 2, 3, 4
One Red Sock
Retelling of the book One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler.
Our Friend Rocky Has Some Tools
Our friend Rocky has some tools, E-I-E-I-O. And with those tools he had a hammer, E-I-E-I-O. With a bang, bang here and a bang, bang there. Here a bang, there a bang, everywhere a bang, bang. Our friend Rocky has some tools, E-I-E-I-O!
Retelling of the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Retelling of the book Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean.
Pete the Cat Playing Hide and Seek
Pete the Cat, Pete the Cat, Playing hide and seek. Is Pete behind the __ shoe? Let’s take a peek!
Pigeon Playing Hide and Seek
Pigeon, Pigeon playing hide and seek Are you behind the yummy cookie? Let’s take a peek!
Piggie, Are You in a Book?
Piggie, piggie, where so you hide? Are you in the __ book? Let’s look inside!
Pinkalicious, Where Do You Hide?
Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious, Where do you hide? Are you in the pink __? Let’s look inside!
PIZZA (BINGO)
There was a treat that’s good to eat And pizza is its name-o! P-I-Z-Z-A P-I-Z-Z-A P-I-Z-Z-A And pizza is its name-o!
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
A retelling of Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle.
Polar Bear’s Underwear (book)
Retelling of the book Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera.
Polar Bear’s Underwear (rhyme)
Oh where oh where have my underwear gone, Oh where or where can they be? I’ve looked up high, and I’ve looked down low. Did someone hide them from me?
Red Truck, Red Truck
A transportation adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Six Little Valentines
Six little Valentines were sent to my house, The first one said, “I love you, From Mouse.”
Five little Valentines in my mailbox, The second one said, “Be mine, Love Fox.”
Four little Valentines full of love, The third one said, “You are sweet, From Dove.”
Three little Valentines just for me. The fourth one said, “Bee my honey, Love Bee.”
Two little Valentines mailed with care. The fifth one said, “Here’s a hug, From Bear.”
The last little Valentine, from my friend Jay. This one said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Snowball Hide and Seek
Snowball, snowball Cold and round! Behind which mitten, Can you be found?
Tickle Monster
Retelling of the book Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau.
Tip Tip Dig Dig
Retelling of the book Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia.
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Retelling of the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Walking Through The Jungle
Walking through the jungle, What do I see? I think it was a….elephant! Trumpeting at me!
We’re Going on a Bug Hunt
We’re going on a bug hunt! We’re gonna catch a bug one! What a sunny day. Are you ready? Okay!
Oh my! A ladybug! A red and black ladybug. Crawling on a leaf. Crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl.
Continue with: Bumblebee…buzzing through the air Grasshopper…hopping through the grass Dragonfly…darting across the sky Butterfly…fluttering through the air Spider…spinning its web Time to go home…Goodbye!
Who Stole the Cookies
Cat stole the cookies from the cookie jar. Who me? Let’s see!
Couldn’t be! Then who?
Zuma, Are You in a Boat?
Zuma, Zuma, where so you hide? Are you in the __ boat? Let’s look inside!
Another themed Saturday storytime special! So much Llama Llama Red Pajama fun! This outline has a lot of extra content because I couldn’t decide what to use in the storytime, so I filmed a bunch of videos and picked through more carefully closer to the program.
No preview video this time because it was Election Week 2020 and my productivity was focused on concrete tasks more than creative tasks. We still had a fairly strong audience (about 75) without the preview video, which makes me happy, especially with our lower numbers at regular virtual storytimes lately. I’m definitely missing our print event guides now that we are open to the public again, as 90% of the people who walk in the children’s department don’t have any idea that we are doing (or have been doing) any virtual programs.
To help continue the Llama Llama fun at home, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Download it here.
The general storytime layout–in order of what I presented–is below, with videos where applicable. All the extra videos I dropped from the program are below.
Llama Llama Storytime Outline
Backdrop Setup: Llama Llama pennant banners, book covers, and images. I’m happy to share these printable files if anyone is interested–just let me know in those comments or send us an email.
Intro Song: Shake Your Sillies Out by Rainbow Songs
Book: Llama Llama Red Pajama be Anna Dewdney
Song: The Monkey Dance by The Wiggles Have you looked for llama songs for kids? I have. A lot. And they are all odd or annoying or emphasize “big fat mama llama” or things I don’t want to include in a storytime. So I used The Monkey Dance as our get-the-wiggles out song instead.
Fingerplay: Two Little Llamas
Song: L-L-A-M-A
Download your own LLAMA BINGO printable letters here:
I made a lot of extra content that I was sure I was going to use until I was practicing. A lot of my materials were completely swapped around the day before the storytime when I practiced and didn’t like the storytime with the content below.
Is Your Mama a Llama? Book Retelling, Llama Llama Edition
Baby Bounce Rhymes are a staple of Baby Storytime. Our baby storytimes are designed for ages 0-2, so my example videos often show a little bit more movement than may make sense for a little one you are holding in your arms (especially a little one that needs head support). Many of these baby bounce rhymes can also be adapted for walking babies, who could jump instead of bounce. When little ones have started walking, I encourage grown-ups to do the baby bounce rhymes themselves, even if their little one is standing nearby and doesn’t want to be confined to a lap anymore.
I sometimes refer to baby bounce rhymes as “movement rhymes” instead of bounces because there are many activities that encourage the same behavior as bounce rhymes but instead focus on swaying (or other, similar, full body movements). Regardless of what I call them, when introducing this section of storytime, I always use these activities as an early literacy moment, explaining to parents how bouncing or moving little ones to the rhythm of words helps them hear the small parts of words and builds phonological awareness skills.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Baby Bounce Rhymes
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 I Caught a Fish Alive
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (bounce) I caught a fish alive! (hug) 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (bounce) Then I let him go again! (tickle)
Acka Backa Soda Cracker
Acka backa soda cracker, Acka backa boo. Acka backa soda cracker, I love you! (hug)
Acka backa soda cracker, Acka backa boo. Acka backa soda cracker, Up goes you! (lift)
Andy Pandy
Andy Pandy Sugar and Candy All pop down.
Andy Pandy Sugar and Candy All pop up.
Andy Pandy Sugar and Candy All pop in.
Andy Pandy Sugar and Candy All pop out.
Bounce and Stop
We bounce and bounce and bounce and stop! We bounce and bounce and bounce and stop! We bounce and bounce and bounce and stop! Now bounce that baby to the top!
Bouncing, Bouncing
Bouncing, bouncing, Let’s go bouncing! Up and down, All around.
Bouncing, bouncing, Let’s go bouncing, Whoops! Don’t fall down!
A bouncing we will go, A bouncing we will go, Hi ho the derry o, A bouncing we will go.
Continue with: rocking, tickling
Did You Ever See a Baby?
Did you ever see a baby, a baby, a baby? Did you ever see a baby go this way and that? Go this way and that way, and that way and this way? Did you ever see a baby go this way and that?
Dump Truck
Dump truck dump truck, bumpin’ down the road. Spillin’ out gravel as you travel with your load. Bumpety, bumpety, bump, bump, bump! Dump truck, dump truck, dump truck, DUMP!
Five Little Riders
Five little riders on a nice fall day, Jumped on their ponies and rode far away.
They galloped in the meadow. They galloped up a hill. (lift) They galloped so fast, That they all took a spill. (tip over)
Giddy Up
Giddy up, giddy up, ride to town. Giddy up, giddy up, UP and DOWN (lift). Giddy up fast! Giddy up slow! Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, WHOA! (tilt)
Gregory Griggs
Gregory Griggs, Gregory Griggs, Had 27 different wigs. He wore them up, He wore them down. To please the people of the town. He wore them east. He wore them west. But which one did he love the best? This one!
Here We Go Bumpy Boo
Here we go bumpy-boo Here we go bumpy-bye Here we go bumpy-bee All on top of my knee.
I bounce you to the left. I bounce you to the right. I bounce you up and down. I bounce you out of sight!
Here we go bumpy-boo Here we go bumpy-bye Here we go bumpy-bee All on top of my knee.
I bounce you very fast. I bounce you very slow. I bounce you up and down. And back we both do go!
Here We Go Up, Up, Up
Here we go up, up, up! Here we go down, down, down, Here we go back and forth, And here we go round and round!
Here’s a Little Pumpkin
Here’s a little pumpkin bouncing on the vine. Roll it left, and roll it right, And bounce it bounce it down the line!
Continue with: Medium pumpkin…medium bounces Great big pumpkin…great big bounces
Hippity Hop
Hippity hop to the candy shop, To buy ourselves some candy. Some for you and some for me, And some for sister Mandy!
A Hippopotamus
A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus Got on, got on, got on a city bus, And all, and all, and all the people said, You’re squishing us! (hug)
A cow, cow, a cow got on the bus, And all, and all, and all the people said, Moooooooooove over (tilt to side)
A sheep, a sheep, a sheep got on the bus, And all, and all, and all the people said, Baaaaaaaaaaccckkkk up (lean back)
Humpy Dumpty
We rock and rock and rock on the wall, (sway) We rock and rock, I hope we don’t fall!
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! (tilt sideways)
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men (bounce) Couldn’t put Humpty together again!
I’m Bouncing
I’m bouncing, bouncing everywhere. I bounce and bounce into the air. I’m bouncing, bouncing like a ball. I bounce and bounce and then I fall.
Jelly on a Plate
Jelly on a plate, jelly on a plate, Wibble wobble, wibble, wobble, jelly on a plate.
Candy in a jar, candy in a jar, Shake ’em up, shake ’em up, candy in a jar.
Candles on a cake, candles on a cake, Blow ’em out, blow ’em out, candles on a cake.
Old Grey Mare
Clip, clip, clippety clop, Clippety, clippety, clop. The old grey mare goes up and down, Until it’s time to stop!
Popcorn, Popcorn
Popcorn, popcorn sizzle in the pan. Shake it, shake it, bam, bam, BAM!
Rocking horse, rocking horse, to and fro, Side to side and away we go, Rocking horse, rocking horse, front and back, Don’t fall off just like that.
Woah!
Snuggle Up
Snuggle up together, Baby in your lap. Snuggle up together, And clap, clap, clap!
Snuggle up together. Don’t you nap! Snuggle up together, And tap, tap, tap!
We’re working out together. Baby don’t stop. We’re working out together, So hop, hop, hop!
Now our song is over, Get ready to stop! Now our song is over, So stop, stop, stop!
Tick Tock
Tick, tock, tick, tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock. Tick, tock, tick, tock, Now it’s almost one o’clock. Cuckoo! (lift)
Tiny Little Babies
Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’, Tiny little babies love bouncin’ so. Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’ Tiny little babies love bouncin’ yeah.
Bounce to the left, Bounce to the right, Now hug that baby nice and tight.
Toast in the Toaster
I’m toast in the toaster. I’m getting very hot. Tick tock, tick tock, Up I pop! (lift)
Two Little Boats
(rock front to back)
Two little boats went out to sea. All is calm as calm can be.
(rock side to side)
Gently the wind begins to blow. Two little boats rock to and fro.
(bounce)
Loudly the wind begins to shout! Two little boats they bounce about.
(freeze then rock front to back)
STOP goes the storm, the wind, and rain. Two little boats sail on again.
Zoom Down the Freeway
Zoom down the freeway! Zoom down the freeway! Zoom down the freeway! FAST! (tickle)
Up goes the drawbridge Up goes the drawbridge Up goes the drawbridge A ship is going past.
Down goes the drawbridge Down goes the drawbridge Down goes the drawbridge The ship has passed at last.
Zoom down the freeway! Zoom down the freeway! Zoom down the freeway! FAST! (tickle)
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
Zoom, zoom, zoom, We’re going to the moon. Zoom, zoom, zoom, We’ll get there very soon.
Fingerplays are awesome! Fingerplays are especially fantastic for toddlers and preschoolers, allowing them to practice controlling their fingers in specific ways while building those finger muscles they will need for writing. I sometimes include fingerplays in baby storytimes, but I’ve been able to explore fingerplays more since I’ve started presenting toddler and preschool virtual storytimes.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Problems with 10 Littles
Ten Little Indians. I’ve heard librarians use it (with those original words). For a while, I used adapted fingerplays to the same tune with different words, but I’ve stopped. I may attempt to avoid dehumanizing Indigenous people by not counting Indians like they are toys, but the few times I used this fingerplay, some caregiver would often mess up my new words and loudly use the original words because they are so associated with the tune.
At the beginning of virtual storytimes, I shifted to a different counting tune I found while watching other library storytimes (I have one, I have two, I have three little fingers). I adapted this a lot virtually because it was a quick, easy fingerplay that was just…easy to adapt.
But. Not everyone has 10 little fingers. Or 10 little toes. Or 5 little fingers. I’ve made storytime videos using ten fingers that I am not highlighting below. I’m including fingerplays that count up to five, though I want to eventually phase those out to or make videos where we count to five using two hands instead of always just using one. How do you think about inclusivity in your fingerplays and overall storytime plans? What other elements to this am I not thinking about?
Fingerplays
Thinking about some of the inclusivity lessons I mentioned above, plus that some kids can’t bend their fingers one at a time, I’m also including action rhymes that focus on hand motions.
One little red fish Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water.
One little red fish Swimming in the water, Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble (roll arms) POP! (clap)
Clap Them
Clap them, clap them, clap them so. Clap them high! Clap them low. Clap them left. Clap them right. Clap them, clap them, out of sight!
Continue with: roll them, shake them
Cool Cat
Hey there everybody, you’re a real cool cat. You got a lot of this, And you got a lot of that. So come on in And get down (ch ch ch ch ch ch) To the left (ch ch ch ch ch ch) To the right (ch ch ch ch ch ch) Up in the air (ch ch ch ch ch ch) And get down (ch ch ch ch ch ch)
Dance Your Fingers Up
Dance your fingers up. Dance your fingers down. Dance your fingers side to side. Dance them all around.
Dance them on your shoulders. Dance them on your head. Dance them on your tummy. And put them all to bed.
The Elevator Song
Oh the city is great and the city is grand. There are lots of tall buildings on a little piece of land, And we live way up on the 57th floor, and this is what we do when we go out the door.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down, take the elevator up, take the elevator down Take the elevator up and the elevator down and we turn around.
Five Fat Peas
Five fat peas in a peapod pressed. One grew, two grew, And so did all the rest.
They grew, and they grew, And they wouldn’t stop. They grew, and they grew, Until they popped! (clap)
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs Sitting on a spaced log. Eating the most delicious lunch, Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool Where it was nice and cool Then there were four green and speckled frogs Ribbet, Ribbet.
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Caterpillars
Five little caterpillars wiggling on a leaf, One falls off, goes to sleep. Close her eyes and wait a week, Up come a butterfly floating on the breeze.
Repeat with: 4, 3, 2, 1, None
Five Little Hot Dogs
Five little hot dogs Frying in a pan. The grease for hot, And one went BAM!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on the gate The first one said, “Oh, my it’s getting late.” The second one said, “There are witches in the air.” The third one said, “But we don’t care!” The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.” The fifth one said, “Let’s have some fun!” Ooooooooo went the wind, and out went the light. And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
Five Little Snowmen
Five little snowmen went out one day! Rolling through the snow They played and played.
Out came the sun, And it shined so bright, One little snowmen melted out of sight!
Repeat with 4, 3, 2, 1
Funky Spunky Monkeys
Funky spunky monkey Climbed up the coconut tree Down came the coconut And bonked him on his knee Along came his mama And kissed away the pain And the funky spunky monkey Climbed up the tree again.
Here is the Beehive
Here is the beehive, But where are the bees? Hidden away where nobody sees. Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…They’re alive! Buzzzzzzzzz
Here’s a Llama
Here’s a llama! There’s a llama! Llama Llama Red Pajama! Fuzzy llama! Funny llama! Llama, llama, duck!
I Built a Little Snowman
I built a little snowman. He had a carrot nose! Along came a bunny, And what do you suppose?
The hungry little bunny Looking for his lunch, Ate the carrot nose… Nibble, nibble, crunch!
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 And the Itsy Bitsy Spider Went up the spout again.
Itsy Bitsy Spider (Audiation)
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. And the Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the spout again.
Leaves on the Trees
The leaves on the trees turn orange and red, Orange and red, Orange and red. The leaves on the trees turn orange and red, all around the town.
The leaves on the trees come twirling down, Twirling down, Twirling down. The leaves on the trees come twirling down, all around the town.
The leaves on the ground go swish, swish, swish, Swish, swish, swish, Swish, swish, swish. The leaves on the ground go swish, swish, swish, all around the town.
Little Mousie Brown
Little Mousie Brown Little Mousie Brown Climbed up the big, white candlestick And couldn’t get back down.
So she called to her Grandma, “Grandma! Grandma!” But Grandma was not around. So she curled into a little ball, And rolled herself back down.
Mix a Pancake
Mix a pancake. Stir a pancake. Pop it in a pan. Fry a pancake. Toss a pancake. Catch it if you can!
My Garden
Here is my garden. Rake it with care. And then, some seeds We’ll plant in there!
The sun will shine, The rain will fall, And then my garden Will grow big and tall.
Open Shut Them
Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Let your hands go clap, clap, clap!
Open, shut them. Opem, shut them. Drop them in your lap, lap, lap!
Walk them, walk them, Walk them, walk them, Right up to your chin, chin, chin!
Open up your little mouth, But do not let them in!
Point to the Ceiling
Point to the ceiling. Point to the floor. Point to a window. Point to the door!
Point to your elbow. Point to your knee. Now sit down, And point at me!
Put Your Claws
Put your claws in the air. Put your claws on the ground. Put your claws in the middle, And wiggle them around.
Put your claws to the side, And pretend to soar! Put your claws to your mouth, And give a big ROAR!
Rain Is Falling Down
The rain is falling down splash (clap) The rain is falling down splash (clap) Pitter-patter, pitter, patter The rain is falling down splash (clap)
The sun is peeking out peek The sun is peeking out peek Peek-a-boo, Peek-a-boo The sun is peeking out peek
Roll Roll Sugar Babies
Roll roll sugar babies, Roll roll sugar babies, Push and pull And clap, clap, clap!
Roll roll sugar babies, Roll roll sugar babies, Push and pull And clap, clap, clap!
Roll up high! Roll down low. Roll real fast! Roll real slow.
Roll roll sugar babies, Roll roll sugar babies, Push and pull And clap, clap, clap!
Shapes
A circle is a shape that is round A circle is a shape that is round A circle is round, no corners can be found A circle is a shape that is round
A triangle has three sides, three sides, three sides A triangle has three sides, 1, 2, 3 A triangle has three corners, three corners, three corners A triangle has three corners, 1, 2, 3
I am a square. A lovely square! I have four sides. They are all the same! I have four corners, four lovely corners. I am a square, and square is my name.
Slowly, Slowly
Slowly, slowly, very slowly, Creeped the garden snail. Slowly, slowly, very slowly Up the wooden rail.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly Ran the little mouse. Quickly, quickly, very quickly, Round about the house!
Snowflakes and Icicles
Snowflakes float so smoothly to the ground Smoothly to the ground Smoothly to the ground Snowflakes float so smoothly to the ground Twirling round and round.
Icicles are sharp and cold Sharp and cold Sharp and cold Icicles are sharp and cold Sparkling like gold.
These Little Fingers
These little fingers go Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle These little fingers go Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle And now they’re on my…HEAD!
Continue with: tummy, feet
There Was a Crocodile
There was a crocodile, An orangutan, A flying eagle, And a silvery fish.
A bunny, A beaver, A crazy elephant, Da na na na na na Da na na na na na
This is Big
This is big big big. This is small small small.
This is short short short. This is tall tall tall.
This is fast fast fast. This is slow slow slow.
This is yes yes yes yes. This is no no no no.
Tiny Tim
I have a friendly frog. His name is Tiny Tim! I put him in the bathtub, To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water! He ate up all the soap! And now he’s home sick in bed, With bubbles in his throat!
Another themed Saturday storytime special! This was a little different for me because I was not a Pete the Cat fan before this storytime–but I have been won over! Pete the Cat Storytime was a ton of fun, though a little more low key than some of my past virtual Saturday storytime specials.
I made another “commercial” for this program, which you can view below:
I’m not sure how much these videos contribute to the audience for these programs, but I am looking forward to some in-person marketing when our library reopens for browsing next week. This may give some new life to all of our virtual storytimes.
To help continue the Pete the Cat fun at home, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Download it here.
The general storytime layout is below, with videos where applicable. This was a bit more chill for me, with me reading two books and retelling one more. No color-changing unicorns or flattened dinosaurs this time!
Backdrop Setup: Pete the Cat pennant banners, posters, and images. I’m happy to share these printable files if anyone is interested–just let me know in those comments or send us an email.
Pete the Cat Intro: Instead of my regular storytime intro song (Shake Your Sillies Out), we started with something a little more cool and grooving–Clap Your Hands by They Might be Giants.
Book: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwin *I read this book, but I am including a previous video of this story being retold in flannel form below.
Song: Go Pete Go!
Book Retelling: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Action Rhyme: Cool Cat Boogie (During storytime, we did not include the music for sake of time and so that I could include music in our last read aloud.)
Magnet Activity: Pete the Cat Playing Hide and Seek
Book: Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes I synced up the music for this book so that I read the sentences, and we all sang along with the music each time Pete sang a song.
Another themed Saturday storytime special, this time celebrating the one and only Doc McStuffins! I didn’t have much knowledge about the young toy doctor before my deep dive for Doc McStuffins Storytime, but I genuinely enjoyed the episodes I watched. I’m surprised she isn’t more of a focal point in pandemic times, as she has a series of songs that align perfectly for kids and current times–songs about handwashing, playing outside, and even one about not being able to hug your friends right now so you don’t spread germs.
I made another “commercial” for this program, which you can view below:
To help continue the Doc McStuffins fun at home, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Download it here.
Doc McStuffins Storytime Video
Unlike past storytimes, I didn’t create individual YouTube videos portionsof of this storytime. Most of the storytime included a lot of Doc McStuffins music, and the internet does not need more videos of me dancing along to music without clear motions.
I am going to risk the wrath of the copyright overlords and share a video of the complete storytime. This may be removed in a few weeks, but I am particularly proud of how this storytime came together, and I think it will make more sense in its full effect:
*The storytime starts about 5 minutes into the video. We start our livestreams early to allow viewers time to login and make sure technology is working.
Doc McStuffins Storytime Outline
Little ones were encouraged to bring their own stuffed animal to storytime.
Doc McStuffins Theme Song Intro: We got ready for storytime by dancing to the original Doc McStuffins theme song.
Book: Guess Who, Doc!
First Patient: Stuffy
After a quick explanation of how our program was going to work, I accidentally knocked down Doc’s Big Book of Boo Boos and Doc’s stuffed dragon, Stuffy. Poor Stuffy was instantly flattened, and we had to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it.
(How to do: Stuffed Stuffy was on the bookcase. Paper Stuffy was on the floor since before storytime began. I “accidentally” knocked stuffed Stuffy onto the floor with the Big Book of Boo Boos. When I bent down, I picked up paper Stuffy. We talked through our activity and song, and then put Stuffy down so he could stomp his own feet. After the song, we picked stuffed Stuffy back up.
Cured Stuffy by moving and grooving to shake out his stuffiness by dancing along to Doc McStuffin’s Dinosaur Stomp.
Second Patient: Gustav the Gator
Now that Stuffy was all better, we checked into our waiting room and discovered Hallie Hippo had a patient for us: Gustav the Gator! Gustav has been warned in the past by Doc about eating the right foods for him, and we had to talk to him again about foods he should sometimes eat versus foods he should always eat.
Taught Gustav about foods he can always eat and foods he should just eat sometimes as a special treat.
For our Always vs. Sometimes activity, I divided a magnetic cookie sheet in half, and we sorted chocolate chip cookies, apples, french fries, bananas, carrots, and ice cream (doughnuts and water were cut for time).
Third Patient: Lambie
Now that Gustav was feeling a bit better, we let him rest. We were about to check in on our waiting room again, when we started to smell something odd. Lambie was covered in mud! We needed to give Lambie a bath to get her nice and clean, and then we also practiced washing our own hands.
Gave Lambie a bath with the song “This Is the Way We Wash Our Legs.”
Practiced washing our own hands to the Doc McStuffin’s Wash Your Hands song.
We sang “This Is the Way We Wash Our Legs” to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”:
This Is The Way We Wash Our Legs This is the way we wash our legs, Wash our legs, wash our legs. This is the way we wash our legs, Wash our legs, wash our legs, When we are nice and dirty!
We continued with our arms, bellies, and heads.
Fourth Patient: Chilly
We realized that we were missing one of Doc’s friends! We hadn’t seen Chilly all morning. Doc left us a clue with a guessing game activity. We found a picture of Chilly behind a picture of a white bear, and we found the real Chilly behind the real stuffed bear in our waiting room. Chilly was a bit nervous about seeing so many people for storytime, but we helped him get over his nerves by finding ways to say hello virtually.
During Chilly’s turn as a patient, we:
Played “Chilly, Chilly, Where Do You Hide?” to find Chilly.
Found stuffed Chilly behind our white bear.
Diagnosed Chilly with a case of The Shy Guys.
Said “hello!” three different ways with the song “We Wave and Sing Hello!”
We played our own version of the storytime classic, Little Mouse, Little Mouse, by checking behind various toys to see where Chilly might be hiding. We used the words:
Chilly, Chilly, where do you hide? Are you behind the _______________? Let’s look inside!
After we found Chilly, we taught him different ways to say hello:
We Wave and Sing Hello We wave and sing hello! We wave and sing hello! With all our friends at storytime, We wave and sing hello!
We continued with: Sign and Sing Hello, Smile and Sing Hello
Fifth Patient: Hallie
All this time, we had left poor Hallie in the waiting room, but we realized that she hadn’t been talking much. We found out she was very tired today, even though she slept a lot last night, and we realized she might need some exercise to get some new energy.
Cured Hallie by doing some exercise with the Doc McStuffin’s Ready for Action song.
Showed off Hallie’s talking skills (she is a squeeze and talk stuffed animal).
Closing
We wrapped things up by reviewing everyone we helped today, talking about our Doc McStuffins School of Medicine Certificates (in those Doc McStuffins At Home Packets), and dancing along to the Doc McStuffins Theme Song – Toy Hospital Edition.
I wasn’t sure about attendance at this program, as the Doc McStuffins tv show ended in April, but this was my second highest Saturday Special attendance yet (after Baby Shark). Lots of Doc love, and now that I’ve spent some time with the character, I see why.
Another themed Saturday storytime special! I first thought about having a Pinkalicious Party over a year ago after having two different moms ask me for Pinkalicious readers for their sons. Previously, I had felt that a program on this book and tv series was a little too close to conforming to gender norms for my taste, but I was convinced otherwise by the number of young boys expressing interest in the books. While it was never my intention for this program to be virtual, I see a distinct advantage to it–there were many young boys in my virtual audience, and we didn’t have any of the parent comments that could have occurred in person or the social stigma that could have kept a parent from bringing their son to a program celebrating all things pink. (Another way virtual programming can open doors for patrons!)
To help continue the Pinkalicious fun at home, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Download it here.
The general storytime layout is below, with videos where applicable.
Backdrop Setup: Pennant banners and Pinkalicious book covers and images helped make my backdrop more on-theme to increase the Pinkalicious excitement (and it helps that my wall is pink!):
Pinkalicious Intro: We got ready for storytime with Shake Your Sillies Out by Rainbow Songs, my go-to intro song.
Book: Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann
Song:Dance All Day by Bari Kori Pinkalicious is fairly long, so I wanted to get some wiggles out with a movement-heavy song after the book.
Fingerplay: I Have One, I Have Two Little Mermaids (celebrating Aqua from Aqualicious)
Puppets: Down Around the Corner starring Pink Animals
Song: Pink by Pancake Manor (freeze dance!)
Action Rhyme: Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious Turn Around (skipped in storytime)
Magnet: Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious Where Do You Hide?
Magic Wish: Make our unicorn light up with our wishing powers! (only repeated twice in the actual storytime)
We are on a brief live storytime hiatus as we re-adjust for whatever the fall will bring, so I thought I would highlight one of my favorite storytelling tools: Book Retellings! (Post updated 11/8/20.)
Book retellings were a part of my storytimes well before COVID and the move to virtual programs, though I’ve been happy to dig into them more since I am presenting more storytimes for toddlers and preschoolers. I sometimes use a book retelling element for babies with puppets, but mostly any “story” element is for the caregivers, with me focusing on and emphasizing the puppet reveal and animal sound for the babies.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Book Retellings Pros and Cons
Book retellings allow you to:
appeal to visual or action-based learners and listeners (so, most toddlers)
make things larger–puppets are often bigger than the pictures on a page, especially when presenting to a large in-person crowd (this distinction isn’t such a big deal behind a camera)
include more repetition – a book you read earlier in storytime or the week before could be used as a flannel or puppet activity
give caregivers ideas for ways to get excited about familiar stories that might be read over and over and over again at home
include props, puppets, and other manipulatives in your program
On the other hand, book retellings put more pressure on you as a presenter. Reading the words on a page with the proper inflection, emotion, timing, and engagement is a challenge on its own. Pulling that off without exact words to guide you can be more challenging. However, I also like to think of book retellings as more freeing–viewers can’t see the words, so if I mix up an animal or two, or intentionally skip an entire portion of the story or rearrange something to make more sense visually, as long as I keep my cool, the audience doesn’t have to know. (I think there is a better word than “audience” here. Storytimes are presentations, in a way, but there is a back and forth–what is the word for an engaged, participating audience? Is that still audience? I’m digressing.)
To Memorize or Not To Memorize
I’m going to say something here that may make some library folks cringe–yell in the comments. Please. I know this is my opinion, and it isn’t a popular one, but I still feel strongly about it, so: it is better if you memorize.
Yes, we aren’t actors. Yes, our caregivers know this. No, most kids don’t really notice if we read. But there are kids that do, and there are adults who also notice, and…well I was that totally judge-y preschooler who really didn’t know any better, and compared you (rightfully or not) to Barney and Sesame Street and the Wiggles, and those real people aren’t reading off of a page or constantly glancing off screen to read their next line.
Yes, there will be mistakes, and no, you shouldn’t refilm a 30-minute pre-recorded storytime 17 times because of one error toward the end. Have a cheat sheet somewhere but don’t make it a script and don’t rely on it. I normally put a list of key words taped either directly below my camera on my tripod or right beside the location where I am hiding the puppets or flannel pieces. If I decide to do a dramatic reveal and look back and forth a few times with fun facial expressions–I’m probably re-reading the next line.
I know this isn’t the way most librarians view or encourage this type of storytime experience, especially because it can make it harder or scarier to jump into something like this. But…I do, personally, feel like it makes it a little better. The storytelling experience is stronger and less stilted. But if you need that script, try it with the script. With time and repetition, you’ll know the story so well that you may be able to stop relying on the piece of paper. (End of Annamarie being rude and judge-y. Please berate me in the comments.)
How to Make Props and Flannels
I steal. I am not as creative as some of my coworkers. Do not be fooled by awesome flannel sets in videos. Some of these things are made by them. Other things are designed based off of me seeing someone else’s work online and remaking piece by piece. Other selections are my personally owned purchased sets, made by awesomely talented people who are not me.
I am not going to continue rambling here because my skills are not great or varied. My one tip, which is obvious to regular crafters but not to those of us new to this domain: get. scissors. just. for. felt. Use for nothing else. The world is a much, much more magical place.
Book Retellings Examples
There are so many great ways to retell stories, but now that I’ve made so many videos for our patrons to watch online, I decided to collect some of my favorites below, in alphabetical order by book title.
Bark George by Jules Feiffer (prop & puppets) Learn about how I made George in this blog post.
The Bridge Is Up by Babs Bell (magnet)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (puppets) Change to whatever animals you have on hand. I tried to select stuffed animals that were different colors to continue the color emphasis from the physical book.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (flannel)
Brown Owl, Brown Owl What Do You See? (Adapted from Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.) (flannel)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. (flannel) Abbreviated because you don’t realize how long this book is, and how many letters there really are, until you are halfway through.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (flannel)
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (puppets)
Do Cows Meow? by Salina Yoon (puppets)
Do Crocs Kiss? by Salina Yoon (puppets)
Do Sharks Bark? by Salina Yoon (puppets)
Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd (flannel) I’ve also seen this done as a really cool dry-erase marker activity. I was going to do this on a physical stuffed dog with flannel dots, but my velcro dots didn’t work the way I imagined. Still curious about doing this with a stuffed animal though!
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London (flannel) Filming this was the worst because socks kept falling off the flannel board. Something to keep in mind during creation or execution–so many small parts.
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley (magnet) Download the printable template from Kizclub.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (flannel) I re-wrote part of the story to create the all-items-enter and all-items-exit effect.
The Great Big Enormous Turnip (magnet)
I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs (puppets) I made an I Spy window with a piece of cardboard hanging from a floor lamp. Change out the animals to whatever you have on hand.
I Went Walking by Sue Williams (puppets) Change out the animals to whatever you have on hand. I focused on having animals of different colors.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (flannel)
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Oceanb by Kevin Sherry (magnet) Download magnet template from Kizclub.
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino (Llama Llama Red Pajama edition) (magnet)
Jump! by Scott Fischer (puppets)
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle (flannel)
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams (magnet)
Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont (magnet)
One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler (flannel)
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and James Dean (flannel)
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and James Dean (flannel)
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. (puppets) Change out the animals to whatever you have on hand.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. (flannel)
Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera (flannel)
Red Truck, Red Truck A transportation adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera (puppets)
The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort (puppets)
Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau (flannel) If you want to try retelling, this is the story for you. The set is super easy to make, and the order of body parts really isn’t that important. Caregivers can tickle little ones throughout.
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia (magnet)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (flannel) This is a great example of a story where you don’t need to memorize or have a script–just have your flannel pieces in the order you need them. The words are essentially the foods that you are adding to your board.
White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker (props)
I am always, always looking for more books to retell, especially stories that are about diverse characters or by diverse authors. This video list is very white, and and in storytimes I try to balance that, at least a little, with diversity in my physical book for the week. What are some of your favorite stories to retell?
