Tag Archives: library program

Molly of Denali Storytime

Molly of Denali Storytime! I’ve been planning this for a while, but I’ve also been quite nervous about it–I want to do Molly justice. Our community is pretty white, our library staff is mostly white, and I am (you guessed it) white.

In case you aren’t familiar with Molly: Molly Mabray is a 10-year-old Alaskan Native (Gwich’in/Koyukon/Dena’ina Athabascan) vlogger from the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska (near the mountain of Denali). The PBS show is the first show to feature an Alaskan Native main character. Much of the cast and crew, including the voice of Molly – Sovereign Bill of Auburn – are of Alaskan Native or First Nations heritage. The show authentically portrays the life of an Alaskan Native girl (while also having a particular focus on examining and evaluating sources of information).

Learn More About Other Storytime Specials:

– Baby Shark Storytime
– Daniel Tiger Storytime
– Doc McStuffins Storytime
– Don’t Let Pigeon Take Over Storytime
– Elephant & Piggie Storytime
– Fancy Nancy Storytime
– Llama Llama Storytime
– Noon Year’s Eve Storytime
– Paw Patrol Storytime
– Pete the Cat Storytime
– Pinkalicious Storytime
…and all my virtual storytimes.

Molly of Denali is a wonderful show, and I encourage you to watch it yourself, explore the website (and app and podcast), and find ways to promote it at your library. I tried to keep Molly’s energy during this storytime while focusing on some of the places Molly frequently visits in Qyah as well as some of the popular storylines from the show.

There were some adjustments for me. I’m used to music being a big part of my storytimes, but the music featured in Molly of Denali is wrapped up in her culture. Dancing (often nonsensically) to the Daniel Tiger or Pete the Cat theme song felt fine–wiggling, swaying, and shaking along to Molly’s theme song felt like it might be closer to cultural appropriation. Instead, I played the Molly of Denali theme song before I came on screen, and I promoted official Molly of Denali content on YouTube with this playlist.

Looking back, I’m afraid I focused a bit too much on animals and too little on Molly’s culture. My reasoning for this during planning is that my main audience for these storytimes are ages 2-3. While some of the concepts were still there for older kids to explore, I knew I needed to keep the attention of those bouncy toddlers. In hindsight, this program would have been better suited as a separate event aimed for ages 6-8.

Just like past virtual storytimes, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Many of these materials are from PBS. Download it here.

Watch the short preview video below. I tried to not dance through this the way I often do, instead highlighting storytime activities:

The general storytime layout–in order of what I presented–is below, with videos where applicable.

Molly of Denali Storytime Outline

Intro Song: Molly of Denali Theme Song (played before I came on screen)

Daniel Tiger Story: Crane Song

Exploring Qyah: I really like when these storytimes have some kind of unifying theme. For Molly of Denali storytime, we were simply exploring Qyah along with Molly.

Denali Trading Post: 5 Shiny Agate Stones

We started out at Molly’s parents’ store: the Denali Trading Post. Molly and her friends were trying to buy a new tubing raft, so they were selling agate stones again. We talked a bit about agate stones before jumping in with the rhyme shown below.

Down around the corner at the trading post,
There were five shiny agate stones at the most.
Along came a neighbor with a dollar to pay.
She picked out an agate and took it away.

Dog Kennel & Vegetable Garden: Anka Playing Hide and Seek
Tooey didn’t show up to help with the agate stones, so we went to find him at the Dog Kennel to make sure everything was okay. His dog, Anka, is missing again–but Tooey doesn’t think she is lost this time, just playing hide and seek…in Trini’s vegetable garden! Did you know that vegetables grow ENORMOUSLY large in Alaska? I learned that from Molly.

Anka, Anka playing hide and seek!
Are you behind the _?
Let’s take a peak!

Fish Camp: Five Little Salmon
Off to find some fish for hungry Anka at the Fish Camp! Catch your pretend salmon by tossing out a line and reeling it in or snatching a salmon from the air like a bear.

Alaskan Animal Adventure
Now that Anka was taken care of, it was finally time to explore Alaska by looking for something Molly loves and Alaska is well-known for–its amazing wildlife! I gave some hints for each animal before revealing the puppet and after the reveal, I encouraged viewers to do a quick motion.

There’s something by the river,
Now what can it be?
There’s something by the river,
That I can’t really see.

Wrapping Things Up
And that was it! For the reasons mentioned above, I didn’t have a closing song either (which was unusual for me). I once again directed people to the official Molly of Denali PBS playlist.

Book Club in a Bag: Azaleah Lane Kit

Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11 in January 2021: Book Club in a Bag. This week’s feature: Azaleah Lane Kit featuring the Azaleah Lane books by Nikki Shannon Smith

The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.

In January, these featured characters included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):

Check out these additional Book Club in a Bag Kits (links added as posts are created):

– Narwhal & Jelly (Ben Clanton)
– Pete the Cat (James Dean & Eric Litwin)
– Sadiq (Siman Nurrali)
– Zoey & Sassafras (Asia Citro)
– Tristan Strong (Kwambe Mbalia)
– Last Kids on Earth (Max Brallier)
– Two Truths and a Lie (Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson
– Lumberjanes

Each bag contains some repeated resources:

  • List of kit contents
  • List of books in the featured series
  • List of readalike books
  • Discussion questions
  • Swag item (button, sticker, bookmark)
  • 1-3 crafts, games, activities

Azaleah Lane Kit

The Azaleah Lane Kit can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Most of this kit can be re-created simply using a printer, with the addition of extra items (like animal figurines) depending on your budget.

Want to use make a Azaleah Lane Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.

Azaleah Lane General Materials

Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the Azaleah Lane kit is no different.

Azaleah Lane Bookmark – All Books

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing all book titles here.

Azaleah Lane Bookmark – Readalikes

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Readalike titles here.

The Yasmin readalike bookmark features these titles:

Azaleah Lane Discussion Questions

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the discussion questions here.

**Find some of these discussion questions (and more) in the back of each book.

The Azaleah Lane Discussion Questions included:

  • General Questions:
    • Azaleah loves animals! What is your favorite animal? Where does that animal live in the wild?
    • Azaleah is the middle child; she has an older and younger sister. Are you the oldest or youngest child in your family? Somewhere in the middle? An only child? What is similar or different between your experience and Azaleah’s experiences?
    • Azaleah likes to solve mysteries! What did you do when something went missing around your house?
  • Sample Story Questions: The Dramatic Life of Azaleah Lane
    • Who did you think was behind the problems at rehearsal? How did you know? Were you right or wrong?
    • At the end of the book, you learn who was behind all of the mishaps. What do you think their consequences should be?
    • Think about the problems that happened in the theater. Can you list them in order? Try using the book for help.

Azaleah Lane Swag – Stickers

This bag also includes a printable Azaleah Lane sticker, made on 2.5″ circle Avery label paper. Download a printable PDF to make them yourself here.

Azaleah Lane Crafts, Games, and More

Azaleah loves to solve mysteries, and she loves animals, so I included activities related to those two topics.

Azaleah builds an animal habitat diorama in the first book in the series. I purchased tiny animal figurines and included a mini animal diorama kit. I also included an appropriate animal habitat background as well as a half sheet with pictures of animal diorama inspiration on one side and books to research animal habitats on the other.

You could take this activity to the next level by providing more than one animal figurine, tiny trees, and more diorama supplies–it just depends how much you want to spend and how big your kits can be.

The inspiration and research half sheet:

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the animal habitat research here.

The animal habitat backgrounds:

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the habitat backgrounds here.

Azaleah Lane Detective Practice

In the first two Azaleah Lane books, Azaleah examines clues, finds evidence, and collects suspects to solve a mystery! In the kit, participants built their detective skills though simple riddles and puzzles.

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Puzzles and Riddles book here.

Book Club in a Bag: Yasmin Kit

Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11 in January 2021: Book Club in a Bag. This week’s feature: Yasmin Kit featuring the amazing Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi.

The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.

In January, these featured characters included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):

Check out these additional Book Club in a Bag Kits (links added as posts are created):

– Narwhal & Jelly (Ben Clanton)
– Pete the Cat (James Dean & Eric Litwin)
– Sadiq (Siman Nurrali)
– Zoey & Sassafras (Asia Citro)
– Tristan Strong (Kwambe Mbalia)
– Last Kids on Earth (Max Brallier)
– Two Truths and a Lie (Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson
– Lumberjanes

Each bag contains some repeated resources:

  • List of kit contents
  • List of books in the featured series
  • List of readalike books
  • Discussion questions
  • Swag item (button, sticker, bookmarks)
  • 1-3 crafts, games, activities

Yasmin Kit

The Yasmin Kit can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Most of this kit can be re-created simply using a printer, with the addition of extra items (like cardboard binoculars) depending on your budget.

Want to use make a Yasmin Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.

Yasmin General Materials

Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the Yasmin kit is no different.

Yasmin Bookmark – All Books

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing all book titles here.

Yasmin Bookmark – Readalikes

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Readalike titles here.

The Yasmin readalike bookmark features these titles:

Yasmin Discussion Questions

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the discussion questions here.

The Yasmin Discussion Questions included:

  • General Questions:
    • Look at the front cover. What do you think will happen in this story? Why do you think that?
    • What emotions did Yasmin feel in this story? Does it have a happy ending for her?
    • What happened first? Next? Then what happened?
    • What does Yasmin do when she is interested in something?
    • What have you learned about Yasmin’s culture? How is this similar or different to what your family does?
  • Sample Story Questions: Yasmin the Explorer
    • What do you know about explorers? Do you think you would like to be an explorer?
    • How did your family travel to where you live now? Did your relatives come from another country?
    • Why is Yasmin excited to go to the market with her mom?
    • What symbols does Yasmin include on her map?

Yasmin Swag – 1″ Buttons

This bag also included a few pieces of Yasmin swag: five 1″ buttons. Download a printable PDF to make them yourself here.

Yasmin Crafts, Games, and More

Yasmin loves to explore her community, so my crafts and activities connect to exploration too! First, I included a set of play binoculars and materials to decorate them (stickers in this bag plus crayons in the overall larger envelope, to be used for all included kits).

I purchased white cardboard tubes online. I put two tubes next to each other, wrapped a rubber band around them, and added a strip of hot glue near the seam. I rotated the tubes until the hot glue was in between the two tubes, and left the rubber band on for a few minutes to make sure it dried. Then, I cut strips of yarn and hot glued the ends into the insides of the tubes. These are obviously not fully functioning binoculars, but they do help kids focus their eyes on just one item at a time.

I also included a half sheet with a Nature Scavenger Hunt on one side and recommended nature books on the other.

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Nature Scavenger Hunt here.

Yasmin Map Kit

In the book Yasmin the Explorer, Yasmin draws her own map of her community. I like the idea of participants exploring their neighborhoods too, so I included two activities around this theme.

One was simply a blank piece of paper to use to draw your map (I had to keep something simple!):

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Draw a Map sheet here.

The other item was this cool make-a-town printable, filled with printed roads and buildings.

Access those at the Teach Beside Me blog.

Little People Big Dreams Storytime: Martin Luther King Jr.

As part of our virtual programming, I run a monthly school age storytime, designed for ages 6-8. This program highlights a different diverse individual from the Little People Big Dreams book series. In January, this program fell on Martin Luther King Day, so it felt like a great time to feature Martin Luther King Jr. in my Little People Big Dreams Storytime.

Each program features 1-2 books on the famous individual (one book being their matching title from the Little People, Big Dreams book series). I also highlight music from a diverse artist and include a link to an at-home packet to continue the fun and learning.

Explore More Little People, Big Dreams Storytime Outlines:

– Ella Fitzgerald
– Harriet Tubman
– Jean Michel Basquiat
– Malala Yousafzai
– Muhammad Ali
– Rosa Parks

Find additional storytime content at the links below:

– Storytime Resources (includes all storytime outlines)
– Virtual Preschool Storytimes
– Virtual Baby Storytimes
– Virtual Toddler Storytimes
– Virtual Family Storytimes (including themed special events)
– All Virtual Storytime Outlines

Watch the full storytime here:

In the event description, I included the link to the printable at home activity packet.

Storytime Outline

Intro: Teddy Bear by Jazzy Ash

First Book: Martin Luther King Jr. by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Little People Big Dreams)

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Little People, BIG DREAMS, 33): Sanchez Vegara, Maria Isabel, Degnan, Mai Ly: 9780711245679: Amazon.com: Books

Second Book & Audio: I Have a Dream illustrated by Kadir Nelson
We listened to a recording of Martin Luther King Jr. reading the part of his speech that corresponded to the pages of this book.

I Have a Dream (Book & CD): King Jr., Martin Luther Dr., Nelson, Kadir: 9780375858871: Amazon.com: Books

Third Book: Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson

Let the Children March: Clark-Robinson, Monica, Morrison, Frank: 9780544704527: Amazon.com: Books

Closing Rhyme: See You Later, Alligator

See you later, alligator
In a while, crocodile
Give a hug, ladybug
Blow a kiss, jellyfish
See you soon, big baboon
Out the door, dinosaur
Take care, polar bear
Wave goodbye, butterfly!

Next Time: Muhammad Ali

Book Club in a Bag: Mindy Kim Kit

Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11 in January 2021: Book Club in a Bag. This week’s feature: Mindy Kim Kit featuring the amazing Mindy Kim by Lyla Lee.

The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.

In January, these featured characters included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):

Check out these additional Book Club in a Bag Kits (links added as posts are created):

– Narwhal & Jelly (Ben Clanton)
– Pete the Cat (James Dean & Eric Litwin)
– Sadiq (Siman Nurrali)
– Zoey & Sassafras (Asia Citro)
– Tristan Strong (Kwambe Mbalia)
– Last Kids on Earth (Max Brallier)
– Two Truths and a Lie (Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson
– Lumberjanes

Each bag contains some repeated resources:

  • List of kit contents
  • List of books in the featured series
  • List of readalike books
  • Discussion questions
  • Swag item (button, sticker, bookmarks)
  • 1-3 crafts, games, activities

Mindy Kim Kit

The Mindy Kim Kit can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Most of this kit can be re-created simply using a printer, with the addition of extra items (like seaweed snacks) depending on your budget.

Want to use make a Mindy Kim Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.

Mindy Kim General Materials

Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the Mindy Kim kit is no different.

Mindy Kim Bookmark – All Books

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing all book titles here.

Mindy Kim Bookmark – Readalikes

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Readalike titles here.

The Mindy Kim readalike bookmark features these titles:

Mindy Kim Discussion Questions

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the discussion questions here.

The Mindy Kim Discussion Questions included:

  • General Questions:
    • Mindy moved all the way from California to Florida and started at a new school. What do you think might be hard about being a new student?
    • Mindy really, really wants a puppy! Have you ever wanted a pet or something else special?
    • Mindy loves to celebrate her Korean heritage. Ask your grown-ups about your family’s culture. What traditions does your family have?
  • Sample Story Questions: Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business
    • Mindy’s classmates think her lunch is strange. What kind of foods do you like that your friends might not?
    • Mindy makes her classmates pay for her treats if they don’t have something good to trade. How do you think the kids feel who don’t have any money or good trades?
    • At first, Mindy isn’t sure how to make new friends at her school. What advice would you give Mindy?

Mindy Kim Swag – Bookmark

This bag also included a piece of Mindy Kim swag: a bookmark (printed on cardstock). Download a printable PDF to make that yourself here.

Mindy Kim Crafts, Games, and More

First up: seaweed snacks! While I wasn’t able to try these myself (full registration means no extra materials), I’m pretty sure these are not as good as (and possibly nothing like) what you would get at a Korean market–but I’m on a budget, so Amazon prepackaged snacks it is. These particular snacks are available here.

Mindy Kim Recipe Booklet

Mindy’s dad enjoys cooking, so I also included a recipe booklet filled with Korean recipes and space to insert your own family favorites. Recipes are from the websites included in the physical book.

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the recipe booklet here.

Mindy Kim Yut Nori Game

My second activity for the Mindy Kim kit is an adapted Yut Nori board game set. Yut Nori is a traditional board game played in Korea, particular during the Lunar New Year. Thank you so much to reader June Cho for talking me through creating these and sending along some great tips and links!

Game boards were printed on cardstock and laminated. The four playing sticks are jumbo craft sticks with red lines on one side and blue dots on the other.

Download the board game and instructions at the links below:

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Yut Nori board here.

Slideshare not working? Download the PDF of the Yut Nori instructions here.

Book Club in a Bag: Elephant & Piggie Kit

Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11 this month: Book Club in a Bag. First up: Elephant & Piggie Kit.

The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.

In January, these featured characters included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):

Check out these additional Book Club in a Bag Kits (links added as posts are created):

– Narwhal & Jelly (Ben Clanton)
– Pete the Cat (James Dean & Eric Litwin)
– Sadiq (Siman Nurrali)
– Zoey & Sassafras (Asia Citro)
– Tristan Strong (Kwambe Mbalia)
– Last Kids on Earth (Max Brallier)
– Two Truths and a Lie (Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson
– Lumberjanes

Each bag contains some repeated resources:

  • List of kit contents
  • List of books in the featured series
  • List of readalike books
  • Discussion questions
  • Swag item (button, sticker, bookmarks)
  • 1-3 crafts, games, activities

Elephant & Piggie Kit

The Elephant & Piggie kit has a few more materials than usual. I had planned an Elephant & Piggie Party over spring break 2020. Since the library closed, that party never happened, but most of the materials had been prepped (and were reused here).

Want to use make an Elephant & Piggie Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.

Elephant & Piggie General Materials

Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the Elephant & Piggie kit is no different.

Download Meet Elephant and Piggie.

Download Elephant and Piggie Readalikes.

The Elephant & Piggie readalikes bookmark features these titles:

Download Elephant and Piggie Discussion Questions.

The Elephant & Piggie Discussion Questions included:

  • General Questions:
    • How do you know Elephant and Piggie are friends?
    • How does Piggie feel in our story? Have you ever felt that way?
    • How does Elephant feel in our story? Have you ever felt that way?
    • What was the problem in the story?
    • What happened first? Next? Then what happened?
    • How did they solve the problem?
  • Sample Story Questions: A Big Guy Took My Ball:
    • What does it mean to be fair?
    • Why is it necessary to take turns and share with others?
    • Was it fair for Piggie to get angry with Gerald for breaking her new toy?

This bag also included two pieces of Elephant & Piggie swag: a button and a sticker. Download printable PDFs to make those yourself at these links:

Elephant & Piggie Crafts, Games, and More

Again, this kit pulled from materials I created for an in-person program that never happened, so it included more than usual.

Make your own Elephant & Piggie headbands! Print the Piggie outline on pink cardstock, and Elephant on grey cardstock. I also cut strips of 11 x 17 paper for the band (folded in half to fit in the bag).

Download Elephant & Piggie Headband Templates:

Complete simple Elephant & Piggie activities, mostly from the Mo Willems website, in activity booklet ready-to-print format. Download here.

And finally, my favorite item: make your own Pigeon book! Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Don’t Let the Pigeon Write a Book! Don’t Let a Pigeon Go Outside Without a Mask! The choices are endless!

And download here.

Daniel Tiger Storytime

The first themed Saturday storytime special of 2021! We started the new year with the one and only Daniel Tiger Storytime! This set a highly unrealistic attendance expectation for 2021, but I am very happy with the final product. If nothing else in 2021 works out whatsoever, maybe my storytime game will be on point?

Learn More About Other Storytime Specials:

– Baby Shark Storytime
– Doc McStuffins Storytime
– Don’t Let the Pigeon Take Over Storytime
– Elephant & Piggie Storytime
– Fancy Nancy Storytime
– Llama Llama Storytime
– Molly of Denali Storytime
– Noon Year’s Eve Storytime
– Paw Patrol Storytime
– Pete the Cat Storytime
– Pinkalicious Storytime
…and all my virtual storytimes.

Daniel Tiger is close to my heart because of Mr. Rogers, though I did learn in this process that I am not the biggest fan of the Daniel Tiger tv show. But, there is most definitely an audience for Daniel, and, if we ever return to in-person programs in the next five years, this is something I would like to recreate as a party-style event. The heart of the story is excellent, and in person I could use some Mr. Rogers tunes–something Facebook strictly does not allow (it WILL shut down your stream, mid-stream or immediately after–be warned). Daniel Tiger songs are fine.

I talked about Daniel Tiger during the well-attended Noon Year’s Eve Storytime, and I could tell the Facebook event had a lot of interest (over 1000 people responded to the event), so I did not make a trailer for this one. (Also, Noon Year’s Eve was barely a week prior, and I’m tired.)

The trailer was not needed because, following the Noon Year’s Eve Storytime fun, we once again broke attendance records. This is the most-well attended program I have ever done…ever. (Except for the in-person Wizards & Wands Festival, but that is a whole other thing.) Final attendance was 770 people, most of which were from central Ohio based on anecdotal info (where we are located), and even knowing that Facebook’s one-minute view count isn’t the most accurate, we had 400 people just from families self-reporting how many people were watching in the comments (so they stuck with us long enough to hear my announcements).

Moral of the story: Daniel Tiger > Dog Man.

Just like past virtual storytimes, 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.

Daniel Tiger Storytime Outline

Backdrop Setup: Daniel Tiger 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: It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Daniel Tiger Story: Meet the Neighbors!

Meet the Neighbors! (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood): Shaw, Natalie, Style Guide: 9781442498372: Amazon.com: Books

Neighbor Day Help: The premise for storytime was that it was time for the annual Neighbor Day Festival, and we needed to help all of our friends in the Neighborhood of Make Believe get ready.

Each time we were ready to find a new friend we took a seat and pretended to “drive” trolley.

Driving Round in My Little Red Trolley
Driving round in my little red trolley,
Driving round in my little red trolley,
Driving round in my little red trolley,
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

When we got to a location, we would receive three clues to figure out where we ended up.

And then we figure out where we ended up (the bakery!) and see which friend is waiting for us there (Miss Elaina!):

Before starting that location’s activity:

Bakery with Miss Elaina to Mix a Cake

Mix the batter, stir the batter
Shake some flour in
Mix the batter, stir the batter
Pour it in a tin

Sprinkle in some chocolate chips
Put it in to bake
Then open wide the oven door
And out comes the cake!

Faster, Faster!

Music Shop with Katerina Kittycat for Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes!
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes!
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose!
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes!

Playground with Prince Wednesday for Animal Guessing Game

Grocery Store with O the Owl to Count the Balloons

Red Balloons, red balloons, how many do we see?
Red balloons, red balloons, count them now with me!

Post Office with Daniel Tiger for Letter Matching

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

Wrapping Things Up
After helping Daniel find all of the letters for his friends, we found one more lost letter that needed a home! But this one was addressed to…us!

When we opened it, we discovered that since we were so kind to all of our new friends, we would become honorary residents of the Neighborhood of Make Believe! First, we just had to sing our song one more time:

Noon Year’s Eve Storytime

Noon Year’s Eve Storytime! I’m still recovering from this one.

I learned something with this program that I pose as a challenge to myself and all of you: Not everyone is “zoomed out” or “over virtual programs.” Keep trying. Figure out what works for your audience, put in all of your energy, and try and try again when nothing seems to be sticking.

I was not that excited for Noon Year’s Eve Storytime & Dance Party. Honestly, the content is not my favorite. While I loved my dance party lineup, I didn’t like the book I was reading and some of the other activities felt like they drug on too long. I didn’t expect an audience because my library doesn’t regularly have a consistent Noon Year’s Eve program (so no built-in viewers), and we typically slow down our storytimes in December because our audience shrinks (which was reflected in our virtual storytimes throughout the month too).

Our Noon Year’s Eve Storytime received a little more press than regular programs. We weren’t able to advertise it at weekly storytimes the week before, since we didn’t have any the week prior, but a local newspaper and tv station briefly mentioned the program in their lists of ways to celebrate the New Year. I made a “commercial” advertising the event too but that is a regular practice for me.

In Ohio, per our state library, we count live program stats for programs that air live, like Facebook Like Storytimes, by adding the number of 1-minute viewers and the number of additional people mentioned in the comments. We ask families to let us know how many people are watching behind the screen in the comments, to get a more accurate count.

Our regular storytimes have been averaging around 30-50 people, with some peaks up to the 60s-80s, maybe 100 at a particular popular Saturday storytime.

Virtual Noon Year’s Eve Storytime Attendance: 439 people.

I was blown away. When I started the stream, five minutes early to give people time to join, I saw the “live view” count immediately jump to 25. That felt unusual so early, but fit within our normal numbers. By the time I started, five minutes later, the “live view” count was 65. I haven’t been really, genuinely, nervous presenting a virtual storytime since April–but those numbers genuinely terrified me, and you can sort of see it during the first few minutes based on how out of breath I am.

Anyhow, after that long-winded introduction, Noon Year’s Eve Storytime & Dance Party content awaits below.

Learn More About Other Storytime Specials:

– Baby Shark Storytime
– Daniel Tiger Storytime
– Doc McStuffins Storytime
– Don’t Let Pigeon Take Over Storytime
– Elephant & Piggie Storytime
– Fancy Nancy Storytime
– Llama Llama Storytime
– Molly of Denali Storytime
– Paw Patrol Storytime
– Pete the Cat Storytime
– Pinkalicious Storytime
…and all my virtual storytimes.

Check out my preview video! I had a lot of fun with this one, reflecting on 2020 and including some fun bloopers:

Watch the full storytime here, including the dance party (storytime starts about 5 minutes in):

The general storytime layout–in order of what I presented–is below, with videos where applicable.

Noon Year’s Eve Storytime Outline

Backdrop & Logistics: New Year’s Eve pennant banner and decor.

Since everyone’s clock is going to be a little bit different, plus there is a delay on Facebook, I used two iPads to keep track of the time until our (approximately) noon countdown. They were synced, with one displayed beside me and another behind the camera, so it was in my line of vision, and I didn’t need to keep looking away from the camera throughout the whole program to check the time.

I also attempted a balloon drop, filled with balloons and confetti. This didn’t work quite as planned, with maybe 3 out of 20 balloons falling, but that might have been better than what I expected, which was everything, tablecloths included, to fall on my head 5 minutes into the program.

Intro Song: Shake Your Sillies Out by Rainbow Songs (my go-to opening storytime song)

Book: The Night Before New Year’s by Amy Wummer
I struggled with this book. I wanted a more diverse representation of New Year’s Eve, but the only diverse options I had access to before the program were Our Favorite Day of the Year, which feels like a back-to-school book, and Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas (and I can’t get past some of the rhyming choices in Shante Peas). I did like that this book showed one family celebrating at home by themselves (no extended family or community parties). I tried to find a middle ground by spending some time before and during the book talking about how everyone’s New Year traditions are different and how not everyone celebrates New Year’s on Dec. 31. (This issue, right here, is why I struggle with theming storytimes–decisions are made for the sake of the theme instead of the quality of the materials, their diversity, and their developmentally appropriate content.)

Amazon.com: The Night Before New Year's (9780448452128): Wing, Natasha, Wummer, Amy: Books

Song: Dance Freeze Melt by Mr. Eric and Mr. Michael

Hilda the Dragon, Playing Hide and Seek
I wanted to include some of the familiar characters we saw at virtual storytime specials during 2020, so I decided to have us discover some characters while hunting for our library dragon, Hilda (see a photo of 30-foot, smoke-breathing Hilda here.)

Zoom Zoom Zoom, A New Year’s Coming Soon
As always, thank you jbrary.

Fabulous Fireworks

If You’re Ready for the New Year (If you’re happy and you know it)

We finished If You’re Ready for the New Year with just about a minute until our countdown, which I still almost missed because I talk too much.

And it was finally time for our 20-minute dance party! I used these songs:

And that was 2020 Virtual Noon Year’s Eve Storytime and Dance Party! I didn’t receive much specific feedback from this program, other than those attendance numbers, which makes me a little sad (I really rely on that feedback to keep my energy up), but I think it went well enough. I just hope some of those people listened to my always-rambling announcements and return for our weekly live storytimes next week and Daniel Tiger Storytime on Saturday.

Little Free Library Kits

The highlight of 2020 No Contact Library Programming: Take and Make Kits! I’ve written about this before in other kit-based programs, but my library didn’t initially have the option for curbside-based pickup kits, like many other libraries have adopted. We have mailed kits to patrons, and we have started to offer materials for pickup at our drive thru window, but all of our programs have required registration through our event calendar. This limits who we are reaching, as (especially now), patrons have to know to check our event calendar to sign up for a program. One of our new service offerings that has allowed us to actively reach new people are our Little Free Library Kits!

These kits look a lot like make and take kits at other libraries, containing materials to make just one craft, though Little Free Library Kits have to be physically small. Bags can’t hold anything larger than a half sheet of paper. Each month, we create 200 new bags that are distributed across over 14 Little Free Libraries around our community. Even while our building may be closed, our amazing outreach team has been restocking these boxes with books (and now kits) that are always available to our community.

Pictures from Westerville Library’s Instagram.

For December’s kits, I created simple DIY picture frame sets. Each kit contained a half sheet with instructions, a business card advertising our Dial-A-Story program, and the following materials:

  • 4 Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
  • 8 colorful foam stickers (with peel off sticky backs)
  • 8 Glue Dots
  • 1 Small Magnet Strips (with peel off sticky back)

Instructions encouraged kids to make a picture frame to give as a gift or keep for themselves. The magnet let them turn the frame into something they could hang on the fridge.

Send me an email for the editable file (bookcartqueens@gmail.com).

Are you taking books and make-and-take kits to unique places in your community? Share in the comments!

Little People Big Dreams Storytime: Harriet Tubman

As part of our virtual programming, I run a monthly school age storytime, designed for ages 6-8. This program highlights a different diverse individual from the Little People Big Dreams book series. In December, I featured Harriet Tubman in my Little People Big Dreams Storytime.

Each program features 1-2 books on the famous individual (one book being their matching title from the Little People, Big Dreams book series). I also highlight music from a diverse artist and include a link to an at-home packet to continue the fun and learning.

Explore More Little People, Big Dreams Storytime Outlines:

– Ella Fitzgerald
– Jean Michel Basquiat
– Malala Yousafzai
– Martin Luther King Jr.
– Muhammad Ali
– Rosa Parks

Find additional storytime content at the links below:

– Storytime Resources (includes all storytime outlines)
– Virtual Preschool Storytimes
– Virtual Baby Storytimes
– Virtual Toddler Storytimes
– Virtual Family Storytimes (including themed special events)
– All Virtual Storytime Outlines

Watch the full storytime here:

In the event description, I included the link to the printable at-home activity packet.

Storytime Outline

Intro: Teddy Bear by Jazzy Ash

First Book: Harriet Tubman by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Little People Big Dreams)

Harriet Tubman (Little People, BIG DREAMS, 13): Sanchez Vegara, Maria Isabel, Aguado, Pili: 9781786032270: Amazon.com: Books

Music Break: Shake It by Brother Yusef (with shakers)

Second Book: Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Before She was Harriet (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books): Cline-Ransome, Lesa, Ransome, James E.: 9780823420476: Amazon.com: Books

Closing Rhyme: See You Later, Alligator

See you later, alligator
In a while, crocodile
Give a hug, ladybug
Blow a kiss, jellyfish
See you soon, big baboon
Out the door, dinosaur
Take care, polar bear
Wave goodbye, butterfly!

Next Time: Martin Luther King, Jr.

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