Baby Bloomers- Fun & Play

Yesterday was our first Baby Bloomers story time session for the fall. I changed things a bit moving from Thursdays to Mondays and moving to an earlier time- 9:30 AM, which most parents and babies seem to like much better. I will also be doing 10 sessions instead of 6 so our momentum will continue until almost Thanksgiving.  We are off to a great start with 15 babies yesterday, the excitement in the room was amazing! 

Our stories this week were

Hug by Ben Mantle
I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs
Hello! by Guido Van Genechten

Opening Song: “The More We Get Together”

Clapping rhyme: “Patty-Cake, Patty Cake”

Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker’s man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

oll it and pat it and mar it with a “B” *use baby’s name initial

And put it in the oven for baby and me!

Wiggle rhyme

A wiggle, wiggle here

A wiggle, wiggle there.

Wiggle your hands up in the air

Wiggle your shoulders and wiggle your hips,

Wiggle your knees and move your lips,

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

And wiggle and bend

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,

And this is the end!

Clap Your Hands

Clap your hands—one, two, three!                                 

Clap your hands, just like me! 

(Add verses by adding:  Roll your hands, Nod your head, Wave bye-bye, or use other body motions)

Little Frog

A little frog in a pond am I, (bounce baby on lap)

Hippity,, hippity, hop.

And I can jump in the air so high,

Hippity, hippity, hop (lift baby in the air, bounce baby on lap)

Credit: Babies in the Library.

Closing song: “We Wave Goodbye Like This”

We wave goodbye like this,

We wave goodbye like this to all our friends,

We clap our hands like this,

We clap our hands like this with all our friends,

Story time has end.

 

Pie

 

Pie by Sara Weeks.
Alice has grown up around her beloved aunt Polly and her famous pies-winner of the prestigious Blueberry award 13 consecutive years! But after she dies unexpectedly Alice receives a very unexpected gift as part of her will. This book is a fast read with a good mix of adventure and mystery, and a whole bunch of pie recipes to make you want start baking right away.

More Award Nominees

Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls.
Eleven year old Sam knows he is dying but before that happens he wants to accomplish everything he has always wanted to do. It all started with Mrs. Willis's idea of writing a book, Mrs. Willis is Sam's home school teacher, and is always looking for ways to engage Sam and his side kick Felix.  Soon Sam and Felix start to find ways to make Sam's dying wishes come true. Felix finds a way for Sam to go to a pub, kiss a girl, and have a drink- everything a teenage boy wants to do. Throughout the book Sam finds ways for his family to deal with his death.  I am sure you will find yourself pondering the same questions Sam's wonders about- why do kids get sick? why do they have to die? what happens after you die?  Hard to finish without tearing up.



Legend by Marie Lu.
This boy-girl fighting to survive a dystopian world ruled by a republic using viruses against their own people reminded me of the Hunger Games trilogy. Enough said about dystopian worlds, harsh realities, love and romance against all the odds. I enjoyed the story even with the predictability factor. 



 
I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat History's Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia.
We had lots of fun reading and trying to guess which was the correct cure for common illnesses like sore throats or fevers. In the past, people have used all sorts of strange remedies, like wearing a necklace made of live worms to using leaches to bring down a fever.  The illustrations and layout made the guessing game even more fun with a spread from three to six possible cures to one page followed by a page with the correct answers.

End of Summer Mussings

Summer is coming to an end fast, before we know it the leaves will change colors and the weather will get cooler. This has been my first summer in the Youth Services Department and it has been a busy one.  We implemented a new online program to manage our registration and book logging and for the most part, it worked amazingly.  Patrons loved not having to fill endless pieces of paper and we loved not having to tally them.  We found by accident that not having to spend some much time focused on managing the onslaught of paper meant more meaningful interactions with patrons. My readers advisory skills were put to the test and most time I was able to find a book or two for an eager or reluctant reader. 

August  was supposed to be the month to recharge, but instead it has been consumed with programming and weeding.  I have been developing new programs and adding sessions to my existing programs, moving dates and times, and revamping my “baby bloomers” to incorporate Every Child Ready to Read II (ECRRII).  Some of the new things I will be doing this fall is hosting a monthly family storytime on Saturday mornings. I wanted to reach out to working parents or those whose little ones are starting preschool during our regular story times.  I will also be hosting a book release party for the latest Wimpy Kid book,  Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hard Luck  due out November 5^th.   It has the potential to be a fun afternoon with trivia games, creative snacks, and ALA free goodies.

I am excited for the busy fall ahead of me, for the new opportunities and families I will get to serve, for the children who will walk away from the library having shared stories, songs, and play time. I am reminded everyday that I have the perfect job and work in an amazing community.    

Monarch Update

Here are a few more Monarch nominees to add to the list.

 

Chicken Big by Keith Graves

The humor in this picture book is hilarious.  When a “humongous” chicken pops out of her enormous egg the other chicken don’t know what to make of him. He is just so big; certainly, it cannot be a chicken…maybe an elephant, a giant squirrel, or an umbrella. Whatever this thing is it is not a cute little chicken, but little by little everyone in the coop starts to love him.  Our giant chicken uses settle humor to deal with her fellow chickens as they “run for their lives” every time something new happens.  The greyish background brings our chickens closer to us and the text bubbles help us discern each chicken’s personality. 

Say Hello to Zorro! by Carter Goodrich.

Mister Bud is a happy dog. He has everything right the way he likes it- his naps, his toys, his dish, his own bed, and his perfect schedule. That is until Zorro arrives. This little pug has different ideas about Mr. Bud’s schedule and trouble soon follows. Until they realize that they something in common, they have the same schedule! Double the fun for this pair of mismatched dogs.  Goodrich illustrations make this book perfect. The settle looks between Mr. Bud and Zorro, the rised eyebrows, Zorro’s fierce look, the easy colors creating snapshots of their home all create the perfect reading experience.

Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.

These are two of my favorite author & illustrator working together to tell a beautiful story about a boy’s quest to deliver the perfect birthday present. Jack finds himself in a tough spot when he is invited to the princess 10^th birthday party and has no means to bring her a present.  Don’t despair, Jack is clever boy and he figures a way to make the perfect present for her royal majesty. But on his way  to the castle he  encounters all sorts of challenges and his perfect present is no longer so. Will he save the moment?  A must read.  I love the soft tone of the illustrations, the little details, and eager expressions. The illustrations layout follows the text leading us down the path to the castle. The text is succulent and musical, engaging the reader and listener alike. 

Balloons OverBroadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet.

This is a unique book telling the story of Tony Sarg, the boy who grew up to become the puppeteer of Macy’s parade. I found Tony’s life fascinating, his creativity and ingenuity were amazing.  The artwork in this book is unique as well with Sweet's carefully created collages using different materials, illustrations, photographs, and even toys and puppets she created during her research.  The book includes a nice bibliography and sources section as well as personal notes from Sarg's family.