Storytime: Elephants (and Mice)

Discussion Questions:

We are going to meet some elephants in our stories today.  Can anyone remind me... Is an elephant BIG or small? (show sizes with arms) Does it make a LOUD or quiet noise?  How does it make that noise?

Story: Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young*

Seven mice, identified by colors, visit a mysterious object to determine what it is. Only after Is that really a rope? What part of the elephant is it?
combining their findings are they able to figure out what it really is!  An elephant! This is a fun and simple story; I added lots of interactive questions along the way to ensure the younger listeners understood each aspect of the elephant. 

Movement Song: Elephants in the Bathtub (adapted from Kenosha Public Library)
One elephant in the bathtub 
Going for a swim Knock, knock (clap twice) 
Splash, splash (jump twice) 
Come on in! (swimming motion with arms) ... Repeat until... 
Five elephants in the bathtub 
Going for a swim Knock, knock (clap twice) 
Splash, splash (jump twice) 
They all fell in! (BIG jump then "fall" to the floor) 

Fingerplay: Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout 
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 
Variation: Great big hairy spider

Story: That Fruit is Mine! by Anuska Allepuz*

This is a new picture book featuring a team of elephants and a team of mice on opposite sides of a tree with some delicious-looking fruit.  While the elephants squabble, the mice work together to get to the scrumptious food, teaching a great lesson about teamwork while being absolutely hilarious! The elephant's ideas are all a bit silly so the kids can get a good laugh. This is also a great opportunity to ask kids how they would get the fruit before starting your story.

Craft: Elephant trunks

You will need:

• A long roll of receipt paper (cut into strips about 2.5 feet long)
• Coloring tools

That's it! We had a roll of receipt paper left over from a previous device.  It was incompatible with our new printers so it became dozens of long elephant trunks instead! The kids absolutely loved creating patterned and colorful trunks and the caregivers were appreciative of a craft with minimal mess.

*Links for books are to Amazon; I am not affiliated with the company.

Storytime: Here there be Dragons

Discussion Questions:

Today we have stories all about dragons. What kinds have dragons have you read about? (Review some opposites for possibilities: big/little, helpful/mean, etc.)

Story: There was an Old Dragon who Swallowed a Knight by Klostermann*

A hungry dragon gobbles down a knight and a steed, but soon swallows up all sorts of medieval items including a lady, a cook, and an entire castle!  The group we read with were ranged in age from 2-5 (as usual), so some kids had more trouble with the prompted repetitions than others.  I resorted to focusing on sound repetition instead of words (a neigh for the steed, etc.) and it went very well!

Fingerplay (with scarves): Five Little Snowmen (Dragon variation)

Five little snowmen standing in a row,

Standing straight and tall in the deep, cold snow.

Out came a dragon breathing fire all day!

And one little snowman melted away.

Movement Song (with scarves): Little Bunny Foo Foo

Little bunny Foo Foo
Hopping through the forest
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping ’em on the head
And down came the Good Fairy
And she said
“Little bunny Foo Foo
I don’t like you’re attitude
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping ’em on the head”
Then I’ll turn you into a goon!
The next day…
(Repeat with appropriate number of verses)
Now I’ll turn you into a goon!”
(POOF!)
And the moral of the story is:
Hare today, goon tomorrow!

Movement Rhyme (with scarves): Toast in the Toaster

Toast in the toaster getting very hot

Tick tock, tick tock, up you pop!

Story: Waking Dragons by Jane Yolen*

This is a pleasantly short story that the kids enjoyed.  We compared each page to their own morning routines and let out some big dragon roars!

Craft: Paper Chain Dragons (adapted from Scholastic)

You will need:

• Pre-cut paper strips (4 per craft) for dragon body
• Pre-cut green oval for dragon head
• Pre-cut leaves
• Pre-cut crepe paper strips for dragon horns (2) and tongue (1)
• Glue bottles

While this is technically a product craft, the kids had a great time with the paper strips.  Only about 50 percent of our dragons had all four paper strips used for their body, for example.  Some had wings or very log ears, or spikes instead!

*Links for books are to Amazon; I am not affiliated with the company.

Storytime: Apples

Discussion Questions:

Can anyone name a fruit?  What fruit is is very crunchy and grows on trees? Does anyone know what we call the place where farmers grow LOTS of apple trees? (Orchard!)

Story: Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup*

One owl witnesses the changes seasons bring to his home of an apple tree and its surrounding forest.  Kids had a lot of fun identifying the animals (especially the foxes, for some reason?).

Scarf Rhyme: Apple, Apple Chant (adapted from Jbrary)

Apple, apple, apple bread!

(Hold hands flat in front, palms up, on lying on top of the other)

Apple, apple, apple head!
(Put hands on head)

Apple, apple, apple pie!
(Hold hands in a big circle)

Apple, apple, apple eye!
(Curve hands around eyes)

Apple, apple, apple cake!
(Hold Hands flat, one palm up, one palm down five inches above the other)

Apple, apple, apple shake!
(Hold fists up close to years and shake hard)

Apple, apple, applesauce!
(Pretend to stir stew)

Apple, apple, apple TOSS! 

(toss scarf in air)

Movement Song: Wiggly Wiggles Freeze Dance by Hap Pamer 

Winter is finally over so to celebrate, we danced with our scarves to a favorite freeze song!

Story: Toto’s Apple by Mathieu Lavoie*

Lavoie's pictures are perfectly paired with the simplistic (but very funny) text.  The story is great for discussing problem solving and practicing prepositions. We sometimes have sensitive storytimers, so I skipped the last page where Toto is eaten.

Craft: Apple Discs (adapted from Krokotak)

You will need:

• CDs
• Quarter sheets of construction paper (apple colors such as yellow, red, green)
• Pre-cut leaves
• Bottled glue

Kids tore their paper squares into smaller pieces to glue onto their CD and make a single color collage.  This is great practice for fine motor skills!

*Links for books are to Amazon; I am not affiliated with the company.

Storytime: Firefighters

Discussion Questions: 

Today we have stories about some a group of people who help in the community.  Who are some people who help in our town?  (If firefighters are not mentioned, lead children to the answer.)

Story: Firehouse! by Mark Teague*

Edward is visiting his local fire station and he learns all about the job of a firefighter.  He even takes part in a fire drill and rescues a kitten!  We played some "I Spy" throughout the pages by spotting and counting the mouse firefighters.

Movement Song: Drive the Fire Truck (with scarves)

Hurry, hurry drive the fire truck, (hands on steering wheel)

Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck,
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck,
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. (ring bell)

Hurry, hurry, turn the corner, (lean to the right)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner, (lean to the left)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner,
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. (ring bell)

Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder….(climb the ladder)

Hurry, hurry, spray the water hose  (wave arms side to side)
Slowly, slowly, back to the fire station…. (lean slowly to the left and
to the right)

Movement Song: Sit Down, Stand Up song by Rick Goldin

Firefighters need to have fast reflexes when it's an emergency.  Does anyone know what a reflexis?  We're going to practice using our Listening Ears and our reflexes by moving along with the song!

This activity just needs an iPod with the song pre-loaded, a good set of speakers, and lots of energy.

Story: Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin*

This story focuses heavily on onomatopoeia (WHOOSH goes the water, HONK goes the horn) so kids had lots of chances to make noises with me.  They were riveted to each page, especially when the firefighters rescue the baby. We all gave a big cheer at the end that everyone was safe.

Craft: Dalmatian Dots

• Pre-printed sheets of dalmatians (with NO spots)
• Q-Tips
• Black paint

Oh no!  Our firehouse dalmatian has lost their spots!  Can you put lots of spots on the dog with your paint?

This is a great craft for fine motor skills as kids are gripping a smaller tool (Q-Tip) and using a controlled motion to make a dot.

*Links for books are to Amazon and Goodreads; I am not affiliated with these companies.

Read & Bead: FAQ

Since its inception in 2015, our Read & Bead summer reading program has become more popular with kids, their grown-ups, and other libraries. If you're curious about switching to this system, read on!

Last update: May 6, 2025

 

 

 

What is Read & Bead?

This is our version of a "prizeless" Summer Reading Program for age 3 to grade 6. Kids start the summer with a reading log and a necklace with a reading tag. Readers record their minutes (or have a grown-up help them track time) then they visit the library to turn those minutes into beads of varying colors, shapes, and designs to decorate and personalize their necklace throughout the summer.

 

This is one of our custom
Brag Tag designs.

What do kids get when they sign up?

Every child that signs up receives the following:

• 1 Brag Tag
• 1 necklace
• 1 reading record sheet

 

How do the kids track minutes?

We provide "bubble" tracking sheets (created on Canva, example below).

Our Reading Records have the following instructions:

 

Record your minutes read here! You can make each bubble represent a certain number of minutes (ex. 15 or 30 minutes) and color in a bubble each time you read that amount of time. OR, you can use a new bubble for each reading session and write down how many minutes you read in one sitting! Every minute that you read (aloud or by yourself) or that you’re being read to counts. 

 

Each necklace pictured has 5 hours worth of beads.
There are near limitless ways kids can decorate
their necklaces!

What beads do you use? Can kids exchange their beads?

There are 5 "levels" of beads kids could earn:

• 15 minutes = Solid color/rainbow beads
• 30 minutes  = Sparkly/Glitter beads
• 1 hour = Pearlescent beads (previously "Shiny" beads)
• 2 hours = Glow-in-the-Dark Star beads
• 4 hours = Shaped beads (sports balls, animals, planes, and more!)

Participants can "level up" and trade beads as the summer progressed.  So if they read for 15 minutes one day and picked up a rainbow bead, then read for 15 minutes the next day, they could exchange all of those minutes for one glitter bead.

 

What do I need to buy? Where do I buy it?

Your exact supplies will depend on how you want to enact the project, but our basics were as follows:

• Bead organizer(s): You can use any case with compartments as long as it has a latch and the number of divided areas you need. The cases pictured (below) areSterilite Divided Cases.* Our Library started with one organizer but we now use two to offer more variety for beads.

• Tags and chains: We use SchoolLife* to purchase 30" chains and customized Brag Tags. Their site allows you to personalize brag tag designs with your own wording or Library name. The tags are very sturdy plastic.

• Beads: These can easily be purchased at a local craft store or online. Beadtin* has wonderful options for pony beads of all kinds is is what we've used for the past few years now.

• Logging Sheets: Whether they're blank bubbles, empty boxes, lines, or something else, just give kids a way to track their time reading.

• Books (optional): As you'll read below, our kids also get to select a free book to take home after the program, regardless of the amount they read. Libraries able to fund this option have recommended a Scholastic Literacy Partnership* for discounted books.

Organizer for Brag Tags,
necklaces, and 4 hour beads.

  

Organizer for 15 minute,
30 minute, 1 hour, and 2 hour beads.

 

What are the most popular "shaped" beads?

The most popular beads in our community are turtles and bats (both of which we got from Beadtin*). Try different shapes and see what your community likes the most! Just be sure that whatever you purchase will fit your chain size (see below).

What size beads do I need?  I want to make sure they fit the chain!

If you purchase standard ball chains, you should ensure that the beads are advertised with an opening size of at least 2.5mm or 1/8 inches.

Does this work?

Yes! Our participation went up 24 percent in the first summer of Read & Bead and either grown or stayed steady in following years. Other libraries that have tried it have loved the results too. The research and support behind intrinsic motivation is available in another blog entry here.

Can you use the beads for other activities?

Why not? Other libraries have reported using different kinds of beads to distribute for event attendance or completing activities/challenges.

How much does all this cost?

Our total for Summer 2025 will be approx. $0.76 per child. This includes the estimated expense of brag tags, chains, beads, and reading records printed in-house. This does not include the "start up" cost of the bead organizers that are re-used every summer as this is a one-time expense.

What if a child loses their necklace?

It is not worth the tears to do anything other than replace the necklace/key chain, beads, and tag.  We give them a reminder to "take extra care with this one," but the kids are generally very careful as they are so proud of their collection.

What if a child forgets their necklace (and comes to collect beads)?

We keep a box of snack-size bag nearby for this very reason! One box of 50 lasted three summers for us.

Do the chains ever break?

Everything has its flaws, including these chains, and especially when you have kids pulling on them to show them off all the live-long day. We have about a dozen chains break every summer (out of 400) and we simply replace the chain.

How do you handle distributing and trading in beads?

Staff will either log reading time in our tracking system when kids visit to "trade in" minutes for beads OR kids/caregivers will log at home and tell us how much they've read since their last visit. Just as with all Summer Reading, it's on the honor system!

Kids can select beads at the time of logging but can trade in beads at any time!

 

If a reader has "leftover" minutes (i.e. anything under a 15 minute increment), we ask if they can promise to read the difference today so they can pick up one more bead OR if they want save those minutes for later. If they save their minutes, we do not log them.

For psychical bead distribution, we do everything at our youth desk with regular staff though some Libraries have implemented a "Bead Bank" staffed by volunteers during busy hours. This is often a table near the circulation desk or in another central part of the youth area. Regardless of how you handle the beads, it's important to always have the box on hand during all library hours as each family has their own schedule.

 

 

Have you ever tried Alphabet Beads?

Yes, but we don't recommend them. Common letters are snatched up quickly and we're left with an assortment of XYZs by the end of summer and lots of kids who never get to finish spelling out their name on their chain.

Do the kids get any other prizes?

Yes! Each child who participates in the Summer Reading Challenge will get to select a book to take home and keep "forever and ever" (we call them "Forever" books and the kids love this!). Reading is still its own reward in this way and kids still don't feel pressure to reach a certain goal.

 

Have you tried key chains?

We started with both a necklace and key chain option but we retired the key chains completely in 2022 as so few participants chose them. Pictured below is a key chain with 12 hours worth of beads (three 4-hour beads in varying shapes available in our Bead Bank).

 

 

What about babies and toddlers?

We use the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program year round and simply promote it more heavily in summer. For details about how we run 1BBK, click here to visit our library's page.

What about teens?

Unfortunately, we're still working on this.  We've yet to find something that reels in teens of all interests, doesn't cost a fortune, and still focuses on intrinsic motivation (like the Read & Bead Club).

In 2025 we're trying Reading Dragons and Friends, pioneered by Dover Public Library in Dover, OH as a teen-exclusive program.

What if I still have questions?

Please comment below and I will respond ASAP.

Me, pictured wearing an every day outfit for the library.

*I am not affiliated with these companies. Please always use the products and sites that best suit your library!

Storytime: Lost & Found

Discussion Questions:

Today we are talking about lost things.  Has anyone ever lost anything before?  How did you feel about losing it?

Story: Lost and Found What's that Sound? by Johnathan Ying, illustrations by Victoria Ying*

This was a great story for our mix of ages (2-5).  Each animal has lost an instrument and so makes the instrument's sound in describing it.  Not only did kids get to guess what the instrument was, but they had clues about what was going to happen at the end (spoiler: the animals are in a band!).

Shaker Song: If you're Happy and You Know It

If you're happy and you know it, give a shake
If you're happy and you know it, give a shake
If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it, give a shake

Variation: Give a Tap (This is great as it gives kids another chance at the repetition of the song AND it helps them experience different sounds with the same instrument).

Shaker Song: BINGO 

I use a flannel board with large letters for BINGO and big shaker shapes that cover up each letter as we progress through the song. For this story time I opened with, "Oh no! We're losing the letters to BINGO!  Can we still sing the song?"

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! 

Continue singing each verse with one less letter showing on the board. Some kids will do the traditional version and drop the letter from the song as they sing but others will still want to sing it. Either way works fine as it's still great for memory!

Shaker Song: Shaker's Sleeping (adapted from klmpeace)

Shaker’s sleeping don’t wake it up 
Shaker’s sleeping don’t wake it up 
Shaker’s sleeping don’t wake it up 
Now we’re very quite. Shhh… 

Wake up shaker, it’s time to play! 
Wake up shaker, it’s time to play! 
Wake up shaker, it’s time to play! 
Now we’re very loud!

Repeat "Shaker's sleeping" verse and then put the shakers away together.

Story: n/a

Our group had so much fun with the shakers that we did a few extra songs and skipped our second story. Below is what we would have read: Where Are My Books? by Debbie Ridpath Ohi.*

Craft: Lost Socks

• Pre-cut felt socks (various colors)
• Foam shapes
• Markers (optional)
• Glue

Our teens pre-cut some felt socks for us and kids got to decorate with markers and foam pieces for a great sensory-based craft. This also let the kids practice squeezing the glue bottle and lining up their selected shapes with their glue dot (or glue puddle, depending on how new they are to gluing items!).

*Links for books are to Goodreads; I am not affiliated with the company.

Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Hair Dryer

When I began to focus on the summer theme of "Build a Better World," I knew the Three Little Pigs would need to make an appearance.  This story fits the theme perfectly  and is a personal favorite of mine, reaching back to when I would watch "Pigs in a Polka" from Merrie Melodies (Enjoy!), as well as a library favorite (we own over 20 variations of the tale!).

The original idea for this portion of our Busy Builder series came from Schroeder Page, but with some adjustments to fit our library.  We invited ages 5-8 for the storytime.

Then I'll huff... and I'll puff... and teach the kids STEM!

Supplies:

• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
• Large paper or white board
• Marker
• Paper plates (the foundations for each house)
• Pipe cleaners (straw)
• Marshmallows (sticks pt. 1) If possible, use another "sticky" material for this part (gum drops, etc.).  We selected marshmallows as they were allergen friendly, but they were a little too sticky...
• Toothpicks (sticks pt. 2)
• Sugar cubes (bricks)
• Hair dryer 
• Wiggle eyes (for hair dryer)

 

Step 1:

Discuss the story of the Three Little Pigs.  What do we know about the story?  Can we learn anything from the three little pigs?

Most kids were very familiar and happily relayed the tale.

Step 2:

Read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.  Though this book was published long before any of our storytime kids were born, it's a hilarious classic!

Step 3:

Introduce the activity.  We will be building our own houses of straw (pipe cleaners), sticks (marshmallows and toothpicks), and bricks (sugar cubes).  Discuss the problem of keeping out the Big Bad Wolf and hypothesize which house will be strongest.  If possible, have a large writing surface available to jot down the kid's answers.

Step 4:

Build!  We constructed all of our houses in order, setting each aside for its eventual meeting with our Big Bad Wolf (a hair dryer with wiggle eyes).

Step 5:

Huff... and puff... and blow that house down!  In the same order the pigs built their own houses, we lined up the kids' experimental builds and attempted to blow them down with the Big Bad Hair Dryer.  We made it clear that the destruction of the houses may occur, but that's part of the experiment!

Results:

The pipe cleaner houses blew right over the edge of the table, properly demostrating their inadequecy as a building material for shelter.

The marshmallows and toothpicks lead to a surprise for everyone, however.  Every construction stayed up because our hair dryer melted the marshmallows, sticking them to the plates!  This was a great time to discuss unexpected results in science and the importance of testing ideas.

The sugar cubes stayed strong even on the highest setting.  They were simply too heavy to move!

Social Media:

This is where I need to give a big thank you to the Library Aide who planned and hosted this event, Miss Cory.  With her at the helm, I got a little break and was able to take pictures and videos!  I composed the entire video (below) on my phone with the help of Google Assistant in Google Photos.  It's absolutely incredible what you can do on your small devices these days!  But I digress. 

This video was a big favorite on our Facebook and Instagram and was a great way to show the program in action.  Enjoy the view of kids celebrating their defeat of the Big Bad Hair Dryer!