Gone To The Dogs - Preschool Storytime

Last week our theme on the Storytime Bus was "Dogs", which is a pretty specific theme to do over and over, but luckily there are quite a few good dog books, and with the popularity of the Paw Patrol television show, dogs are hot with the preschool set. I started off each session with an introduction, letter of the day ("Dd"), and our story song, then read 2-3 books and did 1-2 additional activites.

The Books

I'm going to highlight the books I really liked and used the most, and just list the others:

The Doghouse by Jan Thomas was one of my favorite books for this theme. Cow and Pig and Duck and Mouse are playing kickball, but Cow kicks the ball so hard that it goes over their heads and into the doghouse. Yikes! Who will go and get it? One by one they each go into the doghouse, BUT they don't come out! 

I like to make this one very melodramatic (unless I know I have more sensitive kids in the bunch), and it tickles me to death to see their shocked faces mirror Mouse's when Dog says he is having Duck for dinner! I do love dark humor, but you can always tone it done for the more sensitive ones.

The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza was another fun one, partly because the audience gets to howl like wolves, which is *almost* as fun as roaring like a lion. Little Moka and his owner Michelle are best friends and life is great, until one day they read a book about wolves, and Moka starts to think his life as a house pet is pathetic in comparison. So he decides to run away and live in the wild like a wolf. But he finds out life in the wild is not so great.

The kids are always shocked when Moka runs away, and relieved when he and Michelle are reunited. They don't all get the twist in the ending, but those that do find it quite funny.

Dog's Colorful Day is a great book that does double duty; not only does it work on colors as the title indicates, it also works on counting from 1 to 10, and has a cute story to go along with the counting.

Dog is a white dog, with just one black spot on his left ear. But one day when dog goes out, he gets into all kinds of messes, which stain his white coat, and he returns home with not one, but ten spots of all different colors! At the end when it goes over all the colors of the spots one last time, I like to test the kids and see if they can remember what caused each spot.

Bark, George! by Jules Feiffer just so happens to be the book I read at my interview for my current position, unknowingly choosing one of my manager's favorites, as luck would have it. It is a great book for a fairly good age range. The simple, bold illustrations, simple text, and opportunities to make animal sounds make it a great book for the younger kids, and the humor and surprise ending make it work for the older kids. Not everyone gets the ending, but even if they don't, they still enjoy the book

Widget by Lyn & Jim McFarland is the story of a poor little stray dog in search of a home. He spies a cozy looking house, but when he enters, he finds it is occupied by a very sweet old lady and six cats, who are not big fans of dogs. Widget cleverly starts acting like a cat, and eventually he wins the girls over and he is allowed to stay.

One day, there is an accident, and they all learn that while cats are nice, sometimes it is very good to have a dog around.


Some others I used occasionally were:

• A Dog's Life by Caroline Sherman
• Dogs by Emily Gravette
• What Puppies Do Best by Laura Numeroff
• A Dog Needs A Bone! by Audrey Wood
• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
• Spot's First Walk by Eric Hill

The Activities

The one I used most was the traditional song "B-I-N-G-O", with a slight twist. After the first verse, we would omit a letter and instead of clapping in its place, we would bark. I had the letters B, I, N, G, & O to put on the magnet board, as well as pictures of dogs to put up in their places.

B-I-N-G-O

There was a farmer who had a dog, 

and "BINGO" was his name-oh.

B - I - N - G - O

B - I - N - G - O

B - I - N - G - O

and "BINGO" was his name-oh!

[on each subsequent verse, remove one letter and replace with dog and bark instead]

We also did variations on "If You're Happy And You Know It":

If You're A Dog & You Know It

If you're a dog and know it, give a bark....

If you're a dog and know it, wag your tail....

If you're a dog and you know it, sit up and beg....

If you're a dog and you know it, dig a hole....

If you're a dog and you know it, sit please!

And this fingerplay:

Digging in the Dirt

Ten little doggies went out one day

(hold up ten fingers)

To dig in the dirt and play, play, play. 

(Pretend to dig with both hands)

Five were spotted dogs, and five were not.

(Hold up one hand at a time)

And at dinner time, they ate a lot!

(pretend to eat) 

How It Went

I was afraid the theme might be way too specific to work for multiple storytimes on multiples days, but it actually worked really well. I especially had fun with The Doghouse, though I almost lost it a couple of times at the kids' perfectly shocked reactions to Dog having Duck for dinner (no one was upset), though they didn't always completely get the ending and how it was a play on words, they did understand that no one got eaten!

Pets, Pets, and More Pets!

When I started with the Storytime-To-Go program, several kits had already been developed, including one for "Cats" and two for "Dogs". I really didn't want to spend an entire two weeks reading stories JUST about cats, or JUST about dogs, so I pulled a few good books from each and added several books that were about all kinds of pets and some with unusual pets.

I saw an average of 5 groups each day, starting each session with our "story song" and Letter-Of-The-Day (Pp), then reading 2-3 books and doing 1-2 songs/activities with each. Each session runs 20-30 minutes, depending upon whether the class arrives on time or not.

The Books 

(Click on picture for full-sized image)

Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland & Jim McFarland (very cute, counting & imitation)
Ah-Choo! by Lara Wayne Koehler & Gloria G. Adams (pet allergies, lots of sneezing)
Melissa's Octopus and Other Unsuitable Pets by Charlotte Voake (dark humor)
The Doghouse by Jan Thomas (suspense, surprise twist)
Come Out and Play, Little Mouse by Robert Kraus, Jose Aruego, & Ariane Dewey (repetition, days of the week)
Hieronymus Betts and His Unusual Pets by M. P. Robertson (funny, surprise ending)
Cats Are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev (short, but funny, unexpected results)
I Don't Want A Cool Cat! by Emma Dodd (lots of different cats, good rhythm)
Kitty's Cuddles by Jane Cabrera (short and sweet, good for younger audience)
The Grumpy Pets by Kristine Lombardi (cute story, identify expressions & feelings)

*For older kids I would also suggest Dr. Seuss' What Pet Should I Get?, and Emma Dodd also has one called What Pet To Get I wanted to use, but was checked out.

The Activities 

Being a Big Bang Theory fan, of course I had to do "Soft Kitty", the song Sheldon wants when he's sick:

Soft kitty, warm kitty;

Little ball of fur.

Happy kitty, sleepy kitty,

Purr, purr, purr.

*Source: Willis Music

_________________________

I also had an action rhyme that lets the kids get some movement in, imitating different animals, and ends with them sitting down, ready for the next story.

"Can You?"

Can you hop like a rabbit?

Can you jump like a frog?

Can you waddle like a duck?

Can you wag your tail like a dog?

Can you fly like a bird?

Can you swim like a fish?

Can you sit back down and be still like this?

_________________________

"B-I-N-G-O"

There was a farmer had a dog,

and "Bingo" was his name-oh.

B - I - N - G - O!

B - I - N - G - O!

B - I - N - G - O!

And "Bingo" was his name-oh!

I did a little twist on the traditional version. We would repeat the song 5 more times, and with each verse I would remove a letter, starting with "B". But instead of clapping in its place, I would replace the letter with a dog on the board and have the kids bark instead.

_________________________

In addition to the above activities, I used the tunes to "Wheels On The Bus" or "If You're Happy And You Know It" to have them do songs with different animals and their sounds or motions on the first day, but the kids seemed a little bored with them as we do use them fairly often, so I avoided them and only used the other activities the rest of the rotation.

How It Went

Kids love animals and any animal theme is usually a hit, and this was no exception. The kids all loved sharing about their pets, and it was very interesting to hear about some of the unusual pets they had. While most of them had dogs or cats, there was an occasional rabbit, bird, frog, or turtle, and I had one little girl insist she had a pet penguin and a couple of other kids who were adamant they had a pet elephant at home!

All of the above books worked really well, but some of the favorites were Ah-choo!, The Grumpy Pets, The Doghouse, and Hieronymus Betts and His Unusual Pets.  Hieronymus Betts is a particular favorite of mine as well, and those of us with little brothers especially appreciate the humor. I was slightly surprised that a couple of kids correctly predicted that one of the fish in Cats Are Cats was going to turn out to be a big shark, and they all had fun sneezing along with Ah-Choo! Some of the kids were familiar with "Soft Kitty", and all enjoyed acting like all the different animals in "Can You?" and barking like dogs with "B-I-N-G-O".

I had one really sweet girl compliment me on my skirt and earrings when she first came in, then sidle up to me before she left and tell me I was "really pretty", which of course made my day. On the last day one little boy cracked all the adults up as I was reading Melissa's Octopus and Other Unsuitable Pets. When I got to the chameleon, he broke out with "Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon..." For you youngsters, that's a song by Boy George and Culture Club from the 80's; I have no idea how this 4-year old knew it!

It's Here! The New Dr. Seuss Book

What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss.  July 28, 2015.  Random House for Young Readers.  48 pages.  Ages 3-7.

Unfortunately this came out just after I did my pet storytime, although truthfully at 48 pages it would probably be too long for my crowd anyway.

In this story a brother and sister are going to the pet store to get a new pet.  However, their mom wants them back home by noon, so they have to make a decision quickly.  First they think the decision is simple, dog or cat.  But wait, maybe they want a puppy or kitten?

But as they look around the realize there are many different kinds of pets.  Birds, bunnies, fish....how do they choose?  Their considerations then begin to evolve from the usual pets to the more exotic.  So many choices, and they must decide soon, their mother wants them home before noon! 

In the end, they finally decide on a pet, but the reader is left in the dark as to what they finally choose, only seeing them carrying a covered basket out of the store with two eyes peeking out.

I'm a sucker for Seuss, so of course I liked this book with it's classic Seussian rhyme and illustrations.  I know some people don't agree with posthumous publications, but after reading the history at the end of the book, I'm convinced this was a true Seuss manuscript and was close enough to being finished.  The end of the book provides some history and context to the story, including pictures of Dr. Seuss with some of the pets he had over the years.  It explains how the manuscript was found, and had complete black & white drawings, with small pieces of paper containing the typed text taped to the drawing to show how Seuss wanted it placed.  The only thing lacking was instructions regarding how he wanted the illustrations colored.  It describes how they analyzed the drawings to determine the approximate time period it was written, and believed that is was between an earlier period when Seuss used only primary colors and a later period when he used a much wider and more varied color palette.  Therefore, the editors chose a color palette that bridged the gap between the two styles, using mostly primary colors for the backgrounds, but using some blended colors for the characters.

While I wouldn't say it's a must-read, I did enjoy it and feel other Seuss fans will too.  It would be especially good for children whose families are considering getting a pet and discussing what kind of a pet they want to have.  At 48 pages it would probably be a little long for a preschool storytime, but it should work well for 5-6 year-olds and could spark a discussion about what pet they think the kids in the book ended up choosing, or what pet would *they* choose if it were them.

New Picture Books!

I grabbed a few picture books off the new shelf to review, fortunately I had much better luck than last month and found a few good ones.

How To Spy On A Shark by Lori Haskins Houran, illustrated by Francisca Marquez.  March 1, 2015.  Albert Whitman & Company.  24 pages.  Ages 4-7.

This non-fiction picture book shows some of the steps involved in studying sharks, with very brief, short explanations just right for very young kids and early readers, with fairly realistic drawings.  At the end of the book is more detailed information for adults to read and explain if they wish.

Somehow I missed this book when it first came out back in the Spring.  It is the perfect level and amount of information for younger kids who are curious about sharks and how they are studied, but are easily overwhelmed with too many details.  I like that the more detailed information is given at the end so that and adult can read and discuss it with the child(ren).  This would be good for a beginning reader, or could work for a storytime to introduce some factual information.

Sniff!  Sniff! by Ryan Sias, April 7, 2015. Harry N. Abrams.  32 pages.  Ages 3-7.

On each 2-page spread, see what the doggie smells and guess where he is going next.  On the first page, he smells bacon, pancakes, and oranges.....Breakfast!

This is a short, simple book with very little text and bright illustrations with heavy outlines, perfect for younger kids.  I think it would be great for a 3-5 year old storytime, but I personally think it's a bit short & simple for 7 year-olds.  I like that it has little text, but plenty of action and is interactive. 

The Fly by Petr Horacek, May 12, 2015.  Candelwick, 32 pages.  Ages 3-7.

What has two googly eyes, six hairy legs, and two transparent wings?  The narrator of this story, the common housefly.  As he goes throughout his day, the poor fly is constantly getting swatted at, but he doesn't understand why no one wants him around.

This simple but humorous story is sure to work well for a preschool or kindergarten storytime.  Kids will enjoy the sounds of the flyswatter smacking and discussing whether they think cows smell lovely, and the ending is sure to get a few laughs and giggles.

Billy and Goat At The State Fair by Dan Yaccarino, June 30, 2015.  Knopf Books for Young Readers.  40 pages.  Ages 3-7.

Billy and Goat were best friends, and did just about everything together, though not in the same way.  While Billy liked to swing, Goat liked to push.  Billy liked to smell the flowers, and Goat liked to eat them.  Billy liked reading adventure stories, and Goat wanted to have real adventures.  One day Billy decided to enter Goat in the Best Goat contest at the fair.  Instead of waiting patiently in the barn for the contest like he should, Goat leads Billy on a series of adventures and hijinks at the fair.

This is a cute story with bright, sharp illustrations and plenty of action.  It is a little on the longer side, with a few more pages and a bit more text on each page, so would probably work best as a one-on-one read, or in a storytime with older kids who have a longer attention span.

Unusual Pets

I've had the idea of doing some type of pet storytime in the back of my mind for a while, but wasn't sure which direction I wanted to go.  All pets, cats and dogs, just cats, just dogs.... In the end I decided it would be more fun to talk about unusual pets.  I was originally inspired by Trinka Noble's The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate The Wash, which I find quite funny, but in the end decided the 3 year old class might have a little trouble following it, and the illustrations were a little pastel and too detailed for this age.

So I decided to start with Cats Are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev (following our welcome song, introduction and "story song", of course).  This is a cute story about a orange kitten named Tiger who grows, and grows, and grows....into an actual tiger!  But, cats are cats, and Miss Bell loves her cat.  One day she decides to buy some pet fish since Tiger enjoys watching them swim, and one of them grows and grows....and I'm sure you can guess the rest.  I chose this because I thought it was cute and the kids would enjoy the twist to a seemingly typical kitten story, and I wanted to see if they would predict the ending.

After that, we did an action rhyme I saw on Sunflower Storytime (who got it from Library Storytime), called "Can You..."

          Can you hop like a rabbit?                     (hop like bunny)
          Can you jump like a frog?                      (jump)
          Can you waddle like a duck?                 (squat & waddle, bend elbows like wings)
          Can you wag your tail like a dog?          (wiggle bottom)

          Can you fly like a bird?                          (flap arms)
          Can you swim like a fish?                      (make swimming motions with arms)
          Can you sit back down,                         (sit down)
          and be still like this?                              (hands in lap)

Kids always love any song or rhyme that allows them to imitate animal actions or sounds!  Also, if you want to lead into a discussion about what pets they would like, you could replace the last two lines with:  "If you could get a pet, what pet would you wish?"

For the next story, we read A Pet For Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold. I chose this since Fly Guy seems to be pretty popular with the 3-5 year old set, and I liked the twist of the owner becoming the pet (which I'm pretty sure is how my cats see me anyway).  I also thought the kids would enjoy helping me make the buzzing sound at the end of all of Fly Guy's words.

Now that we had already done animal actions, it was time to have fun making animal noises!  For this I chose keep it simple, using the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It":

                                                        "If You're A ......"

                                   If you're a fly and you know it, say "Buzzzz".
                                   If you're a fly and you know it, say "Buzzzz".
                                   If you're a fly and you know it, then
                                   your "Buzzzzz" will surely show it.
                                   If you're a fly and you know it, say "Buzzzz".

We did several versus using animals from the two books we had read so far, and a couple of others that the kids suggested.

Then on to our last book, Hieronymus Betts and His Unusual Pets, by M. P. Robertson.  Obviously this book fit the theme to a "T", and made the unusual pets in the first two books look pedestrian and mundane!  I chose this because I knew the kids would love the pure silliness of it, and enjoy pretending to be appropriately grossed out or scared of each animal, and trying to guess what could be even worse (of course after having my house overrun with my niece and nephews all week, I immediately predicted it would be a little brother).  And of course we ended with our usual closing song.

How It Went
We had an unexpected change of venue this week.  When I arrived at the daycare, there was a notice that the class had been temporarily relocated to the church next door due to mold being discovered under the carpet and in the ceiling of their classroom.  Once I found my kiddos, of course they were more unsettled than usual since their normal routine had been totally disrupted, and I found my usual leader was in time out for interrupting, so I had a quick talk with him, then got the others settled.

Once we got going, things went pretty well.  They of course enjoyed imitating the various pets' actions and sounds with our rhyme and song, and we talked about what kind of pets they had and what kind they wanted.   They really liked Cats Are Cats, and how it tied into the last storytime's shark theme.  A Pet for Fly Guy seemed like it was just a bit too long, I felt like their interest waned a little in the middle, and I think they were just a little too young to appreciate the irony of the boy becoming the pet.  They still liked it, and thought the buzzy way Fly Guy talked was funny, but it would have been better if it was a little shorter.  They loved the fantastical creatures in Hieronymus Betts and His Unusual Pets, but I think they were a bit disappointed that in the end it was just his little brother that was slimier, louder, smellier, stranger than all his imaginary pets instead of some really bizarre, scary creature.  Again, I think older kids would appreciate the humor in that a lot more, but I still think this book was a winner.

I also showed them a picture of my own unusual pet, Randall, the leopard gecko (he's technically my daughter's, but guess who gets stuck taking care of it while she's at college?).  At first I told them he eats bad little kids' toes, and they weren't quite sure if I was kidding or not :)  Then I explained that he really eats crickets and worms, which they of course thought was gross.