When a librarian texts me that they can’t make it in, there is always a tiny part of me that is happy because I get to sub in for storytime. Being the boss means I don’t get to do as many storytimes as I used to, mostly just my weekly baby time.
Recently when grabbing books for a last minute storytime, dogs and cats morphed into “rescue/adopt animals” storytime.
I Got a New Friend by Karl Newsom Edwards, Alfred A Knopf, 2017
This is the one that started me down the adoption theme. I found it on our new book shelf and couldn’t resist. It’s super cute, great clear illustrations, simple text which describes all about the new friend (lots of kisses, messy eater, likes to play, etc). The kids probably didn’t get the “joke” but the adults did. (SPOILER – the joke is the dog is narrating about the little girl as their new friend, but you assume it is the other way.) Also read this for baby time where it worked well.
Widget by Lyn Rossiter McFarland, P
icture by Jim McFarland, Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001. One of my all time favorites about a dog that is willing to be a cat if that is what they need to do to be adopted into the home with six cats. There’s a sequel. Kids always giggle for this. Works well at toddler storytime, I have not tried it for baby time.
Found Dogs by Erica Sirotich, Dial Books, 2017. Another book off the new book cart. Loved this one with it’s bright clear photos and a simple counting as dogs find their forever homes. Used it both in toddler storytime and baby time.
Cat Talk by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, Illustrated by Barry Moser, Harper Collins, 2013
Confession time: poetry is not my favorite thing. But I do love children’s poetry and this book and the two dog poetry books by the same team, Once I Ate A Pie and I Didn’t Do It, are amazing. I want to start to encourage parents to share poetry with their children. So I read just a one page poem to them. I read the first poem in this book “Tough Tom” which is about a tomcat coming in from the outside and finding a home. Very sweet and everyone responded really well to it. (I also shared the same poem with my Children’s Literature for Grandparents class – they loved it too.)
For our songs, we primarily kept the normal songs that we use in storytime. We did B-I-N-G-O as a flannel board/song. “How much is that doggie in the window” would work well if I could remember the words, but I can’t so I don’t sing it!
I am definitely going to try sharing more poetry in storytime! Do you ever just flat up read poetry in storytime? One poem from a larger volume? A picture book that is one illustrated poem? Tell me your secrets!
Liz in the Library 