OPENING: “Hello Friends” (with sign language)
Credit: Jbrary
BOOK: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
One of my childhood favorites! I love the story of the Rainbow Fish and its message of generosity. I have heard the complaints about this book, and I realize that some people struggle with the subtexts. But, everyone at my storytime seemed to like it, so I will choose to focus on the positives.
SONG: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Credit: Jbrary
Row, Row, Row, Your Boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
If you see a crocodile,
Don’t forget to scream.
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the Nile,
If you see a camel,
Don’t forget to smile.
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the river,
If you see a polar bear,
Don’t forget to shiver.
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently to the shore,
If you see a lion there,
Don’t forget to roar!
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the creek,
If you see a little mouse,
Don’t forget to squeak.
This is one of my new favorite storytime songs. I love the extra verses and how they incorporate fun animal noises. I’m definitely going to use this song more regularly from now on.
BOOK: Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
Another great Jan Thomas book! I’m not sure how well my storytime kids understood the rhyming-and-not-rhyming concept in this book, but my dramatic voices earned some giggles.
SONG: “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More, No More“
Credit: Jbrary
It ain’t gonna rain no more, no more
It ain’t gonna rain no more
Oh no, it’s up to my toe
But it ain’t gonna rain more.
Verses:
Oh gee, it’s up to my knee
Oh my, it’s up to my thigh
Oh fiddle, it’s up to my middle
Oh dread, it’s up to my head,
I’m just going to swim on home.
BOOK: My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee
I just recently discovered Jon Agee’s books, and I have already found several that I really like. My Rhinoceros is a fun story about a seemingly-disappointing pet that I think would be especially appealing to little boys. Robbers are always engaging.
BOOK: RRRalph by Lois Ehlert
I have a love-hate relationship with Lois Ehlert’s books, and RRRalph is one of the “loves”. I feel like I’m telling a steady stream of dad jokes while reading this book, but it is a fun collection of puns. I don’t know if my kids understood the humor (the adults did), but a few of them enjoyed barking and growling along with me.
CRAFT: Rainbow Fish CDs
Credit: Healthy Happy Thrifty Family
My primary motivation for reading The Rainbow Fish was this craft. We have a huge collection of old CDs in our craft room, and I’ve been looking for some ways to use them up. This craft was a perfect opportunity, and it was pretty low prep.
Library Joy 