Book Bites: The Storytime with No Theme

My "Infant/Toddler" Storytime has really morphed into more of a "Toddler/Whoever shows up" Storytime. I am not complaining; there have been days when it is me and an empty room or one or two children who wanted anything but me reading a book so a diverse age group is welcome. With my diverse age group, however, I find that I do need to think about mixing up what books we will share. The shorter books are best for a younger attention span while some of the older listeners are able to appreciate longer books. It's a struggle sometimes to find that magical combination of engaging story, fun for the audience (the listeners and their parents) and just right book.

Instead of stressing about a theme we shared some of my favorite books to read and among them was "Press Here" by Herve Tullet. This book was such a great way to allow the group to settle in, be a part of the action and quite frankly, I love this book!

Overview of "Press Here"

Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!

Today's group are my "regulars" and before sharing the book I informed them that I would need their help as we read. I did let everyone know that there would be opportunities for everyone to help. The book worked great with the four to six revolving helpers who volunteered. Those a little more reluctant to help and shied away from being near the book would act out some of the moves (lean to the left or blow away the darkness).

The reaction of the children was great! They were amazed that by following directions that their actions created something new throughout the book.






We also read
Naked! by Michael Ian Black.
For this book we passed out scarves and pretended they were our capes.

Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin and James Dean.
For this book we learned the signs for colors and sang Pete's song each time his shoes changed colors.

Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel.
We learned animal signs and had a chorus of quacks and moos and other animal sounds as we read.

The Snowy Day by Ezra jack Keats
We pretended the scarves were snow and played along with Peter as we celebrated a very UN-snowy day in Lansdowne.

Bibs-n-Books will be on hiatus until January 6th! You are invited to join us when we return and help us welcome Theresa Dykes!