Read this book: How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan
How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan. Illustrated by Lee Wildish. New York: Knopf, 2012.
This delightful book is one of our favorite of recent years! A little boy offers a how-to manual for babysitting your grandpa, including everything from what to feed him for a snack (“Ice cream topped with cookies”, “Olives served in fingertips”) to what to do on a walk (“Step over sidewalk cracks”, “Look for lizards, cool rocks, and dandelion puffs”) to how to settle Grandpa down for his nap. Wildish’s brightly colored digital illustrations combined with Reagan’s funny funny text make for a perfect storytime book. Be sure to bring this one out for family storytimes and grandparent days – kids and adults will both be tickled by this winner.
Thanksgiving Fun
Kathy and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and to express our thanks to our followers!
In order to celebrate the season, we suggest reading I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie, by Alison Jackson. New York, Dutton Children’s Books, 1997. This wonderful circle story with rhyming text describes how the old lady devours the Thanksgiving feast and grows larger and larger until the unexpected happens! After reading the story, try some of the following activities with your group.
Reinforce math skills with a Pie Chart.
1. On a piece of large paper or poster board, create a simple chart with three pies listed across the top; apple, pumpkin, and chocolate.
2. Give each child in the group a sticker and have them place the sticker in the column with their favorite pie.
3. Touch and count the number of stickers in each column aloud with the group. Write the total at the bottom of the column.
4. After all the columns are counted, ask the group which was the favorite pie. Review the number of stickers in each column with the children.
Reinforce early literacy skills by retelling the story. Cut food pictures out of magazines or find clip art online and distribute the food pictures to the children. As you retell the story have each child bring up their food item.
Reinforce early literacy skills by creating extensions. Ask the children what they will have for dinner at their Thanksgiving feast. Do they have a favorite item that they would want to keep eating?
Look Who’s Linking and Liking!
A recent sweep of the web reveals lots of enthusiastic programmers making use of rhymes, flannelboards, and story ideas from storytimestuff.net, Storytime Magic, Kindergarten Magic, and Multicultural Storytime Magic! Check out the links below to see how they put our ideas into action!
Away We Go Storytime at Sunflower Storytime, featuring “Vehicle Guessing Game” and “Helicopter” Sign Language Rhyme from Storytime Magic.
My Family/Mi Familia Storytime at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission/Texas Reading Club, featuring “Some Families” from Storytime Magic.
Dinosaurs Roar! Storytime at Falling Flannelboards, featuring “Dinosaur Romp” and “I’m a T-Rex” from Kindergarten Magic.
“Five Little Stars and the Moon Too” at Read Rabbit Read, from Storytime Magic.
“Five Toothbrushes” at What Happens in Storytime…, from Storytime Magic and Children’s Programming Monthly 1:5.
Colors of My World Storytime at Sunflower Storytime, featuring “Dog’s Colorful Day” Flannelboard from Storytime Magic.
Pumpkin Storytime at Falling Flannelboards, featuring “Where is My Pumpkin?” Flannelboard from Kindergarten Magic.
Hats! Hats! Hats! Storytime at What Happens in Storytime…, featuring “Milo’s Hats” flannelboard from Storytime Magic.
Outer Space Storytime from Falling Flannelboards, featuring “Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Space Shuttle from Kindergarten Magic.
Have you used our rhymes, flannelboard patterns, or other storytime ideas in your storytimes? Tell us about it! Comment on this post to share, or send us an email at storytimestuff@gmail.com. Everyone who shares will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of one of our books (winner’s choice!). And if you send us a picture of how you used the item in your programs, we’ll put your name in the drawing twice!
Storytime Stuff 