January 28, 2015 Story Time - Korea

This month we are reading about different places.

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read

Bee-bim Bop!  by Linda Sue Park*
The Rabbit's Judgment  by Suzanne Crowder Han
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal  by Paul Fleischman*
The Firekeeper's Son  by Linda Sue Park
White Food Fun  by Lisa Bullard*
Jin Woo  by Eve Bunting
My First Book of Korean Words  by Katy R. Kudela*
The Rabbit and the Dragon King  by Daniel San Souci

For our craft we made a Korean blue dragon found in the book "Storytime Crafts" by Kathryn Totten page 67.

Extra activities:

We talked about the different foods used to make Bee-bim Bop! They include eggs, rice, vegetables and slices of meat. Then we talked about our favorite white foods

We used an atlas to find where Korea is located

January 21, 2015 Story Time - France

This month we are reading about different places.

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did

*marks the books we read

Come Fly with Me  by Satomi Ichikawa*
The Cows Are Going To Paris  by David Kirby & Allen Woodman
First Picture Word Book in French  by Felicity Brooks*
Eiffel Tower  by Nate LeBoutillier
Puss in Boots  by Eric Blair*
Minnie and Moo Go to Paris  by Denys Cazet
It's a Big World, Little Pig!  by Kristi Yamaguchi
E is for Eiffel Tower A France Alphabet  by Helen L. Wilbur*

You can find the craft we made here:
http://goo.gl/B37pWR

Extra activities

We used the First Picture Book in French to learn some words and we counted to ten in french

We used an atlas to find France

January 14, 2015 Story Time - China

This month we are focusing on different places

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read

Bringing in the New Year  by Grace Lin*
The Seven Chinese Sisters  by Kathy Tucker
A Look at China  by Helen Frost*
Dragon Dancing  by Carole Lexa Schaefer
1,2,3, Go!  by Huy Voun Lee*
The Pet Dragon  by Christoph Niemann
China in Colors  by Maria Gamze-Pendergrast*

The craft we made can be found here:
http://goo.gl/GX0y8N

Extra activities:
We talked about what sign (Chinese Zodiac animals) everyone was born under depending on their birth date

Five Little Pandas
Five little pandas went out to play
On a sunny, sunny day (hold up five fingers)
The first little panda climbed a tree (hand over hand)
The second little panda got stung by a bee (poke stomach and say Ouch!)
The third little panda went rolling down hill (rolling motion with hands)
The fourth little panda sat oh, so still (hold index finger to lips--Shh!)
The fifth little panda went to the river
And got so wet he had to shiver! (hug yourself and shiver)

January 7, 2015 Story Time - Australia

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Pouch!  by David Ezra Stein*
Wombat Walkabout  by Carol Diggory Shields
Big Rain Coming  by Katrina Germein
About Marsupials  by Cathryn Sill*
Do you do a Didgeridoo?  by Nick Page
K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo  by Giles Andreae
Australia in Colors  by Nathan Olson*
Baru Bay Australia  by Bob Weir

For our craft we colored a paper kangaroo; then tied elastic thread to the kangaroo and a wooden bead so we could make the kangaroo jump!

Extra activities:

We talked about different animals that live in Australia then did this finger play with puppets of the animals listed
Here is Australia
Here's the emu straight and tall,
nodding his head above us all (raise one arm, fingers down for the head)
Here's the long snake on the ground,
wriggling upon the stone he found (wiggle hand and arm)
Here's the echidna prickly and small,
rolling himself into a ball (roll hands around each other)
Here's the kangaroo jumping around,
covering yards with every bound (jump around)
Here is Australia far away,
That's where our stories come from today

We also looked at an atlas so we could see where Australia is located

December 17, 2014 Story Time - Snow & Snowmen

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did

*marks the books we read


Snowballs  by Lois Ehlert*
Snow Happy!  by Patricia Hubbell
Animal Camouflage in the Snow  by Martha E. H. Rustad*
100 Snowmen  by Jen Arena
Winter is for Snow  by Robert Neubecker*
Snow Day for Mouse  by Judy Cox
Snowmen at Christmas  by Caralyn Buehner*
Snowbots  by Aaron Reynolds

For our craft we decorated a snowman with winter stickers

Extra activities:

We talked about what you need to decorate a snowman

We sang "Frosty the Snowman"
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,
with a corncob pipe and a button nose
and two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,
he was made of snow but the children
know how he came to life one day.
There must have been some magic in that
old silk hat they found.
For when they placed it on his head
he began to dance around.
O, Frosty the snowman
was alive as he could be.
And the children say he could laugh
and play just the same as you and me.
Thumpetty thump thump,
thumpetty thump thump,
look at Frosty go.
Thumpetty thump thump,
thumpetty thump thump
over the hills of snow!

December 10, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

This is our last week to read and vote on the Missouri Building Block award book nominees for 2014.

*marks the books we read


Open Very Carefully A Book with Bite  by Nicola O'Byrne* (Building Block nominee)
The Watermelon Seed  by Greg Pizzoli* (Building Block nominee)
Crocodiles Are The Best Animals Of All!  by Sean Taylor*
My Crocodile Does Not Bite  by Joe Kulka
Crocodile Listens  by April Pulley Sayre

For our craft we made this:
http://goo.gl/AgYOSr


Extra Activities
We talked about the differences between alligators and crocodiles
*crocodiles have a longer more V shaped head while alligators have a shorter, wider U shaped head
*the fourth tooth of a crocodile sticks out when it's mouth is closed
*crocodiles are better adapted to living in seawater; alligators favor freshwater
*crocodiles have a lighter appearance than alligators
*corcodiles in the wild are found all over the world while alligators are only found in the US and China

Crocodile, Crocodile Turn Around
(suit actions to words)
crocodile, crocodile turn around
crocodile, crocodile touch the ground
crocodile, crocodile dance on your toes
crocodile, crocodile touch your nose
crocodile, crocodile jump up now
crocodile, crocodile take a bow
crocodile, crocodile stomp your feet
crocodile, crocodile take a seat

There was a Crocodile
there was a crocodile who lived in the glade (open and close hand for mouth)
he swam in the swamp (twist arms side to side)
and napped in the shade (pretend to sleep)
he snapped at a bird (open and close hands)
he snapped at a bee (repeat)
he snapped at a frog (repeat)
AND he snapped at me (repeat)

he caught the bird (open and close hands)
he caught the bee (repeat)
he caught the frog (repeat)
but he didn't catch me! (shake head NO)

December 3, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

For the first two weeks of December we will be reading and voting on the 2014 Building Block Award nominee books

*marks the books we read:


Mustache Baby  by Bridget Heos* (Building Block nominee)
I Dare You Not to Yawn  by Helene Boudreau* (Building Block nominee)
Don't let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!  by Mo Willems*
Yawn  by Sally Symes*

For our craft we colored different shaped mustaches and taped them to craft sticks

Extra activities:

Stretch up High
Stretch up high, as high as a house
curl up small, as small as a mouse
now pretend you have a drum and beat it like this: rum, tum, tum
shake your fingers,
stamp your feet,
close your eyes,
and go to sleep!