PRESCHOOL STORYTIME

It’s the first week of summer reading classes at the library!  It sure has been a whirlwind of fun!  We had a great turnout for our first preschool storytime class, which was “I Like ME.”  Going along with the summer theme – One World, Many Stories – we celebrated differences and individuality in today’s storytime, from freckles to feelings to skin color.  We also learned some words in Spanish and sang and danced to a Hispanic Folk Song.

OPENING SONG – Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
In this song, children have to pay attention to the words and freeze during certain parts.

RHYME –  Feelings by Karen Folk

Sometimes on my face you’ll see (Point to face)
How I feel inside of me. (Point to chest)
A smile means happy, a frown means sad, (Smile, then frown)
And when I grit my teeth, I’m mad. (Grit teeth and frown)
When I’m shy, my head hangs low, (Bow head)
But when I’m proud I beam and glow. (Smile)

SONG –  If You’re Happy and You Know It – with Feelings Faces

 Click to Download Feelings Faces Printable (pdf)

BOOK 1 –    Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore (yes, the actress!)

A little girl desperately wants to get rid of her freckles.  She tries scrubbing them, using lemon juice, covering them up with markers, and wearing a ski-mask to school every day.  She eventually learns to love her freckles and lives happily ever after.

SONG ON CD –  Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
MP3 download:  The Hit Crew from 50 Bestest Kids Songs
A classic favorite that everyone will know.

BOOK 2 –    The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Honey, butterscotch, cinnamon, chocolate, peaches…..these are just some of the delicious descriptions of our shades of skin color.  In this book, Lena learns that her friends are all beautiful shades of brown.  I have this one in a big book – it has big, colorful pictures!

SONG ON CD –  Mi Cuerpo Hace Música /My Body Makes Music   (Hispanic Folk Song)
MP3 download: Mr. Eric and Mr. Michael from Bouncy Blue

This song will need a bit of an introduction.  I start by telling the group that this song is in Spanish, so “we are going to learn a few words in Spanish before we start.”  I cover these words:

• cuerpo-body
• manos-hands
• pies-feet
• boca-mouth

Working through them one at a time, point to each body part as you say it and then have children repeat each word in Spanish.   Then,  sing the song without the CD slowly one or two times.  Then try it full tempo with the CD!

My body, my body, makes music
My hands say, clap clap clap
My feet say, ta, ta, ta
My mouth says, la la la
My waist says, cha cha cha

Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mis manos hace, clap clap clap
Mis pies hace, ta, ta, ta
Mi boca hace la la la
Mi cintura hace cha cha cha

BOOK 3 –   I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
A humorous read, written in rhyming verse.  This little girl likes herself just the way she is.  She would like herself even with “beaver breath”  or “horns protruding from her nose.”  This one is sure to get some laughs.

CLOSING SONG – If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…
If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet…
If you’re happy and you know it wave goodbye…

CRAFT –   Self-Portraits
Encourage children to make self portraits and write their names.

Don’t forget to provide children with a variety of skin tone crayons!

Or, you could have some faces pre-cut in a variety of skin tones that children could glue to the self-portrait sheet.

ADDITIONAL BOOK:

Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
“Bouquets of babies sweet to hold: cocoa brown, cinnamon, and honey gold…”  Lyrical and rhyming text combined with wonderful illustrations makes for a winner.

 

I’m Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis