Pelly and Mr. Harrison are perfect for sharing during this year’s One World, Many Stories summer reading program.  I like this book so much I want to name my next dog, Mr. Harrison. There are many delicious ideas for sharing during summertime.  I have a moon girl and dog complete with goggles and helmets that I made from turquoise socks with lightning bolts in the pattern for you to borrow. Make signs for all the barking and labels.  Just putting these up on a flannel framed with the colorful moon houses during the story would be fun for the shouting out variety of storytime.  Play a game of moon catch with one of those bumpy translucent light-up balls.  Keep playing by having kids draw their space transportation (Pelly’s starts in a bathtub). Or play spaceship racing; moon rock digging and star catching.   Read this one aloud for lots of summertime fun ~ Serve S’moons.  Don’t know what they are?   Blast off at your library this summer!

Yummy!  Be prepared for hungry kids after this stortytime. The Waffle House will be a popular destination afterward (if you’re in Ithaca!).  But the real gem about this book is that Henry’s pretend kitchen show is constantly revised by oh so realistic interruptions and attempts at control by his sister, Elliebelly.  Mom is paying attention with helpful & also realistic advice, but it’s still a trying time!  The creativty and spot on family realtaionships make this one a delicious treat for everyone!  I would love to have kids create their own pretend waffles for a fun story extension.  Bring out the pots and pans; a cut-out waffle, and anything at all for raspberry marshmallow and banana bacon toppings.  Then you can film the whole show!  Waffles, anyone?

This is a quiet book that works so well in toddler storytimes.  Yael watches what passes by from her balcony, and the story moves along by asking what she sees.  If you want to practice dialogic reading – just reading these pages draws your little listeners in. Don’t foget to take a walk through or around the library after sharing for a perfect storytime activity.  Do spend a bit of time with the end papers and the balcony – ask what they see?  My fist glance felt playpen-ish and if you don’t have balcony like this one, your listeners might be similarly confused.

I love this book for exploring the question of using themes in storytime. (And because I love magical realism for the very young when it works this well!)  Yes, you can skip the theme all together for lots of good reasons (Check out the work of Megan Lamber for more on this topic.) But this book allows you to add it to a very long list of storytimes – night, zoos, elephants, counting, even umbrellas!  Borrow the new elephant puppet and the umbrella die-cut for some fantasy book play ~ Who knew? (Storytime props for FLLS members only, sorry!)

Are you planning a superhero or a pajama storytime? Add this to your list for some super fun.  Timothy is a super helper  and his “strong thoughts” are just the thing to power up your storytime listeners.  While Timothy’s mother has the real superpower, Timothy has all the right stuff to become a real hero.  The scarves storytime box might be just the thing to spring your readers into this super story.  Have fun!  (Scarves can be requested by FLLS members!)

Oh yes, let’s!  Counting books are perfect for storytime, and this one will have your storytime listener’s ears perked up.  Don’t forget to count them too.  I have a delightful goat puppet who would love to visit your storytime when you share this one so just email in your request (Requests for  FLLS members only, sorry!)

 Elisa Kleven has another magical gem in Stanley’s adventure.  A little clumsiness becomes much less of a problem compared to his giant kindness. Stanley is accident prone, but determined to solve his own problems – the recycle collage elements will inspire many to create their own collage houses for mice and other small friends.  But the real stand-out for me is Stanley’s mother.  She empowers him throughout and quietly supports him in this loving story.  Take time to share this with your young listeners.  Then go back to A Carousel Tale for more from Elisa’s world.

You will turn to this book for preschool storytimes again and again.  Farm themes, animal sounds, and  a vehicle all in one.  As the animals play and fool the sleeping farmer, all your listeners will want to “do it again,” with them.  This is the best invitation to your second reading of a book in the same storytime. We know that repetition is key to learning those early literacy skills, but it’s hard to get into the habit in group settings.  This book will demand it!  Have fun in all your repeated readings and do post to let me know how it plays in your storytimes…

This Kane Miller title is a storytime gem.  You can grab the instruments played in the story for an impromptu parade; pass out the sound words you’ll find on the end papers to encourage parents to participate  with every ting! and ring! with the words you give their kids; and feature the Folkmanis border collie puppet who looks remarkably like my dog, Greta (also a great story listener).  Delight in the cacophony and discover an early literacy treat for your storytimes.  Take your time with this one; ring a real bicycle bell and ting! a service bell.  Better yet, let a little mouse fingerpuppet do this for you.  Is that dog really riding a bike?  Of course, and why not!  Pair this with Zin! Zin! Zin: a Violin by Lloyd Moss for a musical day; add The Philiharmonic Gets Dresssed by Karla Kuskin - Don’t you want to dress accordingly too? 

I hope you enjoy the storytime books I feature here for inspiration from the sheer fun of reading aloud so that the building of early literacy foundations are organic to the process.  Reading for the fun of it!