Caldecott Storytimes: Week 6

I'm doing Caldecott themed storytime for preschool storytime in January-April. Check out all my Caldecott Storytime plans here. 

Theme: Transportation/Rhythm

Opening Song: Shake Your Sillies Out by The Wiggles

Early Literacy Skill: Sing and Rhyme

Read:

Drummer Hoff by Ed Emberley

-I wasn't sure how this one would go over, since it's an older winner and the pictures are very 60's but luckily we had a new copy ordered and the pictures were very bright. The kids loved this book and had so much fun with the repetitive phrases. As the book went on, I would ask, "what's next?" and they would reply, "Drummer Hoff fired it off."

Song: These Are My Glasses by Laurie Berkner (we sing this every week and the kids love it!)

Read:

Freight Train  by Donald Crews

-My library owns a big book copy of this one and the kids are always awed by the size and naming all the colors of the train.

Song:  The Mice Go Marching by Hap Palmer

-I talked about how Drummer Hoff has to march so we were going to march as well. The kids thought this song which included marching softly and stomping loudly was really fun and the parents got a kick out of it.

Read: 

Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort, illustrations by G. Brian Karas

-This one isn't a Caldecott, but I used it to introduce our state picture book award, The Building Block Award, since this was a nominee a few years ago and our new nominee list had just been released.

Song:  Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer

-I used popsicle sticks and gave each child two sticks to use for rhythm sticks. We followed the song and tapped the sticks in the air, above and behind, and to each side. The kids thought this was greatest thing ever and had so much fun. My mom, a music teacher, is always telling me to use rhythm sticks in storytime and I was kicking myself for not listening to her and trying it sooner!

Craft: 

I found this adorable freight train thumbprint craft. I think I first found it on Pintrest but it comes from Craft to Art.

Activities: 

-Ball Chute-one of my employees made a great ball chute using a box and a shipping tube and the kids have a blast rolling balls down the chute. This was our "cannon" for Drummer Hoff.

-Transportation Mural-I hung butcher paper along the wall and put out die cuts of trains, buses and cars and had the kids color them and glue them on the mural. We then kept the mural up in the storyhour room for the week.

How it went: I think this was one of my favorites so far. The kids loved the books, they were very engaged in telling the story along with Drummer Hoff, had fun with the colors in Freight Train, and loved singing Seals on the Bus. The rhythm sticks went over so well that I'll have to repeat them again soon. Overall it was a great storytime and the kids and parents had a blast.