Poetry & Rhyme - A Storytime Outline

April is National Poetry Month!

In celebration I chose to do a Poetry & Rhyme storytime theme. Even thought it probably would not have mattered much, but I had the big goal of using books that were actually poem picture books and not just nursery rhymes. This could have been a daunting task, and it was in the beginning, because you have hunt through your nonfiction 811 poetry collection and your picture book collection to find your treasure.

There are a good number of poetry picture books that can be used for storytime, and there are a good number of regular poetry books that you can share a poem or two from with the preschoolers. It all depends on your storytime group. My preschool group were on the younger side so I opted to not pull out the regular poetry books and decided to just stick with picture book format.

All in all, it was excellent!


T = Toddler Storytime
P = Preschool Storytime

BOOKS

Big is Big (and Little, Little): A Book of Contrasts written by J. Patrick Lewis and illus. by Bob Barner (T)
This book is brightly colored with big pictures of animals. The poem by known children poet J. Patrick Lewis is simple that can be read through it quickly before the toddlers move on. The toddlers do love the pictures and the animals!

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod written by Eugene W. Field and illus. by David McPhail (T)
I grew up with the poem and wanted to read it. David McPhail's illustration shows the fisherman three as sailor bunnies, and one little girl loved pointing them out!

What Does the Wind Say? written by Wendi Silvano and illus by Joan M. Delehanty (T)
This is another simple question and answer poem. The children loved the pictures and loved pretending to go peek-a-book like the moon or sway in the wind.

Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea written by Lisa Wheeler and illus. by Ponder Goembel (P)
How have you ever seen a cow on a boat at sea? This is a silly poem about a dairy cow who had aspirations of being a sailor and followed her dream. One child said cows live on a farm and in a barn and not on a boat!

Good Night Dinosaurs written by Judy Sierra and illus. by Victoria Chess (P)
This is similar to Jane Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?. I wish the pictures were bigger though.

Rain Song written by Lezlie Evans and illus. by Cynthia Jabar (P)
This was the "abstract" poem picture book as it described the sounds of a rain storm coming and going, but the children liked nonetheless, especially when they pointed out umbrellas, rain boots, cat and dog.

Ten Rosy Roses written by Even Merriam and illus. by Julia Gorton (T, P)
I used this counting poem/rhyme for our flannel board activity for both programs.

SONGS & RHYMES

Opening Rhyme: Open, Shut Them (T, P)
follow actions
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap
Creep them, creep them up to your chin
Open your mouth wide, but don't put your fingers in!
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a big clap
Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap.

Head and Shoulders (T)
follow actions
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
Eyes and ears and mouth and knows
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes.

If You're Happy and You Know It (P)
follow actions
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands (clap your hands!)
If you're happy and you know it
Clap you hands (clap your hands)
If you're happy and you know it
Then your hands should surely show it
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands!

If you're happy and you know it
Stomp your feet (stomp you footsies!)
If you're happy and you know it
Stomp your feet (stomp!)
If you're happy and you know it
Then your feet should surely show it
If you're happy and you know it
Stomp your feet.

Continue with
"shout hooray!... then your voice should surely show it..."
"do all three (clap, stomp, hooray!)... then you should surely show it..."

Closing Rhyme: Touch Your Nose (T, P)
follow actions

Touch your nose

Touch your chin

That's the way this game begins

Touch your eyes

Touch your knees

Now pretend you're going to sneeze!

Aaachooooo!

Touch your hair

Touch one ear

Touch your two red lips right here

Touch your elbow where it ends

And that's the way this touch game ends.

FLANNEL BOARD

Ten Rosy Roses (T, P)
I created ten red roses to go with this poem. The children LOVED coming up to take a flower off the flannel board. The toddlers were super excited that more than one child took a flower at on point so we went through the poem a lot quicker!

CRAFTS

Wood Shoe Coloring Page (T)
I created a coloring page inspired by the poem Wynken, Blynken, and Nod using a wooden shoe clip art on the computer. I also drew the sail for the shoe. The toddlers got to glue on their moon and their two stars. It was just right for the age.

Sleeping D is for Dinosaur (P)
I did the classic D is for Dinosaur craft where you use an uppercase letter D as the dino body. I used the cut from the letter to make the feet (cut it in half), a circle die cut to make the head, cut out triangles for spikes and a wiggly strip for a tale. Super cute, and the kids loved him!

PICTURES

Ten Rosy Roses, flannel board,
created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod coloring page, Toddler craft
created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012

Sleeping D is for Dinosaur, Preschool craft,
created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012

BOOKS

Here are some more poetry books that could work for a program!
Potato Joe written and illus. by Keith Baker
The Camel's Lament written by Charles Edward Carryl and illus. by Charles Santore (T, P)
Book! written by Kristine O'Connell George and illus. by Maggie Smith (T, P)
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals of Nature written by Joyce Sidman and illus. by Beth Krommes (T, P)
All the World written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illus. by Maria Frazee (P)
The Owl and the Pussycat written by Edward Lear and illus. by Anne Wilson (P)
A City Is written by Norman Rosten and illus. by Melanie Hope Greenberg (P)
In the Sea written by David Elliot and illus. by Holly Meade (P)
Moon Bear written by Brenda Z. Guiberson and illus. by Ed Young (P)
Who Bop? written by Jonathan London and illus. by Henry Cole (P)