Amazing Animals - A Storytime Outline

This week's storytime was about amazing animals. In truth, however, all animals are amazing, and it was definitely hard to pick books outs for this program. I ended up with books that I had picked based off the illustrations or the photographs. The children definetely enjoyed the program, especially the school-age children who had the day off (it's Fair Day up here in the Dallas area, folks!).

T = Toddler Storytime
P = Preschool Storytime

BOOKS
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr. and illus. by Eric Carle (T)
How can you not read this book with an "Amazing Animals" theme. My toddler storytime consisted of new grown ups and toddlers who have not heard this book. It was a wonderful thing in the sense that I introduced them the book with my library's big book copy.

I Love My Mommy written and illus. by Sebastien Bruan (T)
This is just a simple little book about baby animals who love their mommies. Mom and grandmas chuckled when I asked the little ones of they were licked clean or if they took a bath.

Beautiful Moments in the Wild: Animals and Their Colors edited by Stephanie Maze and Rebecca Barns and Art Directed by Alexandra Littlehales (T, P)
Though the text is really simple, I did read it out loud. For Toddler Storytime I showed all the pictures and called out the colors of each of the animals. For the Preschoolers I picked the coolest pictures to show, such as a dolphin and seal. They were wowed at the fact that a flamingo turns pink because it eats shrimp!

Chameleon, Chameleon written by Joy Cowley and illus. by Nic Bishop (T, P)
I really only showed the photos that are found in this is a nice nonfiction book about real chameleons and how they act in their habitat. The photos show a chameleon up close and its subtle changes in colors. It also shows geckos that are in camouflage too. For anyone picks up the book, I hope you love the stance the chameleon is in when he creeps by a scorpion! The children loved how the uses his long tongue to catch his dinner!

Solomon Crocodile written and illus. by Chatherine Rayner (P)
I love Rayner's illustrations and the treatment that she did when creating Solomon. The children got a kick out of saying that Solomon shouldn't pick on a big hippo!

Who Am I? written by Gervase Phinn and illus. by Tony Ross (P)
This is a fun new book that my library received not too long ago. The children thought it was fun that the little chameleon would change colors to match the different animals he encountered when he was on the quest of finding out who he is.

SONGS & RHYMES
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.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm (T)

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O

With a "moo-moo" here and a "moo-moo" there

Here a "moo" there a "moo"

Everywhere a "moo-moo"

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Continue with other farm animals:

Sheep, Chicken, Pig

The Itsy Bitsy Spider (T)

(follow actions with your fingers and arms)

The itsy bitsy spider (move your fingers like a spider going upward)

went up the water spout.

Down came the rain (wiggle your fingers like rain is falling)

and washed the spider out! (sweep with your hands like the a wave of water washed the spider out)

Out came the sun (raise arms overhead in a circle to make a sun)

and dried up all the rain.

And the itsy bitsy spider (make your finger spider go upwards again!)

went up the spout again! 

I'm A Giraffe (P)

I'm a big tall giraffe stretching way up high (reach arms up)

I'm a big tall giraffe, I almost reach they sky (stand on tiptoes)

I wat the leaves from the tallest trees (pretend to eat)

And when I run, I move with ease (pretend to run)

I'm a big tall giraffe stretching way up high (reach arms up)

Way... up... high! (reach on tiptoes)

Source: Perry Public Library via Storytime Katie 

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.

ACTIVITIES
Egg Shakers (T, P)
It's always fun to see all the little ones and the not-so-little ones dance and move while we shake our eggs.

Puppets (T, P)
I showed a number of puppets as part of the animal show and tell. One was a large caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, the amazing tortoise puppet from Folkmanis, and Frankie, my adorable elephant puppet. The children loved them!

FLANNEL BOARDS 
Chameleon Fun (T, P)
I made a simple chameleon body from a printable I found online. I then made little triangles, rectangles and circles from special animal print felt. The Toddlers and Preschoolers are got to spend time putting the shapes on the chameleon to make a very fun looking creature.

CRAFTS
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? Coloring Page (T)
This is just a simple coloring page with the classic saying and the toddlers got to glue a brown bear (courtesy of a new die cut!) and color!

Sparkling Lizards (P)
The preschoolers got to make a beautiful picture of a lizard (a chameleon or a gecko, take your pick) among some branches and leaves. The special thing about these pictures is that they got sparkles! The children got to glue sequins to the body. By the way, I :: love :: this new lizard die cut my library received. It's so cute!

PICTURES
I wish my my camera would give my sparkly lizard better justice in it's color.

Chameleon Fun flannel board, Toddler and Preschool Storytime,

Created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012. 

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? Coloring Page,
Toddler Craft, Created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012. 

Sparkly Lizard, Preschool Craft,
Created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012. 

MORE BOOKS
One Nighttime Sea written by Deborah Lee Rose and illus. by Steve Jenkins (T)
Kangaroo and Cricket written and illus. by Lorainne Siomades (T)
I would have read this book for Toddler Storytime if I hadn't discover that due to it's well-loved-and-read-and colored-upon copy wasn't quite in the best storytime condition. 
The Seals on the Bus written by Lenny Hort and illus. by G. Brian Karas (T, P)
The Mixed-Up Chameleon written and illus. by Eric Carle
A Color of His Own written and illus. by Leo Lionni
Blue Chameleon written and illus. by Emily Gravette
Giraffes Can't Dance written by Andreae Giles and illus. by Guy Parker-Rees (P)
Gorgeous! written by Caroline Castle and illus. by Sam Childs (P)
Armadillos written by Judith Jango-Cohen and photographs by various photographers (P)