
Upcoming Christmas Story Time with Santa
Upcoming Christmas Story Time with Santa

Join us for a mele kalikimaka Story Time with Santa! Tuesday, December 8th at 10:30 a.m. on our Facebook page. See you there!
Join us for a mele kalikimaka Story Time with Santa! Tuesday, December 8th at 10:30 a.m. on our Facebook page. See you there!
“D” is for dinosaur, and November is for Dinovember! Celebrate Dinovember with these great books and activities.
Ages 2-5
Everybody knows at least one preschooler who can rattle off the names of dozens of dinosaurs. There’s a reason for that! Preschoolers’ brains are wired to learn as much vocabulary as possible. So don’t underestimate them: give them all the words you can! Use the most specific terms possible and they will soak them up like a sponge.
Read a non-fiction book about dinosaurs with your child, then open up a picture book with dinosaurs and help your child name each kind of dinosaur that appears.
When it’s rock ‘n’ roll time during the prehistoric era, many different kinds of dinosaurs gather to twist, twirl, and tromp at a Saturday night party.
The Paleo Theater is packed with cheering fans ready for a dance showdown.
A colorful pop-up dinosaur lurks behind each large lift-the-flap. Open them if you dare and meet six delightful dinosaurs!
Step back in time and follow dinosaur tracks around the world. Whether made by a few dinosaurs or large groups, these tracks provide clues to the movement and behavior of these lovable ancient creatures.
Five dancing dinosaurs clogging on the floor.
One clogged away, and then there were four.
Four dancing dinosaurs spinning ‘round a tree.
One spinned away, and then there were three.
Three dancing dinosaurs kicked a doodle-doo.
One kicked away, and then there were two.
Two dancing dinosaurs having lots of fun.
One went away, and then there was one.
One lonely dinosaur afraid to dance a solo.
He ran away… and then there were zero.
– Adapted from Storytimekatie.com
Dance like diplodocus
Swaying through the trees
Fly like pterodactyl
Soaring in the breeze
Sprint like gallimimus
Striding through the land
Hunt like velociraptor
Circling in a band
Scoff like a stegosaurus
Munching juicy shoots
Chomp like an apatosaurus
Crunching stones and shoots
Roar like a t-rex
Pouncing on its prey
Run like triceratops
Saying “Don’t eat me today !”
– Carrypaterson.wordpress.com
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
Whaddaya think of that?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs, we make the earth flat
We make the earth flat
We stop and eat our food, when we’re in the mood
We stop and eat our food on the ground
We stop and eat our food, when we’re in the mood
We stop and eat our food and then we march around
‘Cause we are the dinosaurs, marching, marching…
We stop and take a rest, over in our nest
We stop and take a rest at the end of the day
We stop and take a rest, over in our nest
We stop and take a rest and then you’ll hear us say
That we are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs
Whaddaya think of that?
We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs, we make the earth flat
We make the earth flat
And then we roar!
‘Cause we are the dinosaurs!
(Roar!)
– The Laurie Berkner Band
Make this cool dinosaur craft!
Dinosaurs and modern life collide in a very young picture book that clearly illustrates how big dinosaurs really were.
When his best friend, Jack, leaves him behind at the doctor’s office, Dexter T. Rexter panics. First he tries to find Jack. Then he sings their special song. Then he sings their special song even louder.
“D” is for dinosaur, and November is for Dinovember! Celebrate Dinovember with these great books and activities.
Ages 2-5
Everybody knows at least one preschooler who can rattle off the names of dozens of dinosaurs. There’s a reason for that! Preschoolers’ brains are wired to learn as much vocabulary as possible. So don’t underestimate them: give them all the words you can! Use the most specific terms possible and they will soak them up like a sponge.
Read a non-fiction book about dinosaurs with your child, then open up a picture book with dinosaurs and help your child name each kind of dinosaur that appears.
When Brother and Sister visit the Bearsonian Museum, they luck out. A real dinosaur dig is taking place! What sort of fossils will they find?
Uncle Otto is a used car salesman, who, with the help of his niece and nephew, finds the perfect vehicles for his dinosaur customers.
Some friendly dinosaurs must help a lost egg after it’s blown out of its nest. But if they are to reunite the little egg with its true parents, they must first discover what kind of dinosaur lies inside.
(Tune: “Doo Wah Ditty” by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich)
Here he comes just a stomping with his feet.
Singing dino, ditty, ditty – dum, ditty do
Searching around for something to eat.
Singing Dino, ditty, ditty, dum, ditty-do
He’s huge. (echo)
He’s strong. (echo)
He’s huge, he’s strong.
Won’t be hungry very long!
Here he comes just a flying down the street singing…
Flapping his wings as he looks for stuff to eat singing…
Here he comes just a swinging his tail singing…
Eating lots of plants, like spinach and kale, singing…
– Pasadena-library.net
(Tune: The Wheels on the Bus)
Pteranodon’s wings went flap, flap, flap
Flap, flap, flap,
Flap, flap, flap,
Pteranodon’s wings went flap, flap, flap
All around the swamp.
Triceratop’s horns went poke, poke, poke…
Apatosaurus’ mouth went munch, munch, munch…
– Melissa.depperfamily.net
Make this cool dinosaur craft!
Documents the work of an early twentieth-century paleontologist, named after the famous circus icon by his ambitious parents, who grew up to work for the American Museum of Natural History and discovered the first documented skeletons of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and other noteworthy species.
“D” is for dinosaur, and November is for Dinovember! Start off Dinovember with these great books and activities.
Ages 2-5
Learning through play is relaxed, fun, and creative. Through a single enjoyable activity, your child can learn about following directions, taking turns, and showing appreciation to others, all skills that are necessary for healthy development.
Help your child practice taking turns by playing a hide and seek game with a favorite toy. Show them how you appreciate their efforts to find the toy, even if it might be hard to spot at first.
Identifies different dinosaurs using illustrations comprised of finger and thumb prints.
Join a herd of dinosaurs waiting for eggs to hatch in this action-packed next-step-concept book about comparisons.
From renowned pop-up masters Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart comes an awe-inspiring tribute to the world’s most beloved extinct animals and their 180-million-year reign on our planet.
(Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Dino, dino, dinosaur, stomping on the ground.
Now we add one and two, till we have a herd.
– Artsy Toddler Storytimes by Carol Garnett Hopkins
(Tune: Shake My Sillies Out)
I’m going to shake, shake, shake my dino head, (shake head)
Shake, shake, shake my dino head, shake shake, shake my dino head,
And then go stomping about. (stomp feet)
Scratch, scratch, scratch my dino claws… (shape hands like claws and scratch them in the air)
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my dino foot… (wiggle one foot)
Wag, wag, wag my dino tail… (move bottom side to side)
– Artsy Toddler Storytimes by Carol Garnett Hopkins
Make this cool dinosaur craft!
Readers set out on a time-traveling adventure through six prehistoric narrative scenes that cover everything from the gentle giants to the bloodthirsty predators and along the way examine what dinosaurs looked like, where they lived, what they ate, and why they disappeared.
Provides practical advice for a young dinosaur when a baby brother arrives, such as the good news that he will be toddling soon, but the bad news that he will not know what is dangerous.
Halloween is coming up! Have you chosen a costume? Prepare for the holiday by reading these books of other costumed friends with us!
Ages 2-5
When you enjoy a book, let your children know that you like it and why. Sharing your enjoyment gives them a positive attitude toward books. This positive attitude will influence them when they get to school and learn to read. Let your child choose books and tell you why he likes them.
Spice up a familiar book by talking about why it’s a favorite of your child’s. Talk about the art, the words, and prompt your child to share.
When babysitter Lulu takes the five little monkeys trick-or-treating, they decide to change costumes with their friends and try to fool Lulu and their mother.
Although he professes to fear nothing, it turns out that the most-feared villain in the Star Wars universe may not be so fearless after all.
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
It’s a neighborly day in this beautywood
A neighborly day for a beauty
Would you be mine?
Could you be my neighbor?
– adapted from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
Monster, monster, turn around
Monster, monster, touch the ground
Monster, monster, reach up high
Monster, monster, touch the sky
Monster, monster, touch your nose
Monster, monster, grab your toes
Monster, monster, touch your knees
Monster, monster, sit down please
– www.Storytimekatie.com
Monsters galore, can you roar? Roar.
Monsters galore, can you soar? Make flying motions.
Monsters galore, please shut the door. Clap hands.
Monsters galore, fall on the floor! Fall down.
– Sunflowerstorytime.com
It is Halloween and Lulu doesn’t know if she should dress as Ladybug Girl or find a different costume for the special day.
George bravely explores the museum to see who has been stealing the cakes on the sly. It could be the mammoth – or maybe the knight? Or that mummy who’s lurking nearby…
Can you find the “creepy creatures” in the night? These are the nocturnal animals that stay up at night and sleep during the day. You might go outside in the evening and, using your senses, discover which of these animals are creeping around your neighborhood.
Ages 2-5
Don’t shy away from informational or non-fiction books when sharing a story with your child. Children love to find out about the world around them and how things work. Even if you don’t read all the words, point out the illustrations and talk about them with your child.
Using an informational book about animals, sing, “There’s Something in the Nighttime,” with your child and have them fill in the noises. Then talk about where the animals live, what they eat, and when they sleep.
Describes various nocturnal animals and their nighttime activities, including the opossum, brown bat, and tree frog.
Three owl babies whose mother has gone out in the night try to stay calm while she is gone.
It’s daytime and night animals are all sleeping soundly. Well, all except for Possum. Skunk tries to be helpful, pointing out a cave, then a tree, then a den. But the more places Possum tries to sleep, the more night animals he wakes up.
What’s a witch to do when a rainstorm threatens the Halloween Parade? Make it fun, that’s what!
One little bat was trying to behave.
He hung upside down from his feet in a cave.
Another bat flew in, and said, “How do you do?”
The 2nd joined the first, and then there were 2!
2 little bats were trying to behave.
They hung upside down from their feet in a cave.
To help pass the time, they sang “Do re me”
Another bat joined the song, and then there were 3.
3 little bats were trying to behave
They hung upside down from their feet in a cave
From their cave perch, they looked down at the floor,
A new bat joined the game, and then there were 4.
4 little bats were trying to behave.
They hung upside down from their feet in a cave.
One little bat zoomed inside and did a dive.
He stayed to take a rest, and with him there were 5.
– www.Missbarbaraatthelibrary.blogspot.com
Two little hoot owls, sitting on a hill
One named Jack and the other named Jill
Fly away Jack! Fly away Jill!
Come back, Jack! Come back, Jill!
– www.Storytimekatie.com
(Modified from There’s something in my garden)
There’s something in the nighttime that I can’t really see.
There’s something in the nighttime, now what can it be?
Whoo, Whoo. Hear it’s funny sound? Whoo, Whoo. An Owl is what I found!
(Continue with other animals, I used an Owl, a cat, a mouse, and a skunk ‘Smell that funny smell? Sniff, sniff, A skunk! You sure can tell!’)
– www.Missbarbaraatthelibrary.blogspot.com
Make this owl paper bag puppet craft!
Mother Owl hears a mysterious noise in the night and tries to identify it.
Possum is hiding from the sounds in the night, and his fear sets off a chain reaction in the other night animals.
When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.
After she falls headfirst into a bird’s nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.
“Creepy” cats start with the letter “C”! For story time, we read about cats, sang about cats, and found a lot of cats in the bookshelves of the library. Try checking out some of the additional books listed below about how to take care of a cat. You can also watch the great video of Elijah Wood reading, “Me and my Cat.” Then practice spelling the word, C-A-T.
Ages 2-5
Giving your children paper and crayons, markers, or pencils when they can scribble is the beginning of early writing. It takes a lot of coordination to write. Scribbling and drawing are the beginning steps to writing. Posting your child’s work on the on the refrigerator or around the house will show her how proud you are of her efforts.
Read a story together about a cat. Then give your child drawing materials and ask her to “draw” the story again or some aspect of it.
Mr. Cat and Mr. Rat enjoy playing tricks on one another, but they discover true friendship after one receives a tasty gift that he believes is from the other.
Splat the Cat is determined to be the scariest cat in the class, but unfortunately his costume is more silly than scary.
Down around the corner at my mom’s pet store
Were six little cats and not one more
Along came someone with a nickel to pay
And they bought a cat and took it away!
– www.Literaryhoots.com
Six little kittens found a box of paint.
They jumped right in…their mother will faint!
The first little kitten came out all red.
“I’ll be orange,” the second kitten said.
The third little kitten turned bright yellow.
“I’ll be green,” said the next little fellow.
The fifth kitten said, “My favorite is blue.”
“Purple for me,” said the sixth with a mew.
Dancing home the kittens go
To show their mother a KITTEN RAINBOW!
– www.Literaryhoots.com
Make this bobblehead cat craft!
Explains the different types of cats to own as a pet and how to care for them.
When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.
Late one night, an old lady in a pointed hat climbs through the window into Nicholas’ bedroom. She brandishes her broom, fires out some words, and then leaves as abruptly as she came. It’s puzzling at the time, but not nearly as puzzling as what happens the next day!
This week in online story time, we learned a new letter, “C”, which is the first letter in the words, “Creepy Crawlies”. Have fun with creepy crawlies as you read books, go outside, and discover what insects and spiders do.
Ages 2-5
See the world: “Illustrations convey meaning and carry information, especially in non-fiction books where pages are often filled with commentary that is not in the text. Be sure to “read” your way around the pages-read and discuss the captions, tables, charts, and the information conveyed by the illustrations themselves.”
Help your child check out a junior non-fiction book from the library such as, “Creepy Crawlers.” Look at the illustrations or pictures first, and then “read” your way around the pages. Ask your child questions like, “Have you seen this before?” or “What does this look like to you?”
Describes unusual species of insects and spiders that have unique features and behaviors that help them adapt to their habitats.
I’m Trying to Love Spiders will help you see these amazing arachnids in a whole new light, from their awesomely excessive eight eyes, to the seventy-five pounds of bugs a spider can eat in a single year!
A ladybug invites the reader to play a game of “let’s pretend.”
Busy bee, Busy bee, where are you?
There you are, there you are!
How do you do?
Busy bee, busy bee, what do you do?
I build a hive and make honey
That’s what I do
Clever spider…
I spin a web and catch a fly
That’s what I do
Small red Ant…
I carry things heavier than me
That’s what I do
Ladybug…
I eat aphids all day long
That’s what I do
Caterpillar…
I eat lots of leaves so I can sleep
That’s what I do
Butterfly…
I pollinate summer flowers
That’s what I do
– Adapted from Nurseryrhymes.org
Here is the beehive,
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive. One…two…three…four…five!
Buzz…buzz…buzz…buzz…buzz.
Here is the beehive,
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch and you’ll see them land on the floor.
One…two…three…four!
Buzz…buzz…buzz…buzz.
Here is the beehive,
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the tree.
One…two…three! Buzz…buzz…buzz.
Here is the beehive, Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive. One…two…three…four…five.
Buzz…buzz…buzz…buzz…buzz.
Buzzzzzzzzz…they’ve all flown away!
– Nurseryrhymes.org
Make this hungry caterpillar craft!
A close-up look at 13 different types of caterpillars.
Die-cut pages reveal the scary and mean parts of a bullybug as it prepares to attack some itty-bitty baby bugs, but a rescuer arrives on the scene before the bully can make good on its threats.
Can you count all the insects? Check out this ebook on the StoryBerries website!
Offers a close look at baby insects.
A variety of different bugs compare their relative sizes while going on parade.
“Bear blows bubbles!” “B” is for bubbles. Did you know a bubble will always be a sphere unless it’s next to something else that alters its shape? Bubbles are also great for making firends. Have a bubble blowing party with a friend. You might become bubble best buddies!
Ages 2-5
Learning to “guess” or hypothesize what will happen when you take an action is an important step in cognitive development and critical thinking. Before you try the following activity, have your child “guess” or question what will happen in this bubble experiment, then have them “test the guess” for the answer.
Fill a variety of cups with different liquids such as, water, milk, soda, and soup. Then blow bubbles with a straw in each of the liquids. Then answer these questions. Which liquid “holds” a better bubble? Can you pop the bubble?
Bear loves to blow bubbles. But when Badger tries to spoil Bear’s fun, he blows a bubble you won’t believe!
This Stage 1 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out book explains how trapping air inside soapy liquid creates bubbles—and why bubbles are always round.
Kangaroo and Koala become fast friends when they vanquish a bubble monster together.
One little, two little, three little bubbles,
Four little, five little, six little bubbles,
Seven little, eight little, nine little bubbles,
Ten little bubbles go pop! pop! pop!
Count bubbles on fingers and clap when you say, “pop!”
– Kcls.org
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
– Allnurseryrhymes.com
Make this simple bubble wand!
Make your own bubble solution by combining the following:
There’s only one thing Dewey loves more than blowing bubbles: popping them. Every last one of them. But on a fine bubble-blowing day, Dewey’s very last bubble gets away.
Mabel blows a bubble that captures Baby and wafts him away, resulting in a wild chase that involves the whole neighborhood.