library

American Girl Doll Lending Program

I am very excited to announce that it has been almost two months since my American Girl Doll program went live! This has been a dream program of mine since I started in the library world, and my current boss made it a reality when she gave me the thumbs up to purchase all the dolls. We were able to buy 7 of the 8 Beforever Historical Dolls. Addy was backordered in December and I had to use 2014’s budget to get the dolls. We  made a mental note to purchase her in 2015. I was like a kid on Christmas Day when all the dolls arrived.

briony-american-girl

On December 20, 2014, at my Samantha’s Victorian Christmas Tea Party, we officially announced that all the dolls will be available for checkout. I was immediately bombarded by little girls asking when and how they could get the dolls. Unfortunately, it took me a good three weeks before they were ready.

10462863_745489288833454_5794966194288602524_nIt took me 2 1/5 full work days to get these dolls ready for circulation. I created a detailed binder with LOTS of pictures. I itemized everything that came each doll, pictures of each doll, and pictures of what came in their carrying cases. This has come in very handy.
Here is a picture of Kit with everything she comes with when she is checked out.

10961810_574998867147_680062504_nI made sure to include a journal with each doll. The inside of every journal includes how to take care of their dolls and the policies for taking them home.

My last step was to create a place where children and adults could find the dolls. I made this handy dandy bucket. Every doll comes with her own paddle. A patron simply takes the paddle to our circulation desk and they receive their doll.

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I can officially say this service is a HUGE SUCCESS! The dolls are NEVER in and we have constant phone calls from adults inquiring if the dolls are available. I even had one woman run into the library without a coat in 17 degree weather. She saw that two dolls were available and she didn’t want to miss her chance to get one.

I do have a few quick suggestions for libraries interested in starting their own American Girl Doll Lending Program:

  • Ease in slowly with dolls. I felt a bit overwhelmed trying to handle and check all 7 dolls. I almost wish that I would have started with 2 and then introduced another 2 this month and so forth. However, I then wouldn’t have all my rocking stats!
  • Realize that dolls with curls are going to be the bane of your existence. I spend at least 30 minutes to an hour redoing Caroline’s curls.
  • Really examine the dolls. I thought that a patron had cut one of the doll’s hair until we realized that the shorter hair (it was in between the longer strands) was too perfectly cut to be done by a child. My assistant director called her sister-in-law who confirmed that her doll also had the same thing.

Feel free to contact me if you would like more information!

Zoo–Preschool

Opening Song

If You Want to Hear a Story
Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!

Props

photo 1

I put several different animals into these two boxes. I then pulled each animal out of the box and we talked about what noises they made.

Books

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The Giraffe who Cock-A-Doodle-Doo’d by Keith Faulkner
The Underpants Zoo by Brian Sendelbach

Action Rhymes

Let’s Hear You Roar Like a Lion

Let’s hear you roar like a lion!
Let’s see you jump like a frog.
Let’s see you snap your jaws like a crocodile.
Let’s hear you woof like a dog.
Pretend you’re an elephant with a big, long trunk.
Pretend you’re a monkey; let’s see you jump, jump, jump.
And now you’re a mouse. Just let me see
How very, very quiet you can be.
Source:So Tomorrow

Animals at the Zoo
Tune: “The Wheels on the School Bus”

The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar.
Roar, roar, roar.
Roar, roar, roar.
The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar.
All day long!

The snakes…go hiss, hiss, hiss.
The hyenas…go ha, ha, ha.
The monkeys…go eee, eee, eee.
The birds…go tweet, tweet, tweet.
Source:King County Library System

Zoo Animals
Tune: “If you are happy and you know it”

If you want to be a monkey, jump up high!
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high!
If you want to be a monkey, if you want to be a monkey,
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high!

Parrot – flap your wings
Elephant – wing your trunk
Lion – roar out loud
Giraffe – stand up tall
source:Once Upon a (Story) Time

The Elephant Hokey Pokey

You put your elephant ears in.
You put your elephant ears out.
You put your elephant ears in,
And you shake them all about.
You do the elephant pokey,
and you stomp yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

…elephant trunk…
…elephant foot…
…whole self…
source:Falling Flannelboards

The Monkeys in the Zoo

The monkeys in the zoo turn round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round.
The monkeys in the zoo turn round and round,
Just like I do.

The monkeys in the zoo all touch their toes,
touch their toes,
touch their toes.
The monkeys in the zoo all touch their toes,
Just like I do.

The monkeys in the zoo all rub their tummies,
Rub their tummies,
Rub their tummies.
The monkeys in the zoo all rub their tummies,
Just like I do.

The monkeys in the zoo all pat their heads,
Pat their heads,
Pat their heads.
The monkeys in the zoo all pat their heads,
Just like I do.

The monkeys in the zoo jump up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down.
The monkeys in the zoo jump up and down,
Just like I do.

The monkeys in the zoo swing through the trees,
Through the trees,
Through the trees.
The monkeys in the zoo swing through the trees,
Just like I do.
source:Storytime Hooligans

Flannel Board

Five Elephants in a Bathtub

One elephant in the bathtub
Going for a swim.
Knock, Knock, (Clap twice)
Splash, Splash, (Slap knees twice)
Come on in! (Motion with both hands to come in.)
Two elephants elephants in the bathtub… etc.
(Until…)
Five elephants elephants in the bathtub
Going for a swim.
Knock, Knock,
Splash, Splash,
They all fell in!
Source: Storytime Katie

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Take Home Craft

photo 4
Source: First Palette

Closing Dance Song

See Ya Later Alligator by Laura Doherty

Closing Goodbye Song

We Wave Goodbye Like This
Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”

We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends.
We wave goodbye like this.

Observations

This storytime was so much fun! I kicked off the storytime by putting on my zoo hat and opening each box. The kids and I then discussed each animal I pulled out.

The books get an A+ for this storytime. The Giraffe who Cock-A-Doodle-Doo’d had the kids making the appropriate noises for each animal. I even had a little girl who stood up and turned my page because she wanted to know what was going to happen next. The Underpants Zoo had the kids laughing.

I definitely went heavy on the action rhymes. How could I not? And the kids loved them. We were all sweaty and out of breath by the end. I did change my closing song, but I thought “See you later Alligator” was a better fit for this storytime.

The funniest part happened after storytime. I knew that I would be moving around quite a bit, so I made sure to bring in my water. I kept joking that this elephant was thirsty as I guzzled down water. During a playtime a mother gently tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out a little boy. The little boy (a sibling of a preschooler) was wearing my zoo hat and drinking my water!

Animals

Opening Song

“Let’s All Clap”

Let’s all clap cause _____ is here,
____ is here, _____ is here
Let’s all clap cause _____ is here.
____ is here today!
(insert child’s name)

 

Traditional Rhyme

“Itsy-Bitsy Spider”

The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.
(baby on tummy, walk/tickle up baby’s back)

Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
(slide fingers down baby’s back from head to toes)

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
(rub baby’s back)

And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.
(baby on tummy, walk/tickle fingers up baby’s back)

 

Book

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All Kind of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri

 

Sensory Time

“Little Turtle: Scarf Rhyme”

Here’s a little Turtle, hiding in his shell.
Here’s a little turtle that we love so well.
He always moves slowly, he never moves fast,
Until he pops out to say hello at last.

You cover the baby’s face with a see-through scarf. When the line “Until he pops out to say hello at last” is read, the parent/guardian lifts the scarf off their baby’s face.

Source:Baby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy through Bounces, Rhymes, Tickles and More by Kathy MacMillan & Christine Kirker

 

Fun Rhyme With Fact

“Horsey, Horsey”

Horsey, Horsey needs a shoe,
Horsey, Horsey don’t be blue.
Tap the bottom,
Tap the top.
Tap in a circle,
Don’t you stop.
Horsey, horsey loves his shoe.
Horsey, horsey say thank you!

Fact: Tapping the bottom of a baby’s foot helps and aids the development of walking.
Source:Baby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy through Boucnes, Rhymes, Tickles and More by Kathy Macmillan & Chrstine Kirker

 

Book Bounding

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Counting Kisses by Karen Katz

This is essentially my closing of storytime. I read the story and the parents/guardians give their babies the designated number of kisses.

 

Playtime

 

Observations

I really enjoyed this baby storytime. The babies were laughing and smiling when their parents/guardians did the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” on them. Parents actually requested that we do this one several times.

All Kinds of Kisses was great for this age group. The adults all made animals noises depending on what animal was receiving a kiss. I even had two babies trying to climb in my lap during the story.

We did not do one-on-one reading for this session. The babies were super active, so we just pulled out the toys.

Kittens–Preschool

Opening Song

If You Want to Hear a Story
Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!

Books

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Cat Secrets by Jeff Czekaj
What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas
Pete the Cat and his Magic Sunglasses by James Dean

Action Rhymes

Can You Meow Like Me (make appropriate noises)

Meow very loudly.
Meow like a giant cat.
Meow in a squeaky voice.
Meow like a scared cat.
Meow like a happy cat.
Meow like a sad cat.
Meow like an angry cat.
Meow in a whisper voice.
Source:bclschidren

“If You’re a Kitty and You Know It”

If you’re a kitty and you know it, say meow.
If you’re a kitty and you know it, say meow.
If you’re a kitty and you know it, then your face will surely show it.
If you’re a kitty and you know it, say meow.

Lick your paws, show your claws, swish your tail, do all four.
Source:Literary Commentary 

Flannel Board

Rainbow Kittens

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!
Source: Read Rabbit Read

photo 4 photo (1)photo 5

Take Home Craft

photo 3 photo 2 (1)
Source: Library Village

Closing Dance Song

Silly Dance Contest by Jim Gill

Observations

Like the toddlers, the preschoolers ate up this storytime. The kids enjoyed acting like cats when we did the two action rhymes. I even had a kid who arched her back like a cat.

All three of the books were a smashing hit. The preschoolers enjoyed Cat Secrets. They also enjoyed guessing what the cat would sit on in What Will Fat Cat Sit On?. The winner (of course) was Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses. We all started moving pretty groovy as the book went on. The craft fit the book perfectly!

I would say the highlight of the storytime was Rainbow Kittens.  Like the puppy storytime, we named the six kitties. The preschoolers actually named the kittens after colors. Then when I started dipping each kitty in their specific color, I received lots of “ooooohhhhhs and ahhhhhs” from the crowd. I did add my own twist on this flannel. Another blogger mentioned that she had cat puppet that licked all the kitties back to white. I decided to make a flannel mama kitty and then have her change to a tie-dye color after she cleaned all her kittens. The crowd really liked this surprise.

The super best part was watching the kids interact with the flannel after storytime. A little boy was dipping each kitten in their colors and putting each kitten back up on the board. He then would take the mommy kitty and clean the kittens back to white. He did this for about five minutes. A little girl even joined in with him. This made my heart so happy!