Quirky Q-Tip Painting!

Q is for quail, quick, quality, quiet, quilt, question, quack, quill, query, queue, and Q-Tip!

Finding some letter "q" stories is always a treat, but we managed it!

Our 2s and 3s read:

Little Quack's New Friend, by Lauren Thompson

"One day when Little Quack is playing in the pond, he hears the strangest noise in the distance. He listens closely along with his siblings, Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, and Puddle, only to find that it's a frog in their pond. The other ducklings aren't so sure about taking this new guy under their wings, but Little Quack is determined to make a new friend, no matter how different he may be! In no time at all, everyone is squishing in the mud, splunking on lilypads, and quacking up a splash in the spirit of friendship in this board book edition perfect little ones!" - Little Simon

The Birthday Queen, by Audrey and Don Wood

"Birthdays are the most exciting day of the year, and the Birthday Queen knows exactly how to make them wonderful! 

 From decorating your home with balloons and streamers, to baking your favorite cake, the Birthday Queen does not forget a thing! Visit the Queen in her Birthday Palace. Meet the clowns that are funny (and those that are not). Find out why the four Birthday Bakers are not happy. Prepare to laugh. If It's not your birthday now, it will be soon!!

Happy Birthday from the Queen! - Audrey Wood

Q is for Duck: an Alphabet Guessing Game, by Mary Elting and Michael Folsom

"This contemporary classic, celebrating its twenty-fifth year in print, is no ordinary alphabet book. Why is “Q” for “Duck”?
Because a duck quacks, of course. Even the youngest readers will delight in the riddle-like text and lively, humorous illustrations.
Now in vivid full color for the first time, this interactive treat is sure to be enjoyed by a whole new generation of readers." - Clarion Books

 
Dawdle Duckling, by Toni Buzzeo

"Dawdle Duckling won't follow dutifully behind Mama Duck like his three siblings do. He's too busy preening and playing, splashing and spinning, dunking and dipping . . . and always, always dreaming. But he's in for a surprise: There's a crocodile waiting for a duckling lunch to swim by. When Mama quacks a warning, suddenly Dawdle Duckling isn't such a dawdler after all!

A cheerful, reassuring tale of youthful rebellion and parental protection-perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, and every day." - Dial Books Young Rrds. 

Jeremy Quacks, by Bruce Balan and David Scott Meier

"Jeremy is a pretty individual kind of duck. Though Father Duck, Mom Duck, Grammy Duck and Gramps Duck all want Jeremy to come in the pond for a swim, Jeremy thinks it's more fun to hang out with the horses, cows, dogs and pigs. He's pretty good at sounding like his new friends as well. But, when the neighborhood cat shows up, Jeremy decides it's a good time to be in the pond with his family." - http://brucebalan.com/jeremy.htm

Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack, by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin 

"Animals awake beneath blue blankets
Clickety-clack!
The cows on Farmer Brown's farm are typing again. Duck can't wait to show everyone their latest note. Just what are they up to this time? Duck's not telling, but if you follow the alphabet one letter at a time, you'll find out. And you'll have as much fun as the animals are going to have, and learn your letters, too!
This alphabetical adventure for the very youngest fans of Duck brings alphabet books to a whole new level -- click, clack, quackity-quack!" - Antheneum Books for Young Readers

In between stories, we took some time to watch the trains go by, honking their big horns!

We sang:

Ten Little Quails (to the tune of Ten Little Indians)

One little, two little, three little quail (count on fingers)
Four little, five little, six little quail
Seven little, eight little, nine little quail 
Ten little quail run quick, quick, quick! (run around room in a circle)

Quickly, quickly, very quickly! (keep running)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly! 
Quickly, quickly, very quickly!
Ten little quail run quick, quick, quick! 

Spoken: Come back to your next, little quail! It's time for a nap! 

Quietly, quietly, very quietly (tiptoe to the middle of the circle) 
Quietly, quietly, very quietly (lie down) 
Quietly, quietly, very quietly (pretend to sleep)
Ten little quail settle down for a nap. 

Spoken: Shhh! They're sleeping! 

... 

Wake up, wake up, little quail! It's time for Mama quail to count her babies! (count heads, then sit down for the next story.)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider

The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out. 
Up came the sun and dried up all the rain,
And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

The Farmer in the Dell

We started this song the usual way, but it quickly got silly! The dog took a pig, the pig took a cat, the cat took a window, and the window took a duck!

Next, we did some Q-Tip painting!

 

And for our snack, we munched on some tasty apples!

 

Our 4s and 5s read:

I.Q. Gets Fit, by Mary Ann Fraser

"It's going to be an active month in I.Q.'s  classroom--it's Health Month! And when the school announces that those who pass the fitness test will get a gold ribbon, I.Q. knows right away that he wants to win one. Will I.Q.'s hard work pay off as he goes for the gold?" - Walker Books

Baabaasheep Quartet, by Leslie Elizabeth Watts

"After moving to the city, four sheep companions try in vain to find acceptance in the human world. But when they enter a barbershop quartet competition in the mistaken belief they'll be meeting other sheep, they discover that they don't have to blend in to belong." - Fitzhenry and Whiteside 

Stella, Queen of the Snow, by Marie-Louise Gay

"Stella's little brother, Sam, wonders if fairies are invisible. Stella, who has seen hundreds of them, leads Sam across meadows and streamlets to the forest where fairies live. Will they see one?" - Groundwood Books

We sang:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (original, and Daddy Bought a Motor Car)

(Daddy Bought a Motor Car Version)

Twinkle twinkle little star,
Daddy bought a motor car.
Push the button, 
Pull the choke.
Off we go in a puff of smoke! 
Twinkle twinkle little star,
Daddy bought a motor car. 

Ten Little Quails (to the tune of Ten Little Indians)

One little, two little, three little quail (count on fingers)
Four little, five little, six little quail
Seven little, eight little, nine little quail 
Ten little quail run quick, quick, quick! (run around room in a circle)

Quickly, quickly, very quickly! (keep running)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly! 
Quickly, quickly, very quickly!
Ten little quail run quick, quick, quick! 

Spoken: Come back to your next, little quail! It's time for a nap! 

Quietly, quietly, very quietly (tiptoe to the middle of the circle) 
Quietly, quietly, very quietly (lie down) 
Quietly, quietly, very quietly (pretend to sleep)
Ten little quail settle down for a nap. 

Spoken: Shhh! They're sleeping! 

... 

Wake up, wake up, little quail! It's time for Mama quail to count her babies! (count heads, then sit down for the next story.) 

And for our craft, we did some Q-Tip paintings!

Our 4s and 5s group had some tasty apples as well!

We'll see you next week, for rascally letter R!

Perky Little Pigs!

P is for Passionate, Pink, Pretty, Push, Pool, Puck, Porthole, Pomegranate, Porky, and Pig!

Our story time crews read some precociously perky letter "p" stories this week!

We read:

Pigs Make Me Sneeze! by Mo Willems

"Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Pigs Make Me Sneeze!, Gerald believes he is allergic to his best friend! Will he have to stay away from Piggie forever?" - Disney-Hyperion


Picnic, by John Burningham

"One day, Boy and Girl head down the hill with a picnic basket and meet a fancily dressed Sheep, Pig, and Duck. They all set off to find the perfect place to sit outside — until they see Bull coming! A short-lived chase segues into a gentle interactive text as the friends wend their way from an idyllic outdoor world to a welcoming house on a hill. (Can you find Pig’s ball? Shall we find your bed?) In a charmingly understated tale with child-friendly illustrations and a hint of sly humor, John Burningham evokes a perfect summer day with a fresh new picture book." - Candlewick


Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems

"PreSchool-Grade 2-The star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Hyperion, 2003) returns in another irresistible tale. Hurrying away to brush his teeth, the pajama-clad bus driver implores readers not to let his feathered friend stay up late. Youngsters are thrust into the role of caregiver as the puerile pigeon attempts to talk his way out of the inevitable, coming up with requests that range from manipulative (I hear there's a good show about birds on TV tonight. Should be very educational) to cajoling (Y'know, we never get to talk anymore. Tell me about your day-¦) to classic (Can I have a glass of water?). Meanwhile, the fowl fights yawns and tries to keep his wide eye open, despite a drooping lid. Defying drowsiness to the last, he finally falls asleep, clutching his stuffed bunny tightly under his wing. Set against comfortably faded pastel backgrounds, the cartoon artwork focuses tightly on the main character, with his comments presented in dialogue balloons. The black-crayon lines speak volumes, as the pigeon's body language and the positioning of his ever-expressive eye humorously convey each nuance of the text. Children will be charmed by this bedtime treat, which will have them laughing out loud at the pigeon-and at themselves." Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

The Princess and the Pig, by Heather Amery and Stephen Cartwright

"Max and Alice are playing outside when Alice finds a little pig and, after washing him, she kisses him and he turns into a little prince, but the queen wants to turn him back into a pig; there is a little yellow duck on every page." - EDC Publishing

Put Me in a Book, by Robert Munsch

"A long time ago a girl named Dawn Mullins swam past my cottage and asked “What if you put a kid in a book and the kid wanted out?”

That led to a story called DAWN’S BOOK which I wrote for Dawn. Much later I changed it into a class story that I send out to classes that wrote me. My secretary would insert the names of the class  into the story.
Then my secretary, Sharon Bruder, said “We are getting really nice books that classes have made about the PUT ME IN A BOOK story.” - Robert Munsch (read more about the origin of this story by clicking the link on Robert's name.)


The Perfect Pet, by Carol Chataway and Greg Holfeld

"Hamlet, Pygmalion and Podge are three little pigs who each want a dog more than anything else in the world. The problem is they just can't decide what sort to get. So Mr. Pinkerton at the pet shop suggests they take a dog or two home to try. But the first dog is AWFUL! The second is DREADFUL! And the third is TERRIBLE! All the pigs want is a pet that is small, clever, playful, friendly, warm, gentle, loving -- and who doesn't bark, dig, chew, lick, howl, wander or dribble. Will they ever find the perfect pet?" - Kids Can Press


Did You Say Pears? by Arlene Alda

"“If horns played cool music, and pants were just clothes....”

Horn, pants, nails, trunk, pitcher — all words that can mean more than one thing. Arlene Alda has put together words and images in a delightful and witty book of photographs as inviting as a pair of juicy pears. Did You Say Pears? takes a playful and very clever look at words that sound the same but have different meanings. Young readers will love to hone their budding sense of language with the deceptively simple text and the irresistible photographs that offer a first taste of the richness of words. A useful information page explaining the wordplay is included.

Arlene Alda’s photographs challenge the reader to look and look again in this book that is bound to be a family favorite." - Tundra Books

Ziggy Piggy and the Three Little Pigs, by Frank Asch 

"While his hardworking brothers carefully secure their houses against the Big Bad Wolf, fun-loving Ziggy -- the hitherto unknown fourth little pig -- decides to go to the beach. The traditional tale takes a twist when to everyone's surprise the Wolf blows in the brick house. The three brothers run for their lives to Ziggy, whose resourcefulness takes the Wolf by surprise and saves the day. This refreshing spin on the classic tale shows how quick thinking can offer more protection than even the strongest brick walls." - Kids Can Press

Felt Board Story:

The Three Little Pigs

We sang:

Patty-Cake (this song was a great way for me to learn all the names of our story time crew!)

Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can!
Roooollllll it! 
Paaaaattttt it! 
And mark it with a "C"!
And put it in the oven for Corrie and me! 

(and so on for each kid)

How Much is that Puppy in the Window?
Penguin, Parrot, Possum, Peacock, Porcupine,  ...

How much is that puppy in the window? 
The one with the waggly tail? 
How much is that puppy in the window? 
I do hope that puppy's for sale! 

How much is that peacock in the window? 
The one with the colourful tail? 
How much is that peacock in the window?
I do hope that peacock's for sale! 

etc.

Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day

For our craft, we made Three Little Pigs finger puppets!

 

After our craft, we even had some puppet shows!

 

We even made time for a baby selfie! 

So much fun with this week's craft! Next week we're doing some quirky q-tip paintings!

Stompin' Rompin' Dinosaur Dig!

If you were in the Library on the weekend, you might have seen some fantastic young paleontologists digging for dinosaurs and making roariffic dino crafts!

We began our Dino Dig with a story time in the Children's Library.

We read:

Pop Up Dinosaur: Meet the Magnificent, Mighty Monsters!

"A very striking children's pop-up with designs in bright, strong colors and large pop-ups that seem to lunge out from the middle of the page . Square quarto, illustrated glossy paper covered boards. 10 double page pop-ups." - Top Story

I'm a Dirty Dinosaur

"A fun picture book in simple, rhyming text about a little dinosaur who just loves mud!" - http://janeenbrian.com/im-a-dirty-dinosaur/

Ten Little Dinosaurs

"If you like board books that are a bit outre, then this series "Eyeball Animation" books may appeal. Two large eyeballs protrude from the front cover in the face of a dinosaur and appear again on the back cover in the face of another dinosaur. The text based on "Ten in the Bed" is silly and it counts backwards from ten, but these dinosaurs are not in bed. They are riding bikes, rafting, jumping, skateboarding, and undertaking a variety of activities that all end up with some mishap. Finally, all the dinosaurs are gone, and the book ends with "No more dinosaurs hanging on the brink….Poor little dinosaurs all extinct." If you enjoy rough and tumble humor and some plays on words, then this might be the board book of choice." - Marilyn Courtot 

After story time, we checked out our dinosaur crafts and activities! 

We dug for dinosaurs and fossils! 

We made dinosaur hats!

We made dinosaur shapes with homemade playdough!

 

We made dinosaur rubbings and stamp pictures! 

We built magnetic and puppet dinosaurs!

We matched dinosaurs and drew dino pictures!

We had a great turnout for this event, and lots of fun exploring the different dinosaurs and activities! We hope to see you all again at our next special event: the Easter Egg Hung!