Mittens are warm,
Mittens are grand,
Mittens are like shoes for my hands.
Submitted by Lisa, SHW
Friday, January 14, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
More Winter Songs!
Snowflakes
(to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Snowflakes, snowflakes,
Dance around.
Snowflakes, snowflakes,
Touch the ground.
Snowflakes, snowflakes,
In the air.
Snowflakes, snowflakes,
Everywhere!
Snowflakes, snowflakes,
Dance around.
Snowflakes, snowflakes
Touch the ground.
Sliding
(to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch
Up the hill we go.
Sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding,
Down the hill we go!
The Winter Pokey(to the tune of The Hokey-Pokey)
You put your right mitten in,
You take your right mitten out.
You put your right mitten in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter pokey, [shiver]
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!
You put your left mitten in....
You put your right boot....
You put your left boot....
You put your long scarf in....
You put your warm cap in....
You put your snowsuit in....
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2011 Caldecott Medal Winner!
And the Caldecott Medal goes to...
A debut title, A Sick Day for Amos McGee is illustrated by Erin E. Stead and was up against some well-known contenders including City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon Muth and Art & Max written and illustrated by David Wiesner. It's fair to say that it was an unexpected win for Erin Stead but I do think that perhaps it's time for less known illustrators to be noticed and celebrated.
The 2011 Honour Books are Interrupting Chicken written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein (yay!) and Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Laban Carrick Hill.
A debut title, A Sick Day for Amos McGee is illustrated by Erin E. Stead and was up against some well-known contenders including City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon Muth and Art & Max written and illustrated by David Wiesner. It's fair to say that it was an unexpected win for Erin Stead but I do think that perhaps it's time for less known illustrators to be noticed and celebrated.
The 2011 Honour Books are Interrupting Chicken written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein (yay!) and Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Laban Carrick Hill.
Snow Is Falling
Here is a great and easy action rhyme perfect for snowy days like today! Use your hands to reflect the actions of the rhyme.
Snow is falling,
Falling down.
Snow is falling,
Touch the ground.
Flurries, flurries (say it very slowly)
Snowing, snowing (say it a little faster)
BLIZZARD! (have older children do a wild "blizzardy" dance, or gently shake and tickle the baby)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Winter Favourites
With winter nearly upon us there is nothing better than gathering together for a storytime and sharing that perfect winter story. Here are some great stories that will help keep those cool winter days feeling a little warmer.
"One crisp morning there’s a nip in the air and a strange spiky figure appears from nowhere to transform the woods into a sparkling, frosty wonderland. Soon this little boy and his new friend Jack Frost are skating, sledging and enjoying all kinds of wintry fun!"
"A young bunny wakes up to wonderful news: a snow day! School is canceled, and the morning and afternoon that follow are full of the games and excitement of snow. But the weather brings bad news as well, as his father is stranded in a faraway city. When will he be able to come home? Whatever the weather, whatever the season, you can open this book to experience the fun and the wonder of a snow day."
When a boy observes that the snowman he built the day before now looks droopy and disheveled, he imagines what happened to his snow creation during the night. Soon the boy pictures all the neighborhood snowmen gathered in the park for "ice-cold cocoa," a snowball fight, a round of making snow angels and more. Surely a full night of play and a long glide back to their homes must be the explanation.
Squirrel has never seen it snow, and this year he is determined not to miss it. He wants his friends, Hedgehog and Bear, to see it snow too, but it's hard to stay awake. Finally, winter arrives, and snow is falling...or it is?
"One small snowflake fluttering down-- That's all you need for a snowman. Or is it? In these pages, an exuberant crew is summoned to create a snowman of heroic proportions."
"The children woke up early this morning. They looked out the window to see millions of snowflakes drifting down. Everything was covered in a deep blanket of snow. Eagerly, they waited for the announcement, wondering if the snow was deep enough. Then the magic words came – SNOW DAY! Finding their friends already outside, the children play and play. They play hockey and tag and make a snow fort. With stinging faces and frozen toes, everyone takes a break for hot chocolate, then it's back outside for more fun in the snow. When it's time for sleep, the children fall into bed, exhausted. Will tomorrow be a snow day, too?"
"A simple tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. Keats's illustrations, using cut-outs, watercolors, and collage, are strikingly beautiful in their understated color and composition. The tranquil story mirrors the calm presence of the paintings, and both exude the silence of a freshly snow-covered landscape. The little boy celebrates the snow-draped city with a day of humble adventures--experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. Awakening to a winter wonderland is an ageless, ever-magical experience, and one made nearly visceral by Keats's gentle tribute."
"One crisp morning there’s a nip in the air and a strange spiky figure appears from nowhere to transform the woods into a sparkling, frosty wonderland. Soon this little boy and his new friend Jack Frost are skating, sledging and enjoying all kinds of wintry fun!" "On a cold windy night, an itty-bitty mouse "pitter-pat, tip-toe, creep-crawls" into a sleeping bear's cozy lair, looking for relief from the bitter winter weather. Soon he is joined by a veritable menagerie of woodland animals, and the party begins. Popping corn, brewing tea, tweeting, and chatting, the critters enjoy themselves thoroughly while the bear slumbers through it all. Until, that is, an errant pepper flake from the simmering stew wakes him up with a giant sneeze. As the bear goes from ferocious snarls and rumbles to pitiful whimpers, his uninvited guests realize what the problem is. Not to worry. Mouse knows just what to do."
"A young bunny wakes up to wonderful news: a snow day! School is canceled, and the morning and afternoon that follow are full of the games and excitement of snow. But the weather brings bad news as well, as his father is stranded in a faraway city. When will he be able to come home? Whatever the weather, whatever the season, you can open this book to experience the fun and the wonder of a snow day." When a boy observes that the snowman he built the day before now looks droopy and disheveled, he imagines what happened to his snow creation during the night. Soon the boy pictures all the neighborhood snowmen gathered in the park for "ice-cold cocoa," a snowball fight, a round of making snow angels and more. Surely a full night of play and a long glide back to their homes must be the explanation.Squirrel has never seen it snow, and this year he is determined not to miss it. He wants his friends, Hedgehog and Bear, to see it snow too, but it's hard to stay awake. Finally, winter arrives, and snow is falling...or it is? "One small snowflake fluttering down-- That's all you need for a snowman. Or is it? In these pages, an exuberant crew is summoned to create a snowman of heroic proportions.""The children woke up early this morning. They looked out the window to see millions of snowflakes drifting down. Everything was covered in a deep blanket of snow. Eagerly, they waited for the announcement, wondering if the snow was deep enough. Then the magic words came – SNOW DAY! Finding their friends already outside, the children play and play. They play hockey and tag and make a snow fort. With stinging faces and frozen toes, everyone takes a break for hot chocolate, then it's back outside for more fun in the snow. When it's time for sleep, the children fall into bed, exhausted. Will tomorrow be a snow day, too?""A simple tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. Keats's illustrations, using cut-outs, watercolors, and collage, are strikingly beautiful in their understated color and composition. The tranquil story mirrors the calm presence of the paintings, and both exude the silence of a freshly snow-covered landscape. The little boy celebrates the snow-draped city with a day of humble adventures--experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. Awakening to a winter wonderland is an ageless, ever-magical experience, and one made nearly visceral by Keats's gentle tribute." Book summaries all taken from product descriptions.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Ten Galloping Horses
This is a great bouncing rhyme perfect for baby storytime!
Ten galloping horses (bounce baby gently on lap)
Came through the town
Five were white
And five were brown
Five went up (gently bring your knees and baby up)
And five went down (bring your knees and baby down)
Ten galloping horses came through the town (continue bouncing)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
2011 Blue Spruce
The 2011 Blue Spruce Official Selections have been announced! Most of these titles are already available at HPL while some are on order and should arrive soon. Which one is your favourite?
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