Five reasons you should read aloud to your children - and pick their favorite book

Parents and caregivers know that young children love to have their favorite books read to them over and over again.  Although this may seem painful to some adults, children benefit greatly from frequently hearing the same books read aloud to them.  Research shows that this activity can:

• Improve reading fluency when good reading is modelled.  To help your child hear themselves as a fluent reader, choose a favorite book, and take turns reading a sentence or a repeated phrase.  You might read a sentence first, then your child repeats the same part.  
• Expand vocabulary knowledge.  Try flipping through the pages of a book and look for any interesting words that your child might not have heard before.  Talk about their meaning.
• Aid comprehension.  Having a conversation about a book or details in it can clarify what you just read with your child.
• Involve family members.  Moms, dads, grandparents, and older siblings can read to a younger child.  And don't forget to include younger siblings in the read aloud fun too!
• Make reading enjoyable!  Snuggling up with a good book and sharing this experience with your child is a valuable way to get them on the path to loving books.

Adapted from an article written by Ryan Spencer (Clinical Teaching Specialist) and published at The Conversation. Click on the link to read the full article.

Using Songs and Books to Boost Your Child's Pre-Literacy Skills

In early childhood, the brain is uniquely receptive to learning new sounds.  Long before they speak, children understand.  They learn by hearing lots and lots of repetition.  Engaging your little one through songs is a fun way to expose them to new sounds and words, and to boost their language skills.  Here are some ways that a parent or caregiver can do that: 

• Read singalong books.  These types of books enable younger children to learn with visuals, and older children to make the connection between sounds and printed words.  By learning the song first, children will begin reading the words on the page.  Try to choose singalong books and songs that are relevant to your child's daily experience, such as I Love My Hat or Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. 
• Find songs that use repetition.  The Wheels on the Bus is an excellent choice - it has a repeating structure, and refers to moms, dads, and babies.
• Notice how your child responds to different types of music and follow his lead.  Try something different too!
• Take advantage of your child's innate ability to learn an additional language.  You don't need to be multi-lingual yourself - learn together!  This is a great gift you can give your child - it is much easier to learn a new language at an early age.  Some suggestions are Oh, the Colors or Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (English and Spanish) 
• Encourage your child to make hand and body movements to represent lyrics.  When we move our bodies while learning, we put the learning into long-term memory.  For example, when singing Mr. Sun, making a big sun with arms overhead will help connect the word "sun" to something big and circular.  Plus, it's fun! 
• Sing, sing, sing with your child!  Singing releases stress, brings people together, and is a powerful learning tool.  Don't worry whether you're a good singer or not, kids don't care if you're off-key.  Just sing!

Gail Borden Public Library is a wonderful resource for singalong books.  Ask at the desk in the Early Learning Center if you'd like help selecting some.

Adapted from an article written by Stefanie Paige Grossman, M.S. Ed at BarefootBooks.com

Wonderful Ones: Clap, Pat, Stretch, Repeat!

Babies love to move their bodies by dancing, hopping, bopping and being silly.  These activities also help your baby learn motor skills, learn communication skills, and helps build self-confidence as he or she learns to do new motions.  Clap along or pat your hands on your knees to rhymes and songs you sing together, stretch your arms out wide or small to indicate sizes,  and use your facial expressions to share moods and thoughts.   Bending, stretching, and bouncing to rhythms also allows babies to not only hear, but feel the motion of syllables and sounds which allows for learning new words and speech.

Clap Your Hands Rhyme
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands with me.
Clap them fast,
Clap them slow,
Clap your hands with me.

Pat, pat, pat your knees,
Pat your knees with me.
Pat them fast,
Pat them slow,
Pat your hands with me.

Stretch, stretch, stretch your arms,
Stretch your arms with me.
Stretch them fast,
Stretch them slow,
Stretch your arms with me. 

Bright Sun Song
Bright sun shining down,
Shining on the ground.
What a lovely face you have,
Yellow, big, and round!


Me, Me, Me Rhyme
Me, me, me
Look at me
And you will see
Ten fingers, ten toes
Two arms, two legs
Two eyes, two ears
One head, one nose
All on me.

Me, me, me
Look at me
And you will see
Ten fingers, ten toes
Two arms, two legs
Two eyes, two ears
One head, one nose
All on me.

We read these fun books at this week's Wonderful Ones class:

This Little Baby Goes Out by Lynn Breeze
A toddler has an exciting adventure in the park with his mother. 
Check catalog availability

Baby Loves Visiting by Michael Lawrence
Baby and mother go out to do errands and see friends and then go back home again. 
Check catalog availability

1, 2, 3 Go! April Showers Bring May Flowers

At the 1, 2, 3 Go!  class this week, we had fun with all kinds of songs and games to welcome in the spring season! Below are two songs we sang and several books we shared.   These introduce concepts such as weather and seasons  through repetition and rhythmic language.  The actions and movements used help children develop motorskills as they clap and jump, as well as, make connections with concepts.  Take some time this week to engage your child in conversation about what they sing such as, 'what do the flowers do?' or 'what flutters?' to keep the fun moving!  Share one of our books below together, which carry through the concepts by way of creepy, crawly spring bugs!

The Rain in the Spring Song (Sung to the tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The rain in the spring goes drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.
The rain in the spring goes drip drip drip, all day long!

The flowers in the spring all grow grow grow, grow, grow, grow.
The flowers in the spring all grow, grow, grow, all day long!

The wind in the spring goes swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish.
The wind in the spring goes swish, swish, swish, all day long! 

The butterfly in the spring goes flutter, flutter, flutter, flutter, flutter, flutter.
The butterfly in the spring goes flutter, flutter, flutter, all day long!

---

Everyone loved the songs we sang at the 1, 2, 3 Go class, including "Walter the Waltzing Worm by Hap Palmer.  This music CD is available to check out at the library so you can sing the whole song.   For additional resources from Hap Palmer, visit his website.  To help you with the song, you may want to create your own Walter the Waltzing Worm by using a piece of yarn or string.

Check catalog availability of "Walter the Waltzing Worm"

Walter the Waltzing Worm
Words and Music: Hap Palmer

Select Lyrics: 
Chorus:
Please don't scream when I show you my friend
Walter the waltzing worm
In three-quarter time he slithers and slimes
Wiggles and squiggles and squirms

Verses:
He crawls up my leg with a slippy slip slide
He slides over my shoulder and down to my side

In front of my tummy his head and tail meet
Then he falls to the floor and lands by my feet

Between my ankles he slides as I stand
Then he rolls up my leg and slips through my hands

He stretches his body across my chest
Then he curls up on my back to take a short rest

We shared these books and stories at our 1, 2, 3, Go! class this week:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle / La oruga muy hambrienta
Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. / Una oruga muy hambrienta come y come y come una gran variedad y gran cantidad de comida hasta que, por fin, construye un capullo y se duerme.
Check catalog availability / En Espanol

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horáček
Lucy's garden is full of colorful creatures that wriggle and spin, scurry and slither. 
Check catalog availability

We also shared the Itsy Bitsy Spider Song!  Check out these Itsy Bitsy Spider books we have at the library!

Story Mix for Three to Six: ZANY ZOO ANIMALS: Big, Brown Bears!

We are continuing our theme of ZANY ZOO ANIMALS and this week is all about those big, brown bears!  We've also added a new animal onto our "All Through the Zoo" song!

Children will learn important concepts through repetition and singing, and making animal motions and movements. Making "growling" sounds like a bear will help children hear different syllables and learn new words and letters.  The two counting rhyme games are great for helping children learn numbers and sequence. 

All Through the Zoo Song (Sung to the tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The tiger in the grass says roar, roar, roar
Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar, roar
The tiger in the grass says roar, roar, roar
All through the zoo.

The Parrot in the leaves goes squawk, squawk, squawk
Squawk, squawk, squawk, squawk, squawk, squawk
The Parrot in the leaves goes squawk, squawk, squawk
All through the zoo.

The bear in the grass says growl, growl, growl
growl, growl, growl, growl, growl, growl
The bear in the grass says growl, growl, growl
All through the zoo.


5 Little Baby Bears
1 little baby bear  (hold up 1 finger)
Almost brand new       
Runs to get another one  (hand behind back)
Now there are 2  (hold up 2 fingers)

2 little baby bears
Climb up a tree  (pretend to climb)
Run to get another one  (hand behind back)
Now there are 3  (hold up 3 fingers)

3 little baby bears
Rolling on the floor  (roll one hand over the other)
Run to get another one  (hand behind back)
Now there are 4  (hold up 4 fingers)

4 little baby bears       
Eat honey from a hive  (rub stomach)
Run to get another one  (hand behind back)
Now there are 5  (hold up 5 fingers)

5 little baby bears
Think they might roam  (wiggle fingers to side)
“Come!” says Mama Bear  (clap hands)
And they all run home  (hand behind back)

5 Little Easter Eggs
Five little Easter eggs
Lovely colors galore
Mommy ate the blue one
Then there were 4

Four little Easter eggs
Two and two, you see
Daddy ate the red one
Then there were 3

Three little Easter eggs
Before I knew
Sister ate the yellow one
Then there were 2

Two little Easter eggs
Oh, what fun!
Brother ate the purple one
Then there was 1

One little Easter egg
See me run
I ate the very last one!

Check out these books we shared at this week's Story Mix!

My Favorite Bear by Andrea Gabriel
As Mama bear puts her child to bed, she shares a lullaby about bears of the world. 
Check catalog availability

Milton the Early Riser by Robert Kraus
The first one to awake, Milton the Panda tries hard to wake all the other animals, but to no avail. 
Check the catalog availability

Panda’s Easter Basket by Tara Jaye Morrow
Panda has a delicious-looking Easter basket, with chocolate eggs, jelly beans, and a big chocolate bunny! But when he gobbles it all up at once, he gets a terrible tummy ache. 
Check catalog availability

Wonderful Ones: Little Peter Rabbit

This week at Wonderful Ones we are continuing our celebration of the spring season with rhymes and books about bunnies, ducks, and also several Easter-themed selections!  Singing and rhyming not only allows baby to hear and learn new words, it also assists in developing listening skills. By listening to the different sounds animals make, babies will be able to decipher syllables in spoken language.  Repetition helps reinforce important early literacy concepts such as counting and colors. Happy Easter!

Ten Little Bunnies Rhyme
One little, two little, three little bunnies,
Four little, five little, six little bunnies,
Seven little, eight little, nine little bunnies,
Ten little bunnies hop around.

The Big Round Sun Rhyme
The big round sun in a springtime sky,
Winked at a cloud that was passing by.
The little cloud laughed as it scattered rain,
Then out came the big round sun again.

Little Peter Rabbit Rhyme
Little Peter Rabbit has a bright, shiny nose.
Little Peter Rabbit has a bright, shiny nose.
Little Peter Rabbit has a bright, shiny nose,
And a big, fluffy, white tail.

Little Peter Rabbit has a bright, shiny nose.
Little Peter Rabbit has a bright, shiny nose.
Little Peter Rabbit has a bright, shiny nose,
And a big, fluffy, white tail.

For more spring-time animal fun, try these easy-to-share books:

Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting
All the animals of the barnyard community hurry to greet their newest member, who is just pecking his way out of an egg. 
Check catalog availability

5 Busy Ducklings by Children's Press
Five busy ducklings are on the go in this first counting book
Check catalog availability

Where are Baby's Easter Eggs? by Karen Katz
Readers can help Baby as she searches for Easter eggs and finds some other nice surprises along the way. 
Check catalog availability

The Happy Egg by Ruth Krauss
A bird hatches from its egg and learns to fly. 
Check catalog availability 

I Need an Easter Egg! by Harriet Ziefert
Little Rabbit wants to give his grandmother an Easter egg and so he asks various birds if they can lay one. The reader lifts flaps to see each bird's eggs. 
Check catalog availability

Wonderful Ones: Spring Showers and Flowers

This week at Wonderful Ones we are exploring more about springtime with showers and flowers!  You'll use active movements to help babies learn about the space around them, such as, clapping hands to the rhythm, bouncing baby on your lap like a bunny, and using your fingers to show falling raindrops.  Through simple counting rhymes, you are also helping your baby learn numbers.  Gentle upward motions using your arms mimics the size of a flower and encourages hand and eye coordination.   

Raindrops Rhyme
Raindrops, raindrops!
Falling all around.
Pitter-patter on the rooftops,
Pitter-patter on the ground.
Here is my umbrella;
It will keep me dry.
When I go walking in the rain,
I hold it up so high.

Flowers Tall and Small Rhyme
Flowers tall,
Flowers small,
Count them one by one,
Blowing with the breezes,
In the springtime sun!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Flowers tall,
Flowers small,
Count them one by one,
Blowing with the breezes,
In the springtime sun!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Baby Bunny Rhyme
Baby bunny bounces high,
Baby bunny bounces low.
Baby bunny blinks his eyes,
Baby bunny waves goodbye.

Baby bunny bounces high,
Baby bunny bounces low.
Baby bunny blinks his eyes,
Baby bunny waves goodbye.

We read these springtime books at Wonderful Ones: 

What Can You Do in the Rain? By Anna Grossnickle Hines
The rain provides opportunities to feel it fall, hear it patter, and mix a mud pie. 
Check catalog availability

Beautiful Babies by Karma Wilson
Kids can touch and feel photos of beautiful animal babies. 
Check catalog availability

1, 2, 3 Go! Elephants are Marching!

This week at 1, 2, 3 Go! we have rhymes and stories about zoo animals and elephants!  Children will learn important concepts through repetition and singing.  Learning new words as 'flopping' or about such animals as a tiger and lion, challenge children, as well as learn the motions and movements.  Singing about making animal sounds and motions like a swinging elephant trunk helps children make connections between actions and thoughts.  Incorporating such activity helps children put together ideas in order to make connections and understand words in print so they can get Ready to Read!

Jumbo the Elephant
Jumbo has a great big trunk,
And he has tiny eyes
That show him where to go.
His great big ears go flopping,
While his great big feel go stomping, stomping, stomping on the ground.

Jumbo has a great big trunk,
And he has tiny eyes
That show him where to go.
His great big ears go flopping,
While his great big feel go stomping, stomping, stomping on the ground.

I Came to the Zoo (sung to the tune of My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean)
I came to the zoo to see lions, lions, lions
I came to the zoo to see lions, lions, lions
I love all the animals there!  ROAR!

I came to the zoo to see tigers, tigers, tigers
I came to the zoo to see tigers, tigers, tigers
I love all the animals there!  GRRR! (make a grrr noise)

I came to the zoo to see snakes, snakes, snakes
I came to the zoo to see snakes, snakes, snakes
I love all the animals there!  HISS! (make a hissing noise)

I came to the zoo to see crocodiles, crocodiles, crocodiles
I came to the zoo to see crocodiles, crocodiles, crocodiles
I love all the animals there!  CHOMP! (make a chomping noise)

I came to the zoo to see elephants, elephants, elephants
I came to the zoo to see elephants, elephants, elephants
I love all the animals there!  TRUMPET HORN! (make a trumpet horn noise)
   
The Wiggles Rhyme
A wiggle wiggle here,
A wiggle wiggle there,
Wiggle your hands up in the air.
Wiggle your shoulders,
Wiggle your hips,
Wiggle your knees,
And move your lips.
Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle.
And wiggle some more!

Elephants on a String Song
One little elephant in the ring,
Walking on a piece of string.
My, my, what a stunt!
Let’s all clap for the elephant!

Two…  Three…  Four…

Five little elephants on a piece of string,
Do you think five is too many on that high, high thing?
Oh-oh!  BOOM!  A disastrous stunt!
But let’s all clap for the elephants!

Five Little Elephants Rhyme
5 little elephants rowing towards the shore, one fell in and that left 4.
4 little elephants climbing up a tree, one slid down and that left 3.
3 little elephants living at the zoo, one walked away and that left 2.
2 little elephants playing in the sun, one fell asleep and that left 1.
1 little elephant isn't any fun, he went home.
And then there were none!

Elephants in the Bathtub Song
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)
Five elephants in the bathtub
Going for a swim
Knock, knock (clap twice)
Splash, splash (slap knees twice)
They all fell in! (knock the felt pieces down)
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime //

Big Gray Elephant Rhyme
The big gray elephant slowly walks.
She doesn’t make a sound.
She swings her trunk from left to right.
When she puts her feet on the ground.
Swing, swing, left and right,
She doesn’t make a sound.
Credit: Alphabet Soup – Zoo Poems, Songs, and Fingerplays // Used: “Wild Animals” Storytime 2010 & “Zoo” Storytime 2011


For More Elephant Fun, Check Out These Books:
   
If Elephants Wore Pants by Henriette Barkow
Rhyming text tells the story of a young boy who dreams about elephants wearing different colors of pants.
Check catalog availability     

I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh
A baby elephant describes how he and his mother spend their days together. 
Check catalog availability

I Dream of an Elephant by Amy Rubinger
Elephants of many colorful shades are described in couplets that invite the reader to complete the rhyme using color-themed clues. 
Check catalog availability

Wonderful Ones: Spring Into Storytime!

It's Springtime!  It's also a new set of classes of Wonderful Ones at the library! This very popular program is specifically designed for babies 9 - 23 months and offers 15 minutes of stories, singing, and fingerplays along with an additional 15 minutes of playtime.  From the time they are infants, children learn language and other important skills that will help them learn to read.

Since it's been awhile since we've shared our regular Wonderful Ones songs and rhymes, we wanted to again share them with you!  At each class, there is an opening and closing song and rhyme sung when we say hello and goodbye.  Songs are a fun activity you can do at home, at the park, or even in the car.  Clapping along helps children improve their motor skills.

Opening Song: Here We are Together
Here we are together, together, together
Yes, here we are together all here on the floor.
There's Josh and Maggie and Emma and Sam
There's parents and children and Paula and Jack
Yes, here we are together all here on the floor.

Opening Action Rhyme: The Wiggle Song
(Sung to the tune of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow")
My hands are starting to wiggle,
My hands are starting to wiggle,
My hands are starting to wiggle,
Around and around and around.

My feet are starting to wiggle,
My feet are starting to wiggle,
My feet are starting to wiggle,
Now all of me is a wiggle!

Closing Rhyme: Wave Goodbye
Wave high, wave low,
I think it's time we gotta go!
Wave your elbows, wave your toes,
Wave your tongue and wave your nose.
Wave your ears and wave your eyes,
Wave your hands and say goodbye.

Here are the new rhymes, songs and stories from this week's Wonderful One's Class:

Where Is Your Nose? Rhyme (sung to the tune of Where Is Thumbkin?)
Where is your nose, where is your nose?
There it is, there it is.
Touch it with your finger, touch it with your finger,
Just like me, just like me.

Where are your hands, where are your hands?
There they are, there they are.
Clap your hands together, clap your hands together,
Just like me, just like me.

Where are your feet, where are your feet?
There they are, there they are.
Stomp your feet loudly, stomp your feet loudly,
Just like me, just like me. 
 

Hands on Hips Rhyme
Hands on hips,
Hands on knees,
Put them behind you,
If you please.
Touch your shoulders,
Touch your nose,
Touch your ears,
And touch your toes.

Hands on hips,
Hands on knees,
Put them behind you,
If you please.
Touch your shoulders,
Touch your nose,
Touch your ears,
And touch your toes.

I’m Gonna Pat My Little Head Rhyme
I’m gonna pat my little head,
I’m gonna pat it twice.
I’m gonna pat my little head.
Because I think it’s nice!

Repeat the rhyme with other parts of your face, such as nose, eyes, ears, etc.)


We enjoyed these books at Wonderful Ones this week:

Look at the Baby by Kelly Johnson
Pictures and a simple rhyme celebrate babies. 
Check catalog availability

Who Do You Love? by Melanie Mitchell
Features textures to touch and feel on fold-out pages. 
Check catalog availability

Itsy-Bitsy Babies by Margaret Wild
This wonderful story about the things babies love to do will inspire endless fun, as babies always love to read about babies. 
Check catalog availability

Wonderful Ones: Rhyming With Baby

This week at Wonderful Ones, we bring together several interactive rhymes that will help your little one learn eye-hand coordination, flexibility and even critical thinking skills.  Games such as these also help baby learn to associate sounds and words with objects.  Communication tools used by babies such as, sounds, hand motions and movements are essential to babies learning speech and spoken language.  Children who develop strong vocabulary and speech skills as infants and babies often have an easier time learning how to read.  It's never too early to get ready to read!     

Cheek, Chin Rhyme
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin, cheek, chin, NOSE.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin, cheek, chin, TOES.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin, cheek, chin –
UP baby goes!

Cheek, chin, cheek, chin, cheek, chin, NOSE.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin, cheek, chin, TOES.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin, cheek, chin –
UP baby goes!

Bouncing We Will Go Rhyme
A bouncing we will go,
A bouncing we will go,
High ho the derry-o,
A bouncing we will go.

A rocking we will go,
A rocking we will go,
High ho the derry-o,
A rocking we will go.

A hugging we will go,
A hugging we will go,
High ho the derry-o,
A hugging we will go.

Face Game Rhyme
Two little eyes,
To look around.
Two little ears,
To hear each sound.
One little nose,
To smell what’s sweet.
One little mouth,
That likes to eat.

Two little eyes,
To look around.
Two little ears,
To hear each sound.
One little nose,
To smell what’s sweet.
One little mouth,
That likes to eat.

We read these rhyming books at Wonderful Ones this week: 

1 Teddy Bear:  A Counting Book by Bernette Ford
Simple text and playful, brightly-colored illustrations introduce numbers and numerals. 
Check catalog availability

Play time Puppy! by Annie Kubler
Puppy wants to play, and is ready for a chat! Talking with your baby fosters the early development of basic language and communication skills, and promotes emotional closeness and well being.
Check catalog availability

1, 2, 3 Go! Counting, Colors, Clothing

This week's 1, 2, 3 Go! class incorporates many different learning themes including counting, rhyming, repetition, colors and clothing.  Counting aloud not only introduces new sounds and words to help build vocabulary, but also creates a stimulating learning environment.  Rhyming helps young children remember these important concepts and reinforces what they are learning in a positive manner.  Playing dress up and learning about clothing items helps elevate children's imaginations and allows them to embrace their creativity.  Taking these games and including color elements enriches the concept even more.  

For example, when you count evergreens talk about trees and what colors they are throughout the seasons.  When you sing the colorful noses rhyme, children are already using colors in addition to learning new words such as shoe and jumping.  Rhyming is included in almost every rhyme, and it reinforces the ideas in the songs. 

Six Little Evergreens Rhyme
Six little trees standing in a row,
Their prickly needles all covered with snow.
The first tree is short.
The second tree is tall.
The third tree looks like it just might fall.
The fourth tree is skinny.
The fifth tree is stumpy.
The sixth tree’s bark is rough and bumpy!
Six little trees standing in a row,
Their prickly needles all covered with snow.

Colorful Noses Rhyme
Brown bear, brown bear, nose so black, rub your tummy and touch your back.
Brown bear, brown bear, nose so red, pat your legs and nod your head.
Brown bear, brown bear, nose so blue, touch your knee and then your shoe.
Brown bear, brown bear, nose so green, jump up like a jumping bean.
Brown bear, brown bear, nose so pink, close your eyes and make them blink. 
Brown bear, brown bear, nose so white, hide your hands out of sight.   

Bears Are Sleeping Rhyme
Bears are sleeping, bears are sleeping,
In their lairs, in their lairs.  (Pretend to sleep)
Soon it will be springtime, soon it will be springtime,
Wake up, bears!  Wake up bears!  (Pretend to wake up)

Bears are sleeping, bears are sleeping,
In their lairs, in their lairs.  (Pretend to sleep)
Soon it will be springtime, soon it will be springtime,
Wake up, bears!  Wake up bears!  (Pretend to wake up)

It’s Not That Cold Outside Song 
I don’t want to wear my coat, wear my coat, wear my coat.
I don’t want to wear my coat.
It’s not that cold outside.

I don’t want to wear my hat, wear my hat, wear my hat.
I don’t want to wear my hat.
It’s not that cold outside.   

(Repeat verse with other items such as scarf, boots or gloves)

We read these books at 1, 2, 3 Go! this week: 

Kate's Surprise by Ann Burg
Pete wants to play out in the snow, but he doesn't feel well until his sister cheers him up.
Check catalog availability

Kitten's Winter by Eugenie Fernandez
A young kitten explores the woods on a cold winter day as other animals shelter from the weather or engage in their usual seasonal activities.
Check catalog availability

Terrific Twos: Boats go ZOOOOOM!

It's Terrific Two Year Old time!  We are continuing with our animated theme of 'Things that GO!' and sharing rhymes and books about BOATS!  Our selection of rhymes, songs and stories encourages active play and thoughtful fun for kids who like motion and movement.  Children will use hands and feet throughout the rhymes to create activity, such as pretending to row a boat or moving their arms and hands like waves in the water.

There is also a Valentine themed rhyme in which you can pretend to make a Valentine!  Or for more fun, bring out the craft supplies and make real Valentine's for everyone your Terrific Two year old loves!  Crafts are a great way for your little one to enhance their imagination, as well as, engage important hand and eye coordination for improving fine motor skills.


Waves, Waves Rhyme
Waves, waves, back and forth, (move hands like waves)
Rock the boat all day.
We row and row so we can go (pretend to row)
Somewhere far away.  (look with “binocular hands”)   

Five Little Boats Rhyme (From our friends at King County Library System)
The first little boat went chug, chug, chug.
The second little boat went tug, tug, tug.
The third little boat went row, row, row.
The fourth little boat went ohhh sooo slowww.
Here comes the sailboat,
Watch it GO!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat (From our friends at King County Library System)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Row row row your boat
gently down the stream.
If you see a crocodile
Don't forget to scream!

To make this rhyme even more fun, turn it into a game in which you sit down holding hands, and rock back and forth like a boat as you sing the song.

Let's Make a Valentine Rhyme
Snip, snip, snip the paper.  (scissor motion)
Glue, glue glue the paper.   (glue stick motion)
Press, press, press the paper.  (pressing motion)
Here’s a valentine for you!  (give valentine away)

We read these books at Terrific Twos this week: 

My Blue Boat by Chris L. Demarest
While playing with a blue boat in the bathtub, a young girl imagines she is on an ocean voyage.
Check catalog availability

Boats by Anne Rockwell
Depicts boats and ships of varying sizes and uses.
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Mouses's First Valentine by  Lauren Thompson
Mouse watches his sister making a valentine and wonders what it is. 
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Wonderful Ones: Mommies and Daddies

Mommies, daddies, and caregivers play a very important role in helping baby begin to develop early literacy skills as a child's first teacher!  These rhymes and stories help baby learn such words as 'mommy' and 'daddy', along with the concept of love and family.  Have some fun with these interactive rhymes that will help your little one learn eye-hand coordination, flexibility and even critical thinking skills. 

Mother, Father, and Uncle John Rhyme
(Bounce baby up and down on lap)
Mother, Father, and Uncle John,
Went to town one by one.
Mother fell off and…(Lean to side)
Father fell , but…(Lean to other side)
Uncle John went on and on…

(Bounce baby up and down on lap)
Mother, Father, and Uncle John,
Went to town one by one.
Mother fell off and…(Lean to side)
Father fell , but…(Lean to other side)
Uncle John went on and on…

My Mommy Told Me Rhyme
My mommy told me to tell you
To clap your hands
Just like I do.
(…Shake your head, …Tap your feet, …Blow a kiss)

The Kissing Rhyme
(Lift baby up and down)
Up, up, up in the sky like this,
Down, down, down, for a great big kiss,
Up like this, down like this,
You’re my special baby!

(Lift baby up and down)
Up, up, up in the sky like this,
Down, down, down, for a great big kiss,
Up like this, down like this,
You’re my special baby!

We read these books at Wonderful Ones this week: 

Giggles with Daddy by Elizabeth Hathon
Text and photographs portray babies and their fathers laughing and giggling together. 
Check catalog availability

Mommy Loves Me by John & Wendy
Mommy kisses, and Mommy hugs. But what else does she do? You and your little one will love turning the pages of this adorable book to find out what Mommy does best.
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Wonderful Ones: Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce language to your  baby.  These rhymes make it easy to hear comparisons and contrasts between different speech sounds. The rhyme, repetition, and rhythm of the language also makes nursery rhymes such as these fun to read and sing over and over again.  

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for my master,
One for my dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

Humpty Dumpty  (Bounce baby on lap)
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses and all the King's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses and all the King's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again!

Clap With Me Rhyme
Come along and clap with me,
Clap with me, clap with me.
Come along and clap with me,
This bright and sunny morning.
(Tap your feet, stretch up high)


We read these nursery rhyme books at Wonderful Ones:

Little Bo Peep by Tracey Campbell Pearson
Little Bo Peep lost her sheep and then found them. 
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This Little Piggy by Annie Kubler
Presents an illustrated version of this traditional nursery rhyme. 
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Wonderful Ones: Toot! Toot! Beep! Beep!

This week at Wonderful Ones we have the fun of songs and rhymes with car and train action!  You'll use gentle movements to help baby learn about the space around them, such as, clapping hands to the rhythm, nodding and shaking heads for yes and no, and bouncing baby on your lap to mimic the bumps along the road or tracks.  Using these songs, rhymes and books, you are helping to introduce new words and sounds to your child, which helps him or her develop a bigger vocabulary.    

We Can Rhyme
We can jump, jump, jump,
We can hop, hop, hop,
We can clap, clap, clap,
We can stop, stop, stop.
We can nod our heads for yes,
We can shake our heads for no,
We can bend our knees a tiny bit,
And sit down slow.

Car Ride Song (Sing while bouncing baby on lap)
This is the way the car goes,
Bumpity, bumpity, bump.
This is the way the car goes,
Bumpity, bumpity, bump.
Oh, oh, there’s a hole in the road,
Bumpity, bumpity, BUMP!

The Little Train Rhyme
The little train went up the track, (hand runs up arm)
It went toot, toot,
And then it came back.
The other train went up the track, (other arm)
It went toot, toot,
And then came back.

The little train went up the track, (hand runs up arm)
It went toot, toot,
And then it came back.
The other train went up the track, (other arm)
It went toot, toot,
And then came back.

We read these books at Wonderful Ones this week:

Beep!  Beep!  Peekaboo! by Dawn Sirett
As babies play hide-and-seek with their toys, readers can open the flaps to discover where the textured toys are hiding. 
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A Red Train by Bernette Ford
Come take a ride with animals in a book that covers two concepts--colors and forms of transportation. A charming cat looks happily out the window of a red train , a bunny rides in a yellow rocket , and there's also a blue car, orange submarine, green bus, purple boat, and more!
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Story Mix for Three to Six: Little Llamas

The popular children's picture book series around a sweet and lovable Llama character is a favorite amongst children here at the Gail Borden Public Library.  Our selection of rhymes and stories this week at Story Mix bring even more Llama fun to your child.  Children will learn through repetition and rhyming sounds, syllables and words.   Repetition and rhyming help children understand word construction and meaning based on sound. The actions you can perform in each song help children count, help them learn what to do when they go outside, and how to express emotions when feeling sick.

Ten Little Llamas
One little, two little,
Three little llamas
Four little, five little,
Six little llamas
Seven little, eight little,
Nine little llamas
Ten little llamas wear pajamas!

Let's Put on our Mittens Rhyme
Let’s put on our mittens and button up our coats
Wrap a scarf snugly around our throats
Pull on our boots and fasten the straps
And tie on tightly our warm winter caps
Then open the door and out we go
Into the soft and feathery snow

Where is Mama? (Sung to the tune of where Is thumbkin?)
Where is Mama?
Here I am!
Here I am!
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away! Run away!
Repeat with other members of the family such as Papa, Sister, Brother


We read these books at Story Mix: 

Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney
Llama Llama's mother takes good care of him when he has to stay home from school because he is sick, but when Mama Llama begins to feel sick, too, Llama Llama knows how to take care of her.
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Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
A young llama asks his friends if their mamas are llamas and finds out, in rhyme, that their mothers are other types of animals.
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Don’t You Feel Well, Sam? by Amy Hest
When Sam has a cough, Mrs. Bear tends to him all through the cold night. 
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Wonderful Ones: Wonderful Wintertime

Babies are usually bundled up in the winter, but take those hats, mittens, and coats off for fun stories, singing and fingerplays. The beginnings of communication are often through hand motions and movements. Through these songs like 'The Itsy Bitsy Snowflake',  'Winter Sun' and 'Snow is Falling Down', making hand motions and movements while you sing the songs helps babies learn eye-hand coordination, flexibility and even critical thinking skills.  Language represents the foundational basis for literacy learning in the early stages of development and helps babies get ready to read for when they do start school.

Itsy-Bitsy Snowflake Rhyme
The itsy-bitsy snowflake
Fell down from the sky.
It landed on my nose
And it bounced upon my eye.
It slid down to my chin
And it landed on my tongue.
Then it melted all away.
Now my snowflake song is done.

Winter Sun Rhyme
Winter sun, don’t you run,
Stay with me and have some fun.
Shine on my face, shine on me,
Shine on my arms, shine on my knee. 
Shine on my legs, shine on my hair,
Shine on my toes, shine everywhere!

Winter sun, don’t you run,
Stay with me and have some fun.
Shine on my face, shine on me,
Shine on my arms, shine on my knee. 
Shine on my legs, shine on my hair,
Shine on my toes, shine everywhere!

Snow is Falling Down Rhyme
Snow is falling down, shhhh.
Falling to the ground, shhhh.
Slowly, very slowly,
Snow is falling down, shhhh.

Snow is falling down, shhhh.
Falling to the ground, shhhh.
Slowly, very slowly,
Snow is falling down, shhhh.


We read these snowy books at Wonderful Ones this week:

Spot’s Snowy Day by Eric Hill
Spot has lots of fun in the snow with his family and friends. 
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What Can You Do in the Snow? By Anna Grossnickle Hines
Snow provides the opportunity to catch a snowflake, stamp a trail, or swoosh an angel.
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Animal Kisses by Barney Saltzberg
Introduces words which name textures associated with various animal kisses, such as scratchy cat kisses, velvety cow kisses, and rubbery fish kisses.
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Terrific Twos: Cars Go VROOM!

It's Terrific Two Year Old time!  Our theme over the next several weeks will be 'Things That Go!' beginning with everyone's favorite, CARS!   Our selection of rhymes, songs and stories encourages active play and thoughtful fun for kids who like motion and movement.  In this week's rhymes and stories, children will also learn concepts such as numbers and counting through repetition and singing.  They also learn about how a car works which helps them put together words and ideas in order to make connections and understand words in print.   


Five Little Cars 
One little car,
It happened to be blue,
Met another car,
Then there were two.

Two little cars
Driving by the sea.
One drove up from the beach,
Then there were three.

Three little cars
Driving by the store,
Another pulled out,
Then there were four.

Four little cars
Out for a drive.
Another car joined them,
Then there were five.

Open the Door Rhyme
Open the car door, climb inside.
I wish I could help my Mommy drive.
Fasten our seatbelts, shut the door.
Start the motor, hear it roar…vroom…vroom…
Turn the corner, step on the gas.
Sometimes we go slow and sometimes we go fast.

We read these books at this week's Terrific Twos:

My Car by Byron Barton
Sam describes in loving detail his car and how he drives it.
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Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham
Mr. Gumpy's human and animal friends squash into his old car and go for a drive -- until it starts to rain.
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The Life of a Car by Susan Steggall
Follow the life of a car as it is built, sold, delivered, and in the end recycled to build a new car! 
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Wonderful Ones: Time for Baby's Bath!

Singing and playing are two wonderful ways to incorporate early literacy skills into your baby's everyday life.  What better way to incorporate both but a bathtub full of bubbles and laughter!  Singing and rhyming together helps your baby enjoy bathtime more, and also helps with reinforcing sounds, counting, identifying body parts such as arms and legs, and actions babies do in the bathtub such as washing.  The combined movements and language helps babies hear and learn individual words and sounds for learning speech.  A fun environment will help baby wind down their day in a positive manner as well as create learning patterns in a comfortable space.

Splish Splash Water Rhyme (to the tune of Frère Jacques)
Splish, splash water, splish, splash water,
On your toes, on your toes,
On your fingers, on your tummy,
On your nose, on your nose.
Splish, splash water, splish, splash water,
On your hair, on your hair,
On your face, on your arms,
Everywhere, everywhere!

Slippery Soap Rhyme
Slippery, slippery, slippery soap,
Now you see it and now you don’t.
Slide it on the arms,
One, two, three.
Now your arms are slippery.
Slide it on the legs,
One, two, three.
Now your legs are slippery.

Slippery, slippery, slippery soap,
Now you see it and now you don’t.
Slide it on the arms,
One, two, three.
Now your arms are slippery.
Slide it on the legs,
One, two, three.
Now your legs are slippery.

This Is The Way We Wash Our Face Song
This is the way we wash our face,
Scrub our cheeks,
Scrub our ears,
This is the way we wash our face,
Until we’re squeaky clean.

This is the way we wash our face,
Scrub our cheeks,
Scrub our ears,
This is the way we wash our face,
Until we’re squeaky clean. 


Enjoy these bathtime books we read at this week's Wonderful Ones: 

Bathtime Peekaboo! by Dawn Sirett
Babies enjoy playing at bathtime. 
Check catalog availability

Baby’s Bathtime by Fiona Watt
It's bathtime! Baby and his dog Fido enjoy a wonderful bath before being tucked into bed. 
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1, 2, 3 Go! More Nursery Rhymes

We've had so much fun sharing favorite nursery rhymes with our 1, 2, 3 Go attendees!  Nursery rhymes are a great way to help children make comparisons and hear contrasts between different speech sounds. The rhyme, repetition, and rhythm of the language also makes nursery rhymes such as these fun to read and sing over and over again.  Enjoy these funny takes on traditional nursery rhymes that your child is sure to love.

Sheep in the Meadow
Sheep in the meadow,
Take a little nap. (Pretend to sleep)
Thunder! (Stamp feet)
Lightning! (Clap hands)
Jump up and clap! (Jump to feet and clap)

Sheep in the meadow,
Take a little nap. (Pretend to sleep)
Thunder! (Stamp feet)
Lightning! (Clap hands)
Jump up and clap! (Jump to feet and clap)

Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a stool,
Humpty Dumpty thought he was cool,
No!  No!  No!
That’s not right!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a cow,
Humpty Dumpty didn’t know how,
No!  No!  No!
That’s not right!

Humpty Dumpty sat on horse,
Humpty Dumpty fell off course.
No!  No!  No!
That’s not right!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a bed,
Humpty Dumpty fell on his head.
No!  No!  No!
That’s not right!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a train,
Humpty Dumpty fell again.
No!  No!  No!
That’s not right!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Yes!  Yes!  Yes!
That’s right!  Now you’ve got it!
Poor Humpty Dumpty!

Little Bo-Peep
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can’t tell where to find them.
Leave them alone, and they’ll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.

Here comes pink and here comes gray,
They’ve been visiting friends all day.

Here comes orange and here comes red,
They’ve been eating in the shed.

Here comes purple and here comes yellow,
They’ve been romping in the meadow.

Here comes blue and here comes brown,
They’ve been wandering all about town.

Here comes green and here comes black,
Now Little Bo-Peep’s sheep are back.

Little Bo-Peep has all her sheep,
They’re back home safe and sound!
They were hiding, it’s true, but thanks to you,
All of them now are found.

We read these nursery rhyme books at 1, 2, 3 Go this week: 

The Big, Big Wall by Reginald Howard / No Puedo Bajar by Reginald Howard
Humpty Dumpty's friends help him avoid a big, big fall. / Los amigos de Humpty Dumpty lo ayudan a evitar una gran caída. 
Check catalog availability / En Espanol

Mary Had A Little Lamb by Sarah Josepha Hale
Presents the traditional nursery rhyme that tells the story of a schoolgirl and her faithful pet lamb. 
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For even more nursery rhyme books, check out this reading list from Reading Rockets.