Turtle and Frog Storyhour, and maybe a snake. Wednesday, June 14 @ 10:30

Games  

We had to start off with my turtle puppet and the Vachel Lindsay, "There was a little turtle," puppet.  How I enjoy circling the room and snapping and nibbling at all those babies! 

Monday the Bullfrog makes a better puppet than a book for babies. Just show him off and show them the bugs.

                                       
Books

• Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner headed our storyhour. This beautifully designed pop-up really caught the attention of all the lapsitters. Even the toddlers drew closer to inspect all the very large mouthed critters in this book.
• Big Frog Can't Fit In by Mo Willems. The premise of this book is really kind of dopey, but I always present it in terms of a study in Bigness. I read this book every year, and the kids watch in astonishment.
• I Don't Wan't Want To Be a Frog by Dev Petty.  I love this book absolutely, but shorten it. The babies were not in the mood, a bit wild today anyway.
• I Wish I Could Fly by Ron Maris. I always trot out this antique because it's really perfect for babies, very short and to the point. The turtle wants to fly. Who doesn't? The turtle wants to climb trees. Who doesn't? The turtle wants to hop and run? Not only does this book admirably reflect those inner yearnings of the babies who are trying to master walking without falling over more than fifty times a day, but it's short and gives me a chance to bounce around a lot, which they like.
• Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan. I only had a small board book, and I shortened that, but next year I really must get puppets to do this properly.

Songs

• Down by the banks of the hanky panky. Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,With a hip, hop, hippity hop, Jump off the lilypad, and kerplop.
• Tiny Tim
• 3 little Speckled Frogs, sitting on a great big log (shortened for the babies). Used the puppets and then pitched them into the waiting audience.