CAT STORY TIME

This week we went with a cat theme for all three of our story time programs.

PEEK-A-BOO BABY TIME

How does a dinosaur care for its kitty, you ask?

Cat lovers are everywhere! Now, with the same humor and warmth of their previous bestselling dinosaur books, Jane Yolen and Mark Teague show us how young dinosaurs know how to care for their kitties. From playing with cat toys to cleaning the litter box, children will love the silliness of "bad" pet-owner behavior as they learn what's involved in keeping your cat happy and loved. Also an introduction for children who may be getting a pet soon, cat lovers big and small are sure to embrace this book as a purrr-enial favorite!

 We love Jane Yolen!  Like so many of her other books, How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats is filled with fun rhyming and great illustrations.  There are several books in Jane Yolen's dinosaur series available to check out at the library.

READ, MAKE AND TAKE STORY TIME

 

The nationally bestselling picture book about a kitten, the moon, and a bowl of milk, written by the celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal.

From one of the most celebrated and beloved picture book creators working in the field today comes a memorable new character and a suspenseful adventure just right for reading and sharing at home and in the classroom. It is Kitten's first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. And she wants it. Does she get it? Well, no . . . and yes. What a night!

A brief text, large type, and luminescent pictures play second fiddle to the star of this classic picture book—brave, sweet and lucky Kitten! "Henkes's text, reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's work in the elemental words, rhythms, and appealing sounds, tells a warm, humorous story that's beautifully extended in his shimmering, gray-toned artwork."—ALA Booklist

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, an ALA Notable Book, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, and winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award

After our story we made a kitten craft that resembles the one in the book.

MOVE AND GROOVE TODDLER TIME

The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . .

In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?

There is a page towards the end of They All Saw a Cat where the cat is decorated many different colors and patterns.  All the toddlers helped decorate the cat shown above and then we displayed it in the library.

Peek-a-Boo Baby Time is on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.
  Ages birth to 24 months.

Read, Make and Take is on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
  Ages 3 years to 6 years.

Move and Groove Toddler Time is on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
  Ages 18 months to 36 months.

You may sign up for any of these events at any time or by calling 256-386-9212.

Halloween Activities

 The last week of October was filled with lots of Halloween fun here at the library!

Halloween Story Time Book Selections

Peek-a-Boo Baby Time

Itsy Bitsy Spider is a beautiful, padded board book that babies and toddlers will love to share. The charming, rhyming text, loosely based on "Itsy Bitsy Spider," is a book to read again and again.

It may
be round like
a pumpkin and even orange
like a pumpkin, but this is NOT
a pumpkin! If it's not a pumpkin,
then what is it? Preschoolers and
toddlers will love knowing the
answer and enjoy the fun,
"unexpected" ending!

While reading This is NOT a Pumpkin we used a real pumpkin to illustrate.  This is by far my favorite Halloween book for little ones!

This is the jack-o-lantern we used for This is NOT a Pumpkin.  We also read and acted out this story at Move and Groove Toddler Time and at the Halloween festival.

Read, Make and Take Story Time

On the far side of town in a big dark house lives a brave little witch. She has heard lots and lots about that very human holiday Halloween, and even though she thinks she knows what humans are like, she has never, ever seen Halloween for herself.

A Very Brave Witch has gorgeous illustrations and teaches children that all people are different from one another and that isn't a bad thing.  The way this story is written prompts children to answer questions and keeps them interested until the very end.

Move and Groove Toddler Time

Five little ghosts at the end of the day are on the lookout for somewhere to play!  These little ghosts are looking for something fun to do but keep running into mischief!

Halloween Fall Festival

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand!  Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.  But is there room on the broom for so many friends?  And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

 Room on the Broom is one of my favorite children's books.  If you and your child have not had the pleasure of reading a story by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler you are missing out!  Some of their others are Super Worm, The Snail and the Whale and The Gruffalo.  These two never disappoint!

Games

This adorable Pumpkin Chunkin' game was made by Miss Erin.  The children took the pumpkins (tissue paper wrapped toilet paper) and chunked it into the basket.  This one is always a favorite for all ages!

Jack-o-lantern beanbag toss.

 Other Halloween games:

Witch Hat Ring Toss

We used pool rings to ring the witch's hats made out of construction paper.

Balloon Tennis

This one is super simple.  A tennis or badminton racket and a balloon and they'll be entertained for hours.  If you have more than one child playing another option is a fly swat or a paper plate taped to a craft stick to avoid accidents.

Go Fishing

A blue sheet and a pretend fishing rod and you're good to go!  Have someone sit behind the sheet and attach to catch the fishing line and attach a goodie to the end of the rod.

 

Crafts and More

This cute little candy corn craft let the children at Move and Groove Toddler Time practice color sorting.

At the Halloween Fall Festival we made paper witch hats similar to the sombreros we made at the Dragons Love Tacos Tween Party. 

We also had a face painting station and a witch's house tour.
Miss Kay and Miss Christina did an excellent job with our witch's house!

We had a great turn out for the Halloween Fall Festival!  This picture was taken before everyone had arrived.  We had about one hundred children plus their caregivers.

Miss Andrea's Halloween spider hair!

Miss Andrea and I dressed up as the Cat in the Hat and a pirate for the Halloween Fall Festival.

Our next children's program outside of our normal story time programs is
Library Movie Night. 
For the title please call the library or visit the library website that is linked below.

I would like to thank everyone who attended any of our
Halloween programs at the library.
  We all had lots of fun and hope you and your child did too!