Ghost Draw and Tell Story

Great Draw-and-Tell at this link:

http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/2011/03/the-ghost-on-petersons-farm/

I worked at our "downtown" branch recently.  After helping a middle-aged woman find some books on "recovery" and some religious music, she shared with me a personal story as well as the Cherokee tale about "the two wolves inside of me."  ... another commonality of humanity -- the fight within us all ... 

Here's a Youtube telling:

Purple-icious Programs for Toddlers vs. Preschoolers (Narrative and Print Awareness)

For our extension activity with the preschoolers, I put a drop of red and a drop of blue paint (and a dash of hand sanitizer for easier clean up) in a ziplock bag and masking taped them to the (child-level) windows.

During the preschool program, I also made and used my first ever picture schedule. Graphics below:



The "Drawing Story" was me drawing to "Grandpa's Glasses" as I said the rhyme. The "Puppet Story" was for Purple Hair? I Don't Care ... each child got a velcro piece of the puppet and added to my plastic pot. In the end, the kids closed their eyes while I put together the dragon puppet.

Bugs Bugs Bugs Sign

Not sure why the text "Bugs, Bugs, Bugs" isn't showing the full mottled brown color ...

Graphic Novels for Teens/Adults

I have graphic novel on the brain!  So I made it into a (children's) display today.  Here's a sign available for download by clicking on "Graphics" under the "Youth Services Programs and Resources" heading in the upper right hand corner of this blog: http://librarieslearnlead.blogspot.com/




Speaking of graphic novels, I just finished reading Scenes from an Impending Marriage (LOL!) and Artichoke Tales (What?) ... Even with the pictoral character key on the end pages of Artichoke Tales, I had trouble distinguishing one character from the other.  Anyone else read these two?  In the carousel below are other more teen or adult graphic novels that I currently have checked out but haven't read yet.


Update: 7/25/11 I now realize Big Crunch isn't a graphic novel ... cover is very intriguing though ...

Home, Sweet Home Storytime Program for Toddlers

I was (re) introduced to Microsoft Publisher and the possibilities it brings for attractive programming handouts.  Here's my first stab at it.  (You can see I'm still into a mostly linear approach ;) )  It's a balancing act trying to give myself an outline while putting in those early literacy and take home tips for the caregivers. 

This new format is making me think more about an interactive handout for children and caregivers to use at home.  The activity sheet on the back was the first step, but I feel the outline itself could be more interactive ...



The embedded PDF above is available for download by clicking on "Toddler, ages 2 and 3" under the "Youth Services Programs and Resources" heading in the upper right hand corner of this blog: http://librarieslearnlead.blogspot.com/

Graphic Novel, Squish the Super Amoeba ... and Peggy Paramecium

Speaking of graphic novels ... I recently read Squish: Super Amoeba, the first volume in a new series by the creators of well-known Babymouse.  I LOVED the humor (don't forget to watch the face change on Squish's hat!), the successful use of panels versus no panels, and the incorporation of the micro and simple organisims I learned about in middle school.  I also love the labeling in this graphic novel.  For example, below you'll see that Principal Planarian gets a stamped name as well as an arrow with further information.

I'm a little obsessed with Peggy (Paramecium) and wish I could have the original illustration of these two pages:  

I also love the following "running" late to school action scene ... Reminds me of my recent "great exercise" in the airport.  Perhaps I need to adopt a little more of Peggy's postive attitude ...

It'd be awesome to do a "Squish the Super Amoeba and Science" program ... You could show videos like this one ... a "real" interpretation of Peggy running!

Or this video about planarian regeneration from Exploratorium's Microscope Imaging Station: http://www.exploratorium.edu/imaging_station/research/planaria/story_planaria1.php  

Graphic Novelist, Ben Hatke

I was totally STOKED to meet Ben Hatke at his own booth in the ALA Exhibit Hall!!!

Don't know Ben Hatke?  He's the author/illustrator of the graphic novel
Zita the Space Girl.


Zita the Spacegirl: Trailer from Ben Hatke on Vimeo.



Here's some of his ORIGINAL ARTWORK that he was kind enough to let me purchase!  The black and white sketch is my favorite (okay ... one of my favorite) scenes in the book.  Turns out, it was one of his, too!  The watercolor is not a scene from the novel, but involves the characters from the book in a scene that, to me, describes in so many levels the marvel of all graphic novels -- "It's an ART book!" 

Stories to Share: Alligator's Whistle

I've started a new side bar ("Stories to Share") where I'll post the text (and later, the audio ...) of stories I tell or retell.

The sheet music for the "Alligator's Whistle" can be found in The Storytelling Handbook by Anne Pellowski.  I play a recorder during the musical sections.  However, one could also sing, as lyrics are provided in Pellowski's book:

The Microsoft clipart images are used as a visual prompt to remind me what gestures or visual props to use.  Sometime, I'd like to print the text on large poster board, probably in four sections.  Then, the audience could read the story at the same time ...

2011 Summer Reading School Visit

This year, I made my summer reading school visit presentation the same for kindergarteners through third graders.  (It was a thirty minute auditorium visit by grade.)  Here is the outline:

Click here for the "Kye Kye Kule" lyrics and song clip, or
listen/purchase the versions below:

Below are the embedded supporting posters.  (There are also in this blog's "Graphics" folder.)  Images are from Microsoft Clipart.  I used them as a models to draw images for the other motions (not pictured).




I chose "The Alligator's Whistle" which is a musical story from Anne Pellowski's Storytelling Handbook


 , and I included optional audience participation. 

At one point in the presentation, I threw an inflatable globe (our library's summer reading prize/incentive) into the audience.  Whoever caught the globe had to say what they liked.  Of course, whatever they liked, I supported by mentioning the materials that the library had on that topic.  The older kids caught on to this trend and had fun trying to stump me with "likes" such as "cheese" and "sleeping" !!

Overall, the three most important steps I drill into the kids are:

Simple Signs for Temporary Displays

I  like to have a poster to accompany temporary displays.  The following were created with Microsoft Word and Microsoft clipart.  Today I used legal sized paper, and advertised the Dewey numbers.  (See "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (Cars)" poster.)

The embedded images below are also available in the "Graphics" folder under "Youth Services Programs and Resources" from this blog: http://librarieslearnlead.blogspot.com/

Babies: Share Music

As one can see, I'm including more "performance" pieces for this baby program. 

For example, I played "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on a toy keyboard to further emphasize how music helps children hear the smaller sounds that create words BECAUSE these syllables/sounds/phonemes usually occur on different musical notes.  I hope to eventually make a musical staff poster with this tune, so parents can understand the concept visually.

I also did the unfolding portion of a simple cut and tell nursery rhyme while the audience clapped the syllables.  I hope to soon post a video demonstration of this -- my version of Jean Stangl's in Paper Stories.

Click here if embedded document does not display.

Toddlers: I Spy Eggs (Print Awareness)

I'm again changing the look of my programming handout.  I'm not associating an early literacy tip with each activity.  Instead I'm including only one to three tips so as not to overwhelm the caregiver.

Note that I am not referencing Easter eggs, but rather focusing on kinds of eggs -- what can hatch from them and what they can look like (naturally).

Click here if embedded documents don't load.

Google Books

Have a quote? Google Book search it.  (Note the new interface!)
 
"The overall purpose of human communication is -- or should be -- reconciliation." M Scott Peck

Toddler Program: Talking about Love (Narrative Skills)

I am liking the visual communication of information on this handout. If parents are the reluctant readers of programming handouts, here's plenty of white space and visuals!

(If the embedded image does not display, visit the upper right hand corner of this blog. Under "Youth Services Programs and Resources," choose "Toddler, ages 2 and 3." Then choose "(2011 2) Talking about Love.")