Spring Fling Stories

This week I had double the storytime fun. I presented my regular Monday morning storytime at the library at our local military base. Nine preschoolers, six books, an assortment of songs and fingerplays, and me.

Then on Thursday, I was the substitute branch manager at the public library and I was invited to present a storytime there. I read six books to almost forty children. Some of the same songs and fingerplays, but what a different experience! A larger audience meant there was more singing and participation - but also meant more chaos.

Large or small, I realize that I really love presenting storytime to all those small expectant faces. Sharing a love of books, and helping to develop literacy skills in our youngest patrons - well it just doesn't get any better than that.

Here are the books we read this week, along with Clifford's Easter (Bridwell), Muncha, Muncha, Muncha (Fleming) and Quacky Baseball (Abahams):

Here Comes T. Rex Cottontail by Lois G. Grambling




Great goofy read-aloud! T-Rex agrees to deliver eggs for the Easter Bunny when he develops a cold - with interesting results.



Wake Up Its Spring by Lisa C Ernst


Great Storytime opener for a spring-themed storytime. After a long cold winter, one day the sun warms the earth and tells it to wake up since spring is here...the message gets passed along, from earth to earthworm, to seed, to ladybug...and so on until everyone is awake and dancing in the spring sunshine.



Spring Is Here! by Will Hillenbrand


Mole wakes up one morning to find that spring has come. Wanting to share this great news with his friend Bear, he goes to great lengths to wake the snoring bear. Each of mole's attempts result in a giant "snore" from Bear and the text lends itself to some great sound effects. The illustrations are terrific and the kids loved the twist at the end!



Bunny's Easter Egg by Anne Mortimer


The illustrations in this book are gorgeous! This gentle story of a very tired Easter Bunny searching for a quiet, comfortable place to sleep enchanted the listeners at storytime.



Flower Garden by Eve Bunting


This story, about a girl buying and planting a window box in her high-rise apartment in a big city is beautifully illustrated...and so very different from the experiences of the boys and girls growing up in suburban San Diego, where I present my storytimes.