This 30-minute storytime is aimed at welcoming new families to the library. It includes songs, rhymes and stories which celebrate reading, books and using the library as a family. You can hear all of the songs and rhymes by clicking on the Watch Here links. For more library storytime ideas, check out our Pinterest board!
Books I Shared:
Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book by Alexander Stadler
Read it, Don’t Eat it! by Ian Schoenherr
We’re Going on a Book Hunt by Pat Miller and Nadine Bernard Westcott
It’s a Book by Lane Smith
Rhymes and Songs:
1. Welcome and Goodbye Song: The More We Get Together (And Read Together!)
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends
and my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
The more we read together, together, together
the more we read together
the happier we’ll be.
Read big books and small books
Read short books and tall books
The more we read together
the happier we’ll be.
2. Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It, Read a Book
If you’re happy and you know it read a book (read a book)
If you’re happy and you know it read a book (read a book)
If you’re happy and you know and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it read a book (read a book)
Alternate verses: turn the page, renew the book, swipe your card, tell a friend
3. Action Rhyme: Let’s Take a Look At This Book
Let’s take a look at this book
Here is the cover
We open it wide
Here are the pages hidden inside
There are words and pictures
We look and we look
And when we are finished
We close up the book
4. Song: Mmm Ahh Went the Little Green Frog
Mmm ahh went the little green frog one day.
Mmm ahh went the little green frog.
Mmm ahh went the little green frog one day.
And they all went mmm, mmm, ahh.
But…
We know frogs go (clap) shanananana.
(clap) shanananana. (clap) shanananana.
We know frogs go (clap) shanananana.
They don’t go mmm, mmm, ahh.
Bloop, bloop went the little blue fish one day.
Bloop, bloop went the little blue fish.
Bloop, bloop went the little blue fish one day.
And they all went bloop, bloop, bloop.
But..
We know fish go (kiss) kissy, kissy kiss.
(kiss) kissy, kissy kiss. (kiss) kissy, kissy kiss.
We know fish go (kiss) kissy, kissy kiss.
They don’t go bloop, bloop, bloop.
Watch here! For more verses check out Part 2!
5. Song: I Love it When You Read to Me
Oh, I love it when you read to me,
Read to me, read to me.
Oh,I love it when you read to me,
Please read me some more.
Hello! I love you two! I always check for your lap bounces and songs on YouTube, so I am really excited to check out your website as well. I was wondering how this storytime went…Specifically, how did “It’s a Book” go over? I LOVE this book and find it hilarious as I push it upon adult readers, but I’ve never considered reading it in a storytime because of it’s ending. I was just curious….
Hi Shaney, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving us a message. I used a rough version of this storytime when visiting a couple new groups to the library and it went over really well because of the simple books and songs which have either a familiar tune or lots of repetition. It’s a Book though is tricky, I would often end it with “it’s a book!” (with an exaggerated sigh of course) and if the adults caught the full sentence more fun for them. I thought about subbing in the board book version which I believe has different wording at the end, but it’s really about reading your crowd and making the book work for them. Hope this helps!