Butterflies

For my first family storytime of the summer, I did the theme of butterflies (and caterpillars). With a huge focus on science (Fizz Boom Read, anyone?), it made sense to incorporate Metamorphosis into the theme. Maybe the concept of Metamorphosis might be a little too deep for wiggly under-5-year-olds, but we did talk about caterpillars turning into butterflies after spending some time in a cocoon.

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

A Caterpillar Crawled:
A caterpillar crawled (crawl right index finger up left arm like a caterpillar.)

To the top of a tree. "I think I'll take a nap," said he. (Wiggle right index finger.)
So under the leaf he began to creep. (Move under left hand.)
He spun a cocoon and he fell asleep. (Make fist around index finger.)
For two long weeks he slept in that cocoon bed,
Till spring came along and said,
"Wake up! Wake up! You sleepy head." (Shake arms.)
Out of the leaf he did cry.
(Hook thumbs and spread fingers to make a butterfly.)
"Look, I am a butterfly."

Source: SurLaLune

Fuzzy Little Caterpillar:
A fuzzy little caterpillar curled upon a leaf
Spun her little chrysalis and then fell fast asleep
While she was sleeping she dreamed that she could fly
And later, when she woke up, she was a butterfly!
Source: Perry Public Library

Butterfly Garden: 
*For this one, I printed off large pictures of the different colored butterflies. I ended up covering them with adhesive paper and putting magnets on the back of each one so we can use them again and again at storytimes.
The first to come to the garden bed

Is a lovely butterfly of brilliant RED

Then in comes another and that makes two

Fly right in my friend of BLUE

"The garden is fine, the best I've seen"

Says the butterfly of softest GREEN

Our garden needs a sunny fellow

Fly in butterfly with wings of YELLOW

Little friend of PURPLE, fly in too

The garden is waiting for a color like you

ORANGE, orange you've waited so long

Fly right in where you belong

Butterflies, butterflies, you're such a sight

Flying together--what a delight!

Source: Perry Public Library

Books:

1. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle

This book is a classic, and always fun to use during storytime. We had some cut-outs of the food ready to go, so I put a little tape on the back of them and put them up on the story board as we went through all of the food that the caterpillar ate (as well as a caterpillar, a cocoon, and a butterfly). It illustrated to the kids how much food one little (very hungry) caterpillar can eat, and it was no wonder he had a stomach ache afterwards. I put the cocoon over top of the caterpillar and was able to show the caterpillar disappearing into a cocoon for two long weeks until he pops out and becomes a beautiful butterfly!

2. "Butterfly, Butterfly: A Book Full of Colors" by Petr Horcek

What beautiful illustrations! If you have a copy at your library, go look at them! They are beautiful! But it's possible they won't, just for the fact that there are pop-ups in the book. Because of that, it is one of our professional resources and is a reference book (not able to be checked out by members).

But, at any rate, it is a wonderful book!

Rainbows

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Rain is Falling Down (Tune: "Farmer on the Dell"):
The rain is falling down, (flutter fingers down) SPLASH (clap once loudly)
The rain is falling down, (flutter fingers down) SPLASH (clap once loudly)
Pitter patter pitter patter (tap legs softly)
The rain is falling down, (flutter fingers down) SPLASH (clap once loudly)
Source: King County Library System

If You're Wearing Red Today (Tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"):
If you're wearing red today, red today, red today

If you're wearing red today, won't you please stand up

Continue with other colors that the children are wearing at storytime
Source: Abby the Librarian

Rainbow over the Waterfall:
Rainbow over the Waterfall (form arc, then dip hands down)

Rainbow over the tree, (form arc, the tree shape with hands)

Rainbow over the mountains (form arc, draw mountains)

Rainbow over the sea (form arc, rock hands like waves)

Rainbow over the flowers (form arc, cup hands for flower)

Rainbow over the bee, (form arc, then fly finger around)

Rainbow over the dancers, (form arc, then sway body)

Rainbow over me! (form arc, then point to self)
Source: Shadyside Library Storytime

Books:

1. "Mouse Paint"  by Ellen Stoll Walsh

2. "A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni

I love all books, whether they are old or new, but sometimes it is nice to use some classics. I consider both of these authors, and these two books, classics in the picture book genre. 

"Mouse Paint" is about three white mice who find three jars of paint and then proceed to experiment with the colors. They mix the primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) to make other colors, by dipping themselves in the jars of paint. Then they decide it is better to paint paper instead of themselves, so that the three white mice can blend in with the white background and hide from the cat. 

"A Color of His Own" is about a chameleon. Chameleons change color and so this story is about a chameleon who just wants to have a color of his own.

Bubbles

Never would have I imagined it would be so difficult to find storytime books about bubbles! But it was very difficult. Either the books were too long, too fact-filled, or only mentioned bubbles in passing. I wanted books that were solely about bubbles! Or a story that focuses on bubbles. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to add other books in the comments!

But, as I was set on having a storytime about bubbles, and had found some wonderful action rhymes and songs about the theme, I was set on having my bubble-themed storytime. So, I made it work!

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Three bubbles:
A small bubble (make a circle with your hands)

A medium sized bubble (make a larger circle)

A great big bubble I see (make an even larger circle with arms)

Now let’s count them, are you ready?

1 – 2 – 3 (make 3 circles again)

POP! (clap hands loudly once)

Source: Perry Public Library

I'm A Little Bubble (Tune: "I'm a Little Teapot"):
I'm a little bubble, shiny and round.
I gently float down to the ground.
The wind lifts me up and then I drop. 
Down to the dry ground where I pop.
Source: Step by Step Child Care

Bubble Song (Tune: "Happy and You Know It")
There bubbles in the air, in the air. POP! POP!
There bubbles in the air, in the air. POP! POP!
There bubbles in the air, there bubbles everywhere.
There bubbles in the air, in the air. POP! POP!

Other verses:
There are bubbles on the floor 
There are bubbles on my toes 
There are bubbles in my hair, etc.   

Books:

1. "Pop! A Book About Bubbles" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 

So, as I mentioned, it was difficult to find books specifically about bubbles. "Pop! A Book About Bubbles" is ALL about bubbles, but it is packed with information and some of the pages have a lot more information than you might want to discuss in storytime. A benefit of this is that you can tailor the information you read off of the pages, or you can be like me and paperclip together the pages so you only read a small portion of the book. It also might be a good book, because of the information and the length, to include for a school-age program.

2. "Bubble Trouble" by Joy Hulme

This was a cute story, but technically it is an emergent reader book, not a picture book. It worked fine for storytime, since there are not a ton of words on every page. It is also smaller (again, emergent reader book, not picture book), but with our smaller crowds at the community branch library, it worked perfectly.