I am not afraid of anything!

The little old lady...

     ...should have brought her flashlight along with her!  

We use flashlights in story time with this book.  You know the part, when the little old lady starts to head home and there is only a sliver of moon - we turn off the lights.....it's scary!  It's fun!  It's scary fun!!  We all have our flashlights, thank goodness!

This is another one of the old flannel board stories that I've pulled out for Fall.  The little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything written by Linda Williams is an absolutely fail proof story.  

These flannel board  pieces were created while my daughter swam laps at swim team practice.  I knew I needed a story for the next day's program...I had a manilla folder with me and some colored pencils.  I drew on the folder, colored with pencils, cut and then I placed sand paper on the back side when we got home.  This was new to me - using sand paper instead of felt.  (this was also 18 years ago!)  

I love this story and I still love these pieces.  

Two shoes that went: CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP

One pair of pants that went: WIGGLE, WIGGLE, WIGGLE

One Shirt that went:  SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE

Two white gloves that went: CLAP, CLAP, CLAP

And one tall black hat the went: NOD, NOD, NOD

AND......

one very huge, very scary, very orange pumpkin head that went:

BOO!

And when we get to the end of the story...this is how our pieces look:

Click here for the story read by Shelly Lovett at childcareland.com

For those of you who follow Piperlovesthelibrary.... let me ask - who knew that my flannel board stories would serve as markers in my life, markers full of memories?  Who knew this?  I didn't!  Last week when I posted my This Old Man pieces I had a flash of the Ref Desk at the Farmington Library and my colleague Trish.  And when I snapped the photos for this post...all I could think of was the Westbrook YMCA, my daughter and her friend Caroline swimming.  I find it both funny and heartwarming that my flannel board pieces made on the road, on a desk, in a car, on a plane...on the beach...hold more than the story from the book.  They hold my place in time, with my family and friends, houses and dogs and cats.  This is a good thing, (Martha Stewart)!  

Now, as I continue to craft flannel  into stories I may be more aware that I am logging memories, (or not).  I still travel with flannel and scissors in my book bag most days.  And I laugh to see that I must have 4 manilla file folders in my bag as well!  Tomorrow I will be in NYC for KidLit at the New York Public Library.  I suppose if anyone needs a quick flannel board story - I can draw it out for them on the folder and provide flannel for the backing.  I have proof that the pieces will last at least 18 years.  

p.s. (piper script) I am saying Good Night for Piper.  But we are wondering - Do you love this book as much as we do?  How do you tell the story of The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything?  

Knick-Knack Paddy Whack

This Old Man

The Counting Song!
Fall story times begin next week in my library and it is time to dust off the flannel board and organize the books, songs and stories.  Who's ready for fun?  

First up - This Old Man  The Counting Song  illustrated by Robin Michael Koontz.  This is one of my long time favorites.  I grew up singing this song and learned the hand motions from a little girl named Colby.  I made these pieces 24 years ago to go along with the book. 

I drew them, outlined them, colored them with markers, laminated, cut them out and attached a piece of felt to the back of each.  I remember sitting at the Ref Desk and coloring them.  I still love "doing this song".  

This old man, he played one, he played knick-knack on a drum with a knick-knack paddy whack, give a dog a bone, this old man came rolling home!

Sometimes the children ask "did you bring the old men with you?"  I tend to play-out this question...looking all around, what old men?  who are you talking about?  The responses vary ...the counting men!  the give a dog a bone men!  the knick-knack men!!!   And I can not resist to play some more ...oohhh, the men who go with this book?  Maybe, let's see.  And I will take out the men, (from my book bag) one by one and we will count out loud til we have the 10 men on the flannel board.  Yay!  And then we have Piper too.  She is the dog from the line "give a dog a bone"

Click here for an adorable video of This Old Man with the words on the screen

or here for a version you may download for free to an iPad or iPod

This song is available as a free App for iPad and iPod.  Visit the App store under Nursery TV

With each verse I place one man on the flannel board we do all the motions, (hopefully I find a volunteer who will let me film him/her doing the motions next week and I will post on this blog!), and go right into the next verse.  The song moves quickly and that is good because there are ten verses!  This is what the flannel board looks like at the end of the song:

UPDATE: we made our own video click here for new posting

p.s. (piper script)  I love this song because I always get 10 bones!  yum!

Piper Reads RRRALPH!

Piper is in love with this book.  A talking dog?  Really?

Caldecott-Honor-Award Winning author, Lois Elhert, brings Ralph to life in glorious collage fashion. Parents, children, (and Piper), will giggle with the silly jokes.  

hmmm...

did you guess??

oh, there's more

Can you guess this one?

RRRALPH is a talking dog!

Piper and I can't help but wonder what our friends find fascinating this fall?  We recently asked the question..."What are you reading?"  And this is what we discovered:

Have you seen my Cat?

written by Eric Carle is a cat lovers favorite for fall!

Eager to learn about robots in the future?  

eager, written by Helen Fox is fantastic science fiction.

The BONE series has quite a following.  

These graphic novels written by Jeff Smith are always flying off the self

Award winning author Rebecca Stead's First Light is unbelievable.

Who knew that traveling to Greenland to study global warming could produce a sci-fi fantasy?

The Warriors Series by Erin Hunter

I am beginning to think this is a Cat-lovers cult!  

There are series inside of series for the Warriors.  

I never have enough of these on the shelf, yet I am always ordering more. 

Whoa! Here's a classic, Margery Williams' 

The Velveteen Rabbit

No doubt a mom's "fav"

(The Velveteen Rabbit link takes you to the upcoming newly illustrated version,  pub date 2/12/13, but there are many versions of this book in the library and in your bookstore.  If purchasing, I recommend that you take home the book with the plush rabbit)

What better way to end your day?  

How many kisses does it take to say good night?

Counting Kisses by Karen Katz

is the perfect bedtime book.

And now, dear readers, you have experienced my newest edition to the blog.  

I am calling this BookFace!  Credit for this title goes to one of the many children's librarians in attendance at KidLib Camp 2012 hosted by the Darien Library  (if you read the blog and this is you, please comment and I will assign the proper credit.  Thank you)

I will be updating this series periodically.  

I encourage creative photos!  

The submission of a photo grants permission 

to use it on the blog.  

Many thanks from :

p.s. (piper script) The West Hartford Public Libraries carry these titles.  Stop by and check-them-out!