Maisy Drives the Bus!

                                 Oh Maisy!

It's Flannel Friday and Maisy is making her first appearance here at Piper Loves the Library.  So much fun!  Lucy Cousin's Maisy and all of her pals maintain their popularity with the preschoolers in the library.  It always helps that Piper is a fangirl!  

This week I ordered lots of Maisy books.  I had to replace the worn, torn and loved-to-death copies plus buy new titles because....big announcement here....tah-dah.... Maisy is on our summer reading list for the pre-k kids! *squee*

Right now...Maisy is on the coffee table and the cozy couch.  Look!

Maisy makes things fun.  Her pals are easy to remember ...Cyril, Tallulah and Little Black Cat! 

I'm taking my time with this project...I think the friends will have detachable heads!  Sounds awful but they'll look really cute in the bus!  Stay tuned! 

P.S. (Piper Script): Maisy has her own Fun Club with interactive games and coloring pages.  This link will take you there...I'm sending you to the page with all her books.  It's incredible!  Have fun!

Update on Maisy:  click here to see the removable heads!

Flannel Friday! They Say It's Your Birthday!

Happy Birthday Flannel Friday!

from My Storytime Life and Piper Loves the Library!

And yes! We're wearing flannel!

Piper and I are celebrating with fellow FF'ers this week by sharing our favorites.  If you want to visit Flannel Heaven - visit the Flannel Friday Pinterest Page - click here!

My personal flannel ah-ha moment arrived when I discovered storytimekatie and flannel bandaids for her puppy.  Eyes wide open to connecting my puppets to the flannel board.   Sadly I had no idea who storytimekatie was or where to find her inspiring blog again until I discovered Mel's Desk and it all came together.  Many thanks to storytimekatie for the inspiration and helping Piper be ever-so-dramatic!

Please check out storytimekatie

Piper has tons of bandaids now and her "intro" story is a flannel song!  

Take a look at Piper's girl

Picture book flannels have been the mainstay of my collection and here are some that have inspired me from FF:

http://cfkidslibrarian.blogspot.com/2012/05/boo-hoo-bird-flannel-story.html

http://busycraftingmommy.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/first-day-of-winter-felt-board-flannel-friday/

http://mystorytimelife.blogspot.com/2012/03/flannel-friday-hippity-hop-part-2.html

http://libraryvillage.blogspot.com/2014/03/flannel-friday-rainbow-stew.html

http://librarystorytimeabcs.blogspot.com/2013/05/flannel-friday-dont-let-pigeon.html

http://thriveafterthree.com/2013/02/07/this-is-not-a-box/

http://sarah-readrabbitread.blogspot.com/2011/12/flannel-friday-what-color-is-bears.html

http://mystorytimelife.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html

And here are a couple of mine:

http://piperlovesthelibrary.blogspot.com/2013/02/hi-ho-flannel-friday.html  

http://piperlovesthelibrary.blogspot.com/2013/02/flannel-feathered-flock-friday.html


I am a big fan of flannel rhymes and songs, here are some of my 'favs"

http://storytimekatie.com/2012/07/13/flannel-friday-four-little-rockets/

http://loonsandquines.blogspot.com/2013/01/flannel-friday-five-currant-buns-with.html

http://missmaryliberry.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/flannel-friday-sorting-socks-game/

http://piperlovesthelibrary.blogspot.com/2013/03/snow-snow-snow-it-is-undeniably.html

This is one of the best stories in a box I have ever witnessed.  Watching Kari Ann do this is very dear, sweet and loving.  The audience loves it and her in this story.  Maybe some day I will make it.  But for now, I can borrow hers!  Amen to that.
http://mystorytimelife.blogspot.com/2012/01/flannel-friday-time-for-cake.html

Here's my favorite new thing learned on FF!
http://lessordinarylibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-spy-colored-rice.html

And this is a one-of-a-kind amazing project that brings tears to my eyes.  xo
http://www.sotomorrowblog.com/2012/06/flannel-friday-very-special-delivery.html

Let's get this party going!  

P.S. (Piper Script):  I'll get the bubbles!

FIZZ, BOOM, READ!

It's International Women's Day!

And I'm creating a blog post to focus on STEAM for young participants in our 2014 summer reading program:

STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math are always a part of the library, but right now - it's the focus, big time!  * and we're lovin' it!*  The trend for the past 8-10 years is that GEEK is cool.  Amen!  Many of us in the library sciences field - full of detail, information, technology and literacy got here because we really like STEAM.  (Geek or not, it's what we love)

We're always incorporating learning in our story times and now...well, we're bringing it!  Rockin' it!  And the whole world is making sure that we are reaching our young girls as we spread the math, science, technology, engineering and art to our community.  So, I say...Full STEAM Ahead for International Women's Day!

This summer you will find all sorts of techie specials in our library system.  MaKey MaKey, Squishy Circuits, Goldie Blox, and so much more.

You'll also find me leading the group with techie art projects with school age children, because I just can't resist these sorts of displays around the children's department!

               



 And still there's more...the youngest participants in our Summer Story Times...they need BUBBLES and BOOKS and FLANNELS!  Here's a mini- how-to Fizz, Boom, Read your preschool story times: 

Use bubbles...we all love them.  Make it summer fun.  Kendra has a Hello Bubble song - check it out!  Piper and I will blow bubbles with all of our groups.  (actually, Piper's better at watching bubbles!)  Anyway...moving on to..
Dinosaurs.. are always big!  Yes, I wrote that!  BIG.  And yes, indeed some were little.  I know, I know!    Take a look here for Dinosaur Flannels and more dinosaurs for story telling.  Or let's make some robot flannels - look here @ Library Quine's!

    

Space ships, rocket ships are totally inter-gallactical-ly fantastic! (I wish I did not write that sentence!)  Storytime Katie made some beautiful rocket ships that I plan to flannelize very soon.  Take a look at her post. 

And if you are thinking rocket ships and aliens, please think: Mr Wuffles! by David Wiesner.  A cat, a space ship, aliens and even ants.  I haven't figured out how to share this book in story time, but I love it.  Any ideas?

If you made monster flannels...maybe you can use them as space aliens this summer.  

Or make a set of space aliens in their space ship - just like Katie's! 

I have ants!  Flannel ants, whew!  They work for science and singing!

And I have the science of the bird nest and the baby bird!  In My Nest by Sara Gillingham is a perfect story for little ones.  Click here!

No doubt there is plenty more STEAM if I go through all of my Flannel Board inventory. (math with Pete the Cat and his four groovy buttons! oh yeah!)   Look at your collection through your science safety goggles!  Pair up your flannels with different books.  I strongly suggest checking out the FIZZ, BOOM, READ graphics via the catalog or Google images.  It will spark your thinking!  Or maybe sparkle it!   Hmmm, glitter on my safety goggles?  why didn't I think of that before?  We may post photos, or not!  

P.S. (Piper Script):  More science with Swirl by Swirl, Turtle Splash, from Catch the Possibilities you'll find Butterflies , Oh Dear No Eggs Here features finding eggs on the farm.  Some engineering with Tip Tip Dig Dig - love this book!

...and you can always sing good bye with the song Wave Goodbye Like A Windmill  on the Little Green Music CD: 31 Exciting Earth Songs by The Fun Music Man