We are FAMILY!

We're talking FF, CLA, and sheep, baby!

Welcome to Flannel Friday!  My flannel family! They keep me creative and on task, (at least on Fridays!)   Last week we did a tutorial blog post on cheeky sheep and I promised to post the family photo once I completed making the three.  I added it to the tutorial and I just had to start with it here today.  Cuz they're so cute, my little sheep family!  The mom is my favorite.  Did I write that?  We don't have favorites in the family.  

We have so many things to do with them!  Do you know that song...Baby Shark?  Well, we have our own version. We'll start big and go very little and quiet.  Daddy Sheep and Family!

 Daddy Sheep...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa

 Daddy Sheep...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa, Daddy sheep!

Likes to eat...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa

Likes to eat..baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa likes to eat!

Mommy sheep...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa

Mommy sheep..baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa Mommy sheep!

Dancing feet...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa

Dancing feet...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa Dancing feet!

Baby sheep...baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa

Baby sheep..baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa BabySheep!

Time to sleep...shhh shhh, shhh, shhhh, sh-shhh

Time to sleep..baa baa, baa, baa, ba-baa Time to sleep!!!!

Another song is the traditional Baa Baa Green Sheep, Pink Sheep and Blue Sheep, (What?  You don't sing those colors?) and tap it out with the tapping sticks, take a look -  here.  Oh and all of our kids will have a flannel rectangle to match one of the sheep.  Sheep graph on the flannel board!  Oh yeah - meet the sheep at Prime Time, Monday night 6:30 pm!  You know you want to be there!

Today the family of librarians across the state gathered for the Connecticut Library Association annual meeting.  It was grand.  Favorite parts of the day: the presentation by Mary and Erin from the Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.  I am talking NASA, friends and it's free.  Free software, tutorials, connect to telescopes on the internet, make incredible prints! Take a look at ALA's Astro 4 Girls.  Fabulous!  

They let us get on laptops and set the telescope to take a snap of whatever...

we get the photos tomorrow at 1pm.  (emailed, I know!))

And the other hi-light for me: Heather and Caitlin presenting "Excellent Nonfiction for Children".  Holy macaroni!  They did their research, they shared it with all of us and they entertained the entire room.  They provided the exact connections to CCSS.   This is collaboration at it's best.  Heather Baker, (Canton Public Library), and Caitlin August, (Stratford Library), two top-notch, (dare I say genius?), librarians doing what they love and loving what they do!   They develop and demonstrate "Best Practices" in many areas of librarianship.  And truly, they do it with charm, humor and so much smarts. (yes, librarians of genius!)  They are so generous with their time and talents.  If you are attending the AASL National Conference in November - you'll see them present.  

I know Caitlin was speaking directly to me when she introduced this book.

I want it now!  Like, right now!!  And I want to be part of her Mock Caldecott!

Caitlin had us all in touch with our inner-nurturer with this book!

My advice: get an extra copy because you will want one in your office...to cuddle.  Really!

Heather intro'd this beautiful book while wearing stripes!  Intentional?  hmmm

And I was so happy to see this book - because I just ordered it. Gorgeous! 

And for the musically gifted, Heather and her new colleague, 

(two in the same building...sooo not fair), this book provides

  biography, creativity, multi-cultural experience and NOISE!

Piper loves her library family.  She gets that from me!  Wait, she's a dog, uh, umm.  

Oh well, whatever!  Many thanks to to CLA and our state librarians - you make us shine!!  

P.S. (Piper Script): as always, we love comments

                  

I do all my own Library stunts!

Organizing for the Flannel Panel   

Next week I'm headed to the Connecticut Library Association Conference to rock and roll with two of my favorite librarians, Kari Ann St Jean and Heather Baker.
We're presenting The Flannel Panel!


A little history on these two:  Kari Ann has moved on from my library system to be a department head in a neighboring town library, (so happy for her...so sad for me), and the inimitable Heather Baker is just a few towns away.  Heather is a super-brain Head of Children's Dept. librarian.  She is one of the smartest people I know.  Both of these women give generously to their communities, their staff and the collaborative development of librarians in Connecticut and everywhere.  If you come - they will teach, share, assist, provide and make you laugh.  There is a kindness in these women that you don't find just anywhere. And thank heavens they have my back next week!!

)

(kari ann & jane) 





We've planned to display some of our flannel pieces and this year I made a little heading for our foam core display boards.  Oh how we love Amelia Bedelia (check out last years display boards)                                                                
                                                                                                                              (heather & jane)                                                                                                             

A thirty minute magical, fantastical, all-out-flannel story time will precede the 25 minute Q & A.  We are presenting at the end of the day which will allow us to stay longer if anyone wishes to stay. The panel will provide great tips and how-to's, behind-the-scenes flannel secrets, why magnets help, when to use cardboard, felt-in-a-box, felt-on-a-paint-stirrer, sunshines-on-sticks, the best easel and so much more.  We'll tie-in to the summer reading theme, (Dig into Reading), and present stories in-line with the Common Core SS and Every Child Ready to Read. Our hope is that you will go home with all the words and wisdom to confidently tell your own fantastical flannel stories, songs and rhymes.

There'll be guerrilla flannel tales for your entertainment if: A) you stay long enough and  B) we get Heather going.  This alone is worth the price of admission!
   

Some of my friends needed to get spiffed up before heading out to CLA.  

Little Mouse 

needed a stiff felt backing

Little Cat's Hats

needed stiff felt backs and some pizzaz

And Pete, 

well...he got new buttons

Pretty Groovy, eh?

Join us at CLA on April 30th -you know you want to!  

And then you can say....I went to the Flannel Panel because I FELT like it!

p.s. I've discovered that in the process of determining what to do, bring, share and present for the conference I overload myself with creative, inspiring new and sometimes old ideas.  Research is wonderful!  I love learning.  This prep work motivates many new ideas.  It's falling in love with my career all over again - you know...that seductive tug - just one more click, and I link to one more idea or pinterest page, or a Flannel Friday friend's blog post and NOW ...I want to include that in the presentation.   Heather is so in love with this process...she thinks it a good idea to be in "presenter-prep-mode permenantly".  In case I didn't tell you, she's younger and very high energy!  Today I am loading two easels into my car and picking up printed hand-outs, pinning my flannel pieces to my display boards...you know how it goes.  Just remember...I do all my own library stunts!!!  Oh, and what should I wear to the conference?

Flannel Friday ~ Mice are Nice!!

Find the Mice!

(book by Melanie Watt)

Do you see any mice yet?

Mice?   

Is that mouse hot glued to a stick?

(paint stirrer from your friendly 

Sherwin Williams Paint Store!)

Mice?   Eeeeekkkk!!!  

Mice-on-sticks!  Really?  Yes!

This week the Capitol Region Children's Round Table met at The Cora J Belden Library in Rocky Hill, CT, for Flannel Fest!  Piper and I came home with mice!  Six mice...but now there are twelve! 

More mice each night..mice with pants, mice on sticks!

My thanks to Heather Baker for the mouse template and this adorable idea:

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock

(move your mouse-on-a-stick back and forth)

Hickory, Dickory, Dock

The mouse ran up the clock

(run your little mouse-on-a-stick up your arm)

The clock struck one 

BONG! 

(tap your head one time with your mouse-on-a-stick)

and down he run

Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock

Hickory, Dickory, Dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck two

BONG!  BONG!

(two taps)

PEEK-A-BOO

(hide your mouse behind your hand...twice!!)

PEEK-A-BOO

Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock

Hickory Dickory Dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck three

BONG!  BONG!  BONG!

The mouse squealed "wheeee"

(slide him down your arm three times)

Wheeeee!

Wheeee!

Hickory Dickory Dock!

I plan to make about 20 mice on sticks!  One for each child to use in story time. 

Ellen Stoll Walsh has written a series of mice books.  This one is great fun!  

 

Piper found another pony!!

 There are two ponies in the Children's Room at The Cora Belden Library... and lots of room for riding!  This is a beautiful, spacious, and friendly library.  The displays of student artwork, the flags from many countries, and the rainbow with a pot of gold made it all very inviting and exciting!  Piper took a rest before we left...take a look!

Thank you Miss Cathy, we loved visiting your library!

The Flannel Fest was great and so were the m&m's!!

P.S. (Piper script):  Read to Toby , a reading therapy dog, in the library!  I want to visit Toby!