Flannel Friday: Sheep Sheep Bo Peep!

Baa Baa Gold Sheep...

So, here's how it all came down today.  Patiently waiting in the waiting room with some cranky, sick people, big and little, when one of the little people, (not me) had a meltdown.  I would've been next, (with a meltdown), had it not been for my trusty sharpie and some colored paper from the receptionist!  Have I ever said how much I love sharpies?  I adore sharpies!  My preferred writing instrument for all things creative. (And manila folders are perfect for drawing)  Anyway...green, blue and gold paper and one magenta sharpie. (yes, magenta! Don't judge!)

And suddenly we had sheep.  And we were singing and clapping.  And now I think the librarians should visit the doctor's office waiting room once a week!  BTW, I was not sick - just sayin'.  And here are the sheep I sent home with the little one, who was no-longer-having-a-meltdown.  (I took their photos just in case I want to do something with them, someday!)  Tah-Dah!

Returning home I decided to check on my flannel sheep.  I suspected they needed a "sheep-lift" !  Take a look:

Black Sheep, White Sheep and Naked Sheep! aka Sheared Sheep

Baa baa naked sheep have you any wool?

No sir, no sir, I'm cold right thru

Baa baa naked sheep, what can we do?

Knit a sweater for me and a sweater for you!!

Once again:  Tah Dah!

I totally still like these sheep but now I want fancy ones.  Fancy silly ones!  The mustache on the blue one makes me giggle.  And the fur collar on the gold one with the earring is funky fun. And her legs are decorated like those fancy things on a rack of lamb!!  Oh, and everyone's legs look like knitting needles!  Hey, it's just what I'm thinking here! And this is my blog!  Oh and Piper's too.  Sorry Piper, I didn't forget about you.  I just got carried away again.

So, stay tuned.  Piper and I will do a sheep face-lift!  We'll make it a HOW TO.  So we can all have funky, silly, hippy, cheeky sheep.  Are you feeling it?  The flannel love?  

P.S. (Piper Script):  We showed our sheep before, maybe you remember?  We use tapping sticks and everyone loves it.  Really!  Click-it-out!  Did I just make up a new phrase?  Hey, if we can use flannelize, we can use click-it-out!   So much better than the word "Twerk"  Honestly, how is that in the OED?  

Almost forgot to tell you, I found the Oh Dear, No Eggs Here "sheep" in with the flannel sheep.

The lost sheep has been returned.  Now, please don't go all religious on me.

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Oh Dear! Flannel Friday is here!

Oh Dear! 

As the Fall story time session approaches I start organizing the farm books, puppets and flannels. My favorite book for the season, hands down, is Rod Campbell's Oh Dear.  The drama is just waiting for us ...right inside the cover.  But we do need a tad bit of rehearsal.  (a-hem!)  Now please follow along...extend one arm a bit with your palm open and bring it up to your cheek while you dramatically lament..."oh dear" and now shrug your shoulders with both elbows bent and palms facing up (that "I don't know the answer" move) and say "no eggs here"  You can always shake your head no for additional dramatic play

Okay, we're almost ready!  I show the book and explain some background information with hopes of making connections.   In this story a little boy is going to sleep over at his grandmother's house. Do you have a grandmother?  Does she come to your house?  Do you go to her house?  This grandmother lives on a farm...have you been to a farm?  What does it look like?  When the little boy and his grandmother awaken in the early morning she sends the little boy to look for eggs to eat for breakfast.  Do you like eggs?  Do you eat them scrambled?  Would you like to help this little boy find eggs?  Okay, let's do this.    

Once upon a time, a little boy named Buster sleeps over at his grandmother's house.  In the morning he heads out the door to find eggs for breakfast.  He heads straight to the BARN where he finds the ...hmm, what animal does he find in the BARN?  Can you guess?  Let me see ...

Oh yes, the COW...what sound does she make?  Right,  MOOO  MOOO.

  Does she have eggs for Buster's breakfast?   No she doesn't.

  What does Buster say?  OH DEAR, NO EGGS HERE.  

Let's say that again using our hand motions.  You got it!

Next Buster goes to the STY.  Who lives in a STY?  Will you guess?  

You're right!  The pig!  What sound does he make?  OINK OINK!  

Does the pig have eggs for Buster's breakfast?

OH DEAR, NO EGGS HERE

Next Buster goes to the dog house.  Who lives in a dog house?  Do you know?

Of course, the dog!

BARK BARK!

Does the dog have eggs for Buster's breakfast?  

OH DEAR, NO EGGS HERE

Next Buster goes to the stable.  Who lives in a stable?  

Oh my, you are so smart.  You're right - the horse!

What does the horse say?

NEIGH NEIGH

Does this horse have eggs for Buster's breakfast? 

OH DEAR, NO EGGS HERE

Next Buster goes to the HUTCH.  Who lives in a HUTCH?

A bunny lives in a hutch!

Does this bunny have eggs for Buster?

OH DEAR, NO EGGS HERE

Where will Buster go next?

Let's see first he went to the BARN

(practice your sequencing skills!) 

Then he went to the STY

Next he went to the DOG HOUSE

After that he went to the STABLE

And then to the HUTCH

And finally he will go to the HEN HOUSE!

Who lives in the HEN HOUSE?  

(of course they all know by now! Thank heavens!)

Could it be?

Do you think?

Do we see... a HEN????

Hmmm, does she have eggs for Buster's breakfast?

What do you think?

YES! YES! YES!

Yes! The hen has two eggs for Buster's breakfast!

HOORAY!

We skipped a few of the animals from the story. I intentionally leave out the duck because some of the little ones know that ducks lay eggs and the story takes a detour. I avoid that.

And it appears our sheep has gone missing ...I think she's serving double duty 

and is with Mary, (had a little lamb) right now!

And NEXT...we have the shaker eggs!  Of course!  And it's confirmed already that we all love Miss Nina and her shaker eggs. Click it!   You will not regret that click!  She's a doll!  So shake it on baby...with your shaker eggs.

P.S. (Piper Script)  I love dancing with the shaker eggs!  

These flannels were made the old school way, back in the "olden days".  I drew them, colored them with crayon and marker, laminated them and added flannel to the backs.  Oh - the two eggs are made from tan foam and I have tons of them so everyone can place an egg on the flannel board.    

Hi-Ho Flannel Friday!

Clip-Clop
  Written and illustrated by Nicola Smee

Now this is a perfect book!  As tempted as I was to create my own twist on this - I couldn't. After many many readings of Clip-Clop, Jingle-Jingle and Splish-Splosh, (all by Nicola Smee) each character, polite and willing, is so simply, wonderfully defined.  No-sir-ree,  no changing "these guys"up!

Just look at them:

They look like they'll jump off the cover!  Yes?

While the characters remain the same, I did change up how I manage the story.  I want "my" Mr. Horse to move... up and down and slow and fast!  And faster! 

(you know I love those paint-stirrer-sticks)

I want Mr Horse to say "Up you get" to Cat and Dog and Pig.  And have them get on up!

I want Duck to call out "Don't leave me behind"

And with everyone on... Mr. Horse will clip-clop

(while the children clap-clap)

"Faster, faster"  Hold on tight!  Clippity-cloppity!

(while the children clappity-clappity faster and faster)

Whoa!  Oh no, we're falling off!

(Fancy mini-clothespins!)

CAN WE DO IT AGAIN? 

(and my mind hears, mommy? daddy? again?!)

Hi-Ho Flannel Friday!!!

P.S. (Piper Script) If you liked this book you should check this link, click here .  I love Mrs. Smee and Mr. Horse with the farmyard animals.  Let's all go to England to visit her!

Construction info and tips:  I generally use black felt to back all the pieces. For pieces like these, that will travel at high speeds, I suggest using the stiff felt for backing.  I then added a layer of cardboard to Mr Horse and with book tape added the paint-stirrer-stick so he could fly like the wind!   

Sometimes you have to work with what you have...and I had glittery mini-clothes-pins, (would have used plain ones) I Tacky-glued each rider to a clothespin for easy on and off.  

Many thanks to Kari Ann, who used to blog on mystorytimelife, for the idea to flannelize this book..  It only took me 10 months to get it done! Now I can barely wait to put the paint-stirrer-stick in a child's hand and let him make Mr Horse go up and down and all around.  Yee-ha!!!