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?  

S-O-P-H-I-E

Do you know Sophie?

Well first, you might like to know that she is French, born in France!  Ooohh - la - la!  She has very bright eyes and beautiful blushing cheeks.  All the little ones in story time know her friendly smile, her soft touch and her adorable squeak!   Take a peek!

Oui!  Yes!  This is SOPHIE! 

This is my petite post for the perfect giraffe who joined my family just prior to the birth of my grandson.  I made the letters for Sophie's name.  They look like this:

Yes!  Giraffe felt.  (c'est parfait!)

With the help of all in attendance I place the letters in order trying to explain that "PH sounds like F."  But of course....some of the story time Sophies are actually Sofia.  So after a discussion on who has an F and who has a PH and what do they both sound like....we move into Sophie's story of being born in France, far away.  Many parents of the story time children were born in other countries.  We talk about that and also about how little we were when we were born - when we were just tiny babies!  And remember: Sophie is a baby giraffe.  We start our song very softly because we don't want to frighten baby Sophie.  (to the tune of BINGO)

I have a giraffe who's here from France

and Sophie is her name-oh

S-O-PH-I-E

S-O-PH-I-E

S-O-PH-I-E

and Sophie is her name-oh!!

Voila!

p.s. (piper script) J'adore Sophie, kiss kiss! 
It is a good idea to make a letter F for explaining PH/F sound.

If you would like to learn more about Sophie. click here

We are the Dinosaurs!

We're BACK!!!  

I just had to do a blog post with the 

completed dinosaurs. 

These are the plain ones...now, 

wait for it

wait...

      wait..

Yep!  The printed ones!!!  

And, do you think you can match them up?

Of course you can!!

In case you didn't visit last week's dinosaurs on this blog...I found the adorable pattern for these dinosaurs on Mel's desk  Just click the link and you'll 

find the pattern!  

She has a wonderful rhyme too.

Thank you Melissa!

Go for it...sort and match the dinosaurs!  

And don't forget to march to 

Laurie Berkner's song!

Go get your little one and click the above link to Laurie marching and singing.  

You'll be singing this all day long!

So silly and so much fun!

p.s.  (Piper script)  I love marching!!

Flannel Friday Ducklings!

Move over Little White Duck, you've got some company!  So, my Five Little Ducks were hanging around Story Time with The Little White Duck flannel pieces listening to mo willem's new book - The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?  and before I knew it...my ducks were "willem-ized"...take a look!

Now, if you haven't read the book, here's my advice...

Don't let the Pigeon hide this book!!

If you really want your ducks to

look "mo" like mo willems' duck

- just change the eye.  Like this:

You may want to make a 6th little duck...the "Duckling"

Here's the template - have fun!!!

Oh, and here's the rhyme done as a song!

The very English and traditional Five Little Ducks went out to play

The "Pigeon" is very popular in our library...these are all MUST READS.

Click this link to visit mo willems and learn about all of his books and silliness!

P.S. (Piper Script)  I'm thinking....

 "The Piper wants a Pigeon" is a good title!

or better yet

"The Piper wants a Duckling!"

ut-oh!  

Flannel Friday Circles!

We go round and round and round in the circle game!  Both Kandinsky and Joni Mitchell inspired the creation of these circles.  I love them and their flexibility.

 Soooo many things we can do with these circles.  Each circle has an exact match..but there are many other ways to group them..outer circle color, button color, which ones have pink, count the circles, circles in a line...you get the picture!  

 I like to start the circles in the shape of a square!  We square up the circles!!  Then all the children are welcome to take a circle off the flannel board, and we begin to match.  Some find their match before they return to the flannel board and two children will come up together. Very Cool!  Others take more time, and others just like taking them off and placing them back on!!  I slowly move the circles out of their pairs on the flannel board until I create a BIG...Circle! 

A circle made of circles.  We are approaching genius, and we are preschoolers!!! 

We make circles with our arms and circles with our hands.  We talk about dancing in circles...and then..we pass out the Lakeshore streamers.  Oh, how I love my job!

There are many Circle songs...no doubt you have a favorite, this one is mine and the YouTube video is just adorable: Joni Mitchell's Circle Game with Steven Curtis Chapman.  We dance in a circle with streamers.  We are beautiful! 

I have two favorite books to use with the circles - one was recently borrowed by my Starbuck's friend, Rex, with his new library card!

And the other a perfect Spring choice!

Hurray for Flannel Friday pals and the inspiration you bring to my library!

P.S. (Piper Script) will you please do a a flannel post on bouncing balls! (so much better than circles!)

Flannel Friday! There was a girl who had a dog!

 There was a girl who had a dog

and PIPER was her name-oh!

P - I - P - E - R

P - I - P - E - R

P - I - P - E - R

And PIPER was her name - oh!

(sing to BINGO)

This is Piper's person!  Piper is my wonderful, very real, Puppet and she is the mascot of Monday night's Pajama Story Time.  I recently updated Piper's person, (the previous version was drawn with markers and laminated.) When we begin this story the letters are all over the flannel board, upside down, etc.. although the space holders are set in line right next to the person.  Here's our story, we are very silly:

Once upon a time, here in West Hartford, there was a girl with green hair...no? not green..what color is her hair?  Yellow.  thank you!  a girl with yellow hair.

She wore a purple shirt...no?  not purple...ooh, it's pink.  Yes, a pink shirt.

And her shirt says I love cats, right?  no?  what does it say...Oh, I heart dogs.  And what does that heart mean?  Love...okay, the little girl with the yellow hair has a shirt that tells us that she loves dogs.  

She has something in her hand?  what is that?  a ball, yes!  a green ball!  

I bet her dog loves the green ball.  

Now her dog has a name...and I think it begins with the letter P...

we go through the letters, the sounds, who has that letter in their name, etc.

Finally, we spell out P-I-P-E-R and then we sing the above song. 

p.s. (Piper script) my person's name is Brie

Piper had a difficult day on Flannel Friday

Bumps, bruises, scratches and scrapes made Piper's day very, very, difficult.  Oh my goodness.  I hugged and kissed Piper so many times.  Our friends placed bandaid after bandaid on her "booboos."  Piper cried, it was so sad.  I gave her my heart to hold, read her a book... and now she is "all better"!

My thanks to Flannel Friday for the bandaid idea. Visit Katie  And many thanks to Connecticut's Capitol Region Children's Round Table for being so willing to play with me! This is my first Flannel Friday.    

P.S. (Piper scripts) the pink bandaid is my favorite!