Sleeping Bunnies for the Ukulele

My resolution to learn and use a new ukulele song in my story times each month is off to a great start! I opted to begin 2014 with the song "Sleeping Bunnies," which I've heard recommended by many a librarian I admire. I've found it's an excellent song for most any story time group, both in the library and at outreach, as it incorporates fine motor play, soft and energetic music, and a great level of participation.

Start with sleeping bunnies--either the kids themselves are the bunnies, lying down and asleep, or the kids hold up two fingers for a snoozing bunny. Then, as the song progresses, those bunnies get up and hop, hop, hop! Every time I've shared this song, it has resulted in tons of smiles as well as hopping children and hands. A wonderful addition to my ukulele repertoire!

Here are the chords/strings I use in playing "Sleeping Bunnies":

Check out Miss Mary Liberry's video tutorial for playing this song on the ukulele:


sleeping bunnies from Mary K on Vimeo.


And don't forget to watch the Jbrary ladies sing the song a cappella:



Happy ukulele-ing!

Revised Review Policy

Now that the reading portion of my stint on the 2014 Newbery Committee has concluded, I'm back to being able to talk about my reading life. I'm very excited to be a social reader once again! That means I'll also be reviewing books on the blog again, and in the spirit of starting things off right, I've revised my review policy.

I'm particularly looking forward to highlighting titles with connections to the STEAM areas--both fiction and nonfiction--in the coming months. As I continue to develop engaging STEAM programming at my library, I want to stay abreast of the best new titles that will enrich my programs, book displays, and conversations with kids. So keep your eyes out for STEAM review roundups throughout the year!

What are your favorite recent titles that connect somehow to science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math?

Holy Bagumba! The 2014 Newbery Books!

It gives me great joy to share the titles recognized as the 2014 Newbery Award and Honor books. I am incredibly proud of the work my committee did in dedicating a year to reading, rereading, discussing, and selecting these distinguished titles.

I also want to give a big, public "thank you" to every one of my colleagues, family members, and friends for your unflagging support throughout the past year. I cannot wait to openly discuss books with you again this year!

2014 Newbery Medal - Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

2014 Newbery Honors - Doll Bones by Holly Black; The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes; One Came Home by Amy Timberlake; and Paperboy by Vince Vawter

See the announcement webcast and all of the Youth Media Award winners here.

Saturday, February 1 is Take Your Child to the Library Day

Mark your calendars and pull out all your best passive programming ideas: February 1 marks the third annual Take Your Child to the Library Day!

Take Your Child to the Library Day is a day to welcome all families in your community into the library and to really showcase the variety of programs, activities, and services that you can provide them. It's a great day to get a library card; to explore the stacks; and to meet the librarian. Anything to engage with all the library has to offer to children and families!

The Take Your Child to the Library Day website has tons of ideas for ways YOUR library can celebrate and advocate, including info on a great giveaway through Bookboard. It's also got a comprehensive list of state representatives for the initiative as well as a list of the libraries all over the world who will be celebrating come February 1.

Join the ranks and invite families to all that's great at your library!

Don't forget Guerrilla Storytime at #alamw14 this Sunday!

Attention all folks headed to ALA Midwinter this weekend! Make some room in your schedule on Sunday, January 26, 2-3 p.m., and head to the Uncommons for Guerrilla Storytime!

It's advocacy. It's idea-sharing. It's grassroots training. And it's FUN!

I'll be there with bells on. Or, at least, with an egg shaker and a ukulele. I hope to see you there and to hear all your great storytime tips!

A Guide to STEAM for Families with Young Children

I've been offering preschool science programs for a while now, and during each program, I speak to caregivers about STEAM and how it ties in with early literacy. STEAM experiences allow children to develop understanding about how the world works. At the most basic level, these sorts of experiences introduce children to new vocabulary, content knowledge, and narrative skills that are an integral part of early literacy. The more a child experiences, the more a child knows; and the more a child knows, the more a child will be able to recognize and process when it comes to reading. STEAM is important.

That's why I created a guide to STEAM for these families with young children. The guide resembles a handout on the five early literacy practices that accompanies my library's early literacy calendars, so it's a format with which my library families are familiar. The guide explains what STEAM is, notes how it's important, and gives fun, simple activity ideas that families can do together to promote STEAM experiences and learning. I've found that parents really enjoy having a handout that gives them a running start when it comes to literacy-positive activities with their kids. These sorts of guides plant the seed for parents, and they empower parents to find the early literacy potential in every day. If I can accomplish that in my library, I consider my work successful.

My First Flannel Friday: The Elves and the Shoemaker

Well, I've done it. I've made my first ever from-scratch felt story, which means I am participating in Flannel Friday for the first time this week!

My first endeavor into creating a felt story is a traditional folk story: The Elves and the Shoemaker. After reading and rereading the story and thinking about how I would tell it out loud to a group of preschoolers, I started making some drawings of shapes that I could use as felt patterns.

After quite a bit of experimentation, I assembled two elves with removable outfits (as per the story); one shoemaker (who looks something like a Jedi master); and four sets of boots. My pieces were created with hand-drawn patterns, and they are made of felt with some tacky glue to hold bits together. I used black permanent marker to add fine details.

Check out this week's full Flannel Friday round-up on Kathryn's blog Fun with Friends at Storytime.