Coming soon . . .

Are you a visual learner?

Do you prefer having someone show you how to do something new or different?

Guess what . . .

We are working on producing video (YouTube) versions of our fingerplays, songs, and stories!

It's been a dream of mine for years and years. Now we have the ability to make it come to fruition.

From welcome and closing bits, to unique ways of gaining crowd control. From introducing new concepts to putting a new spin on the old tried and true. We will also be including tips and ideas, all highlighting our uber-talented storytelling volunteers.

Keep watching. There will be an index page with links.
New recordings will be made every few months, this will be an ongoing project.

p.s. we will take requests

Great Shake Out Earthquake Prep for Laptimers

Rockin’ the World

A Toddler's Version of an Earthquake Drill

~A theme specific baby Laptime done in conjunction with The Great Utah Shake Out, the largest earthquake drill in Utah history.

(A light hearted approach to teaching babies and toddlers the basics of Earthquake preparedness.)

Over and Under
Amy's altered version of Open Them Shut Them


OVER 

 ~ arms round over your head

UNDER

 ~ tuck hands under your legs

 
OVER UNDER
Give a little clap

OVER UNDER
OVER UNDER

Fold them in your lap
~ fold hands in lap

Creep them Creep them,
Up and under your chin...
~ fingers crawl up baby's tummy

Now open your mouth wide
~open mouth

But do not let them in!
~hands behind back!

Over Under by Marthe Jocelyn

Do you have PIGGIES?!!! We’ll need our piggies soon.

Let’s warm them up shall we?

Piggies by Don and Audrey Wood
Tell this one like a a fingerplay with a mixture of American Sign Language signs; dirty, clean, cold, hot and just funny finger actions; hands out fingers wiggling madly
 

Three Little Pigs

. . . or at least Amy’s puppet version

Storyteller:  There once were three little pigs and their house was not big. It was time to move out on their own. 

Now we all know how this story works out; there was the first little pig with his straw, the second little pig and his bag of sticks, and out third little pig with his bricks. And the pigs each built their own houses . . . 

Piggie Works with one Hammer  

~sung to the tune of Johnny Works with One Hammer to 'build' the houses

Johnny works with one hammer, 

 ~Hammer with one hand

One hammer, one hammer,

Johnny works with one hammer,
Now he works with two.

Two hammers
~Hammer with both hands

Three hammers
~Hammer with both hands and one foot

Four hammers
~Hammer with both hands and both feet

Five hammers

~ Both hands, both feet -- and nod head.

Six hammers
~ Both hands, both feet, head -- and careful, don't bite your tongue--stick out your TONGUE

Then he fell asleep!
~ Fall back -- extreme exhaustion ;)

         

          Da Da DUMM!!!

Wolf: Hello there kiddo’s, Wolfs the name, and Pigs the game.

Storyteller: Er, excuse me, but we don’t allow wolves here

Wolf: What?? Uhm, well how about this! (eyeglasses with mustache)

Storyteller: No, no. Not good enough. I can still see your big wolf ears.

Wolf: Well, okay, (TURN AROUND) tada! (has a clown wig on!)

Storyteller: Weeellll, for the purposes of this story, it might just do . . . on with the story

Piggies: (sing) Oh we’re not afraid of big bad wolf , the big bad wolf la la la la la la

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Wolf: Little pig little pig let me come in.

Piggie 1: Not by the hair of my chinny chin. ACK! I have no hair! He’s coming IN!!  I gotta RUN!!!

Storyteller: And what did that wolf do? He HUFFS and he PUFFS (have all the kids help) and blows that straw house in. Good thing that Piggie ran away…to his brother’s house of sticks…

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Wolf: Little pig little pig let me come in.

Piggie 2: Not by the hair of my chinny chin. ACK! I’m too young for a hairy chin! He’s coming IN!!  Let's RUN!!!

 

Storyteller: And what does that wolf do? Well, he HUFFS and he PUFFS (remember to have the kids help) and blows that stick house in. Good thing those Piggies ran away…to thier brother’s house of bricks…

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Wolf: Little pig little pig let me come in.

Piggie 3: Not by the hair of MY chinny chin. AHA! (Third pig--think Superman stance--has a fake beard on) You ain’t a-comin' in here!

Wolf: Mary, Larry, and Harry, it’s almost time for our movie to start. Don't tell me you forgot about asking me for a ride. Silly pigs, it’s a good thing you three have a friend like me.

Silly old Wolf. Sillier Pigs!

Oh NO!  I, I feel a shaking, and a moving and a groovy grooving . . . just like those little piggie houses. What’s happening? I think, I think . . .

It’s time to SHAKE YOUR SILLIES OUT!

Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

(form More Singable Songs by Raffi)

Oh, oh, it’s still a shaking! I think it’s an Earthquake!

Drop

  COVER 

~ pretend to get under something--you remember UNDER.

…and HOLD ON!
~ and shake shake shake

 

and now . . .T I C K L E

 ~‘cause every earthquake drill needs a little tickle.

 

Grown-ups, I have treated this earthquake drill lightly. 

In reality, earthquake drills are serious and life saving.

So plan, practice and above all, hug those you love.

___________________________

Need a Storytime length instead of a Laptime short? 

Add these to stretch out the time:

Earthquack! by Margie Palatini

Henny Penny by Vivian French, or Paul Galdone

Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberley

New Puppets

Meet our newest puppets for story and laptime use . . .

Blue Moon, Baby, Girl, Giant, Witch (note that hairy mole!), Lion

Puppet Stage tryouts

The library is seriously considering adding a permanent puppet stage for the kids to play with when they come to the library . . .

Something a little like this

We fell in love with this stage, with it's 5 minute set up, it's bright colors, and it's kid-friendly size.

We have puppets available that the kids could 'check out' for in-house use.

Oh the possibilities!!!

Pin-teresting Libraries

I'm a librarian, and I know how I use Pinterest, but that raises the question, how are other libraries and librarians using Pinterest?

Here is a link --to a set of links-- of already compiled articles. 

As for how I use Pinterest, I wonder if my usage data quite fits what a normal librarian would do, or not?

I've yet to get a chance to read all the linked articles, but I do hope there are some like individuals that are crazy all-over-the-board, their-hands-(and minds)-in-all-kinds-of-pies, kinda-over-the-top-hyper librarians out there that use Pinterest, and other media, in the same way I do:


Up-cycling


Fabric Arts (ideas for our annual fund-raiser)











Laptime and Storytime




I also hope there are some golden nuggets of ideas that inspire me to go even further. Now that's the true treasure to be found online in general, and Pinterest in specific: Idea inspiring, mind blowing, super data storage basing Pinterest.

Ah, the inspiration!

The Queen of Hearts' Tarts

I have been waiting for years to capture Kathe doing this particular Cut and Tell story.












Unfortunately the Cut and Tell book are not the easiest to get anymore, and the library copies have long gone the way of all too-well-loved books. 

In any case -- enjoy this Valentine's Day treat



...and so you can see it a little better, here she is

Announcing...

The Orem Public Library's official blog!

JUST BROWSING

A blog of all things fantastic at the Orem Public Library

At last, at long long last -- our awesome Outreach staff have started the official blog of the Orem Public Library

Check it out here