Friday I had the pleasure of doing a storytime for the MOMS Club that I belong to. It was open to children of all ages, so I planned it for preschoolers. The theme was tigers, so the books either had a tiger or some of tiger's friends. Here are some of the books and songs I chose.
Starry Safari by Linda Ashman; illustrated by Jeff Mack.
Bold, fun pictures, and text in rhyme, this book follows the adventure of a child in a jeep. With lots of action and the chance to make animal noises, children will bump along on safari and learn a few new words along the way.This book is a fun choice to expose children to new vocabulary. The surprise ending encourages imagination and active play.
"Shakin' it!" by Parachute Express Shakin' It!
As preschool songs go, this is a longer one (over 3 minutes) but it is a favorite for my storytime bag. The first sounds are some snoring and then an alarm clock. We need to shake out our hands, our arms, our head, etc. to wake up and start our day. A bit of memory is needed too, because the shaking builds until we are shaking everything in order.
As preschool songs go, this is a longer one (over 3 minutes) but it is a favorite for my storytime bag. The first sounds are some snoring and then an alarm clock. We need to shake out our hands, our arms, our head, etc. to wake up and start our day. A bit of memory is needed too, because the shaking builds until we are shaking everything in order. 
A storytime favorite, this follows the journey of a ladybug so lazy, she never learned to fly. The clever girl hops onto one jungle animal after another only to have her sleep interrupted by their antics (hopping, swinging, scratching and the like.) This is another story great for acting things out as the story goes along. Children will enjoy the repetitive and predicable phrases. I've also seen a pop-up version of this. This could easily be retold with puppets, stuffed animals, or paper cut-outs.
If you haven't heard Jim Gill, run to your nearest library or bookstore. An early childhood educator and fantastic musician, Jim Gill was a favorite at my former library. I think his music should be a part of every EC educator's repertoire. His songs are very interactive and silly. This song asks us to do simple actions--jump up, turn around, clap our hands, stomp the ground." But then it gets more challenging as we do it again with our hands in the air, our eyes shut, and even holding our breath. This one is fun in a group. (And parents, don't be afraid to join in!) A word of caution, very young children can get frustrated if they can't follow along with actions if the music is too fast for them to process or if they are still working on their motor skills. But when done in a silly way with no pressure, they are often engaged by the music and watching others. And if they are watching mom or dad or an older sibling look silly, all the better!
A quieter story, with repetitive phrases and rhymes. Flora takes a tour of the zoo, looking at all the animals.The illustrations were created by a technique using torn papers painted in watercolor. The children at the storytime all wanted to pet the "panther with its coat of silky black." It did look rather silky.
“Going to the Zoo” by Raffi Singable Songs for the Very YoungPerfect for the preschool crowd, this simple, inviting song makes us all want to go to the zoo, or at least sing and sway along. There are few specific motions suggested in the song, but there is the chance to swing with the monkeys and swim with the crocodiles. The children will be sure to have fun with this one.
"Goodbye" Songs for Wiggleworms
This is a fun goodbye song~ Goodbye to all the girls, the boys, the wiggleworms...everyone.
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