Fall Storytime begins: Cows!

I've begun my new fall morning Family Storytime with a cow theme. About 22 people showed up, but my audience dwindled as time passed. The kids were pretty small, some from the Babytime group. We went 25 minutes with books and songs. I suppose this will stretch out as the kids become less shy and I chat more with the families.

Book suggestions:

We started out with the book/sing-along Comin' Down to Storytime by Rob Reid.

Cow tales:

The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming


Cock-a-Doodle-Moo! by Bernard Most


Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier

Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive by Karma Wilson, Illus. by Karla Firehammer

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson, Illus. by Marcellus Hall

And a buffalo story for good measure:

Teach Your Buffalo to Play Drums by Audrey Vernick, Illus. by Daniel Jennewein

I found this cute song too, on NIEHs Kids' Pages :

Old Mother Leary (or "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" or "There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight")

---

Original version; written by: Unknown, copyright unknown
Late one night
When we were all in bed
Old Mother Leary
Left a lantern in the shed

And when the cow kicked it over,
She winked her eye and said,
"There’ll be a hot time
In the old town, tonight."

Spoken:
"FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!"
Expanded version, most familiar in Chicago:
5 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!

4 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!

3 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!

2 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE

1 night ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!

FIRE FIRE FIRE!

Note -- other "rounds" can be concluded with:

• Water, Water, Water!
• Jump, Lady, Jump!
• Save my Child, Save my Child!

We weren't going to yell "Fire!" in a public building, so I went with Moo! Moo! Moo! ;)