Storytime: Bats, Rats, Black Cats and a Frog

Halloween-friendly animals in unscary situations.

Reading to choose from:

Meeow and the Little Chairs by Sebastian Braun
That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child
Batty by Sarah Dyer
The Red Hen by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley (Rat character)
Copycat by Olivia George, Illus. by Brett Hudson (Orange cat main character, but includes black cat)
The Croaky Pokey! by Ethan Long
Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester, Illus. by Lynn Munsinger
Kittens! Kittens! Kittens! by Susan Meyers, Illus. by David Walker
Baby Bat's Lullabye by Jacqueline Mitchard, Illus. by Julia Noonan

Activity:

"Draw and color a picture of a cat for each of the following colors: green, blue, red, yellow, orange Tell the following story: Scat the Cat
Scat the cat was a black cat. Everyone in his family was black. But Scat the Cat was tired of being like everyone else. So he said (snap fingers) "I'm Scat the Cat I'm Sassy and Fat I change my colors just like that."
So Scat the cat changed into a (name of color). He was as (green as the grass; blue as the sky, red as an apple, yellow as a lemon, orange as an orange,). Scat the Cat enjoyed being a (name of color) for a few days. But then he got tired. So he said: (Repeat Scat the Cat Verse) *After naming last color: Well Scat the Cat had changed his colors many times. He found out that it wasn't so bad being a black cat. So he said, (Repeat verse) "

from http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/halloweensongs.html

Storytime: Creepy-Crawlies

Reading possibilities:

The Spider and the Fly by Tony Deterlizzi, based on a cautionary tale by Mary Howitt
Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
Creepy Crawly Calypso by Tony Langham, Illus. by Debbie Harter
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Illus. by Lois Ehlert
Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks
Centipede's 100 Shoes by Tony Ross
I'm a Shark by Bob Shea (shark is afraid of spiders)
The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields, Illus. by Scott Nash
Caterpillar Dreams by Jeanne Willis, Illus. by Tony Ross

Storytime: Hair!

Our storytime celebrates the hair we wear, even on bad hair days.
Here are some reading possibilities:

• Hairs/Pelitos (English and Spanish) by Sandra Cisneros, Illus. by Terry Ybanez
• The Hair Scare by Jeffrey Fisher
• Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
• Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford, Illus. by Holly Clifton - Brown
• Happy to Be Nappy by bell hooks and Chris Raschka
• Very Hairy Harry by Edward Koren
• The Pig in a Wig by Alan MacDonald, Illus. by Paul Hess
• Don't Cut My Hair! by Hans Wilhelm
• Ruby's Beauty Shop by Rosemary Wells
• There is a Bird On Your Head! by Mo Willems
• Green Boots, Blue Hair, Polka Dot Underwear by Deborah Zemke

Barber, Barber, Shave a Pig (Sung to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Barber, Barber, shave a Pig

How many hairs will make a wig?

Four and twenty, that's enough

Give the barber a pinch of snuff  (original line)

or

Then pat the pig with a powder puff... (alternate version)


Michael Finnegan

There was an old man named Michael Finnegan,

He had whiskers on his chinnegan,

Along came the wind and blew them in again,

Poor old Michael Finnegan.

Begin again!

(Repeat, fast, slowly, etc.)


Here is the tune, with slightly different words: