This week is school break week, so I was hoping for extra kids today, and we got them! It's always fun when older siblings come to see what their younger counterparts are up to in Toddler & Preschool Storytime - especially when they used to come when they were little, too :)
Here's what we read today:

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

The Robot Book by Heather Brown

"Poor Kitten!" That's the repeated phrase in this sweet book by Kevin Henkes about what happens when Kitten sees her first full moon. Hey, we are all young at some point in our lives, and we don't all know what that big, bright, round thing in the sky really is! In Kitten's First Full Moon, it seems Kitten thinks the moon is a little bowl of milk, and if she could only reach it, she'd be so happy! But as often happens in life, sometimes we get a few bumps and scrapes when we are trying to find out what's what in this world :) But Kitten has her adventure, and gets a bowl of milk at the end of it, too, so all's well in the end :)

 

I love our office ref copy of The Robot Book because 1. It has these great moveable parts! 2. I always think of robots and similar technology when I think of space, having grown up linking the idea of robots and space, like most people, through media. Think Star Wars, Star Trek, Lost in Space...(hah! I'm dating myself!!) and 3. we're talking about technology, but we still get to the heart of the matter - it's what's inside us, in our hearts, that really counts!

 

Here's another bit of heartfelt appreciation for space: a snippet from Laurie Berkner's song,

Moon, Moon, Moon.

Moon, Moon, Moon

 

By Laurie Berkner

 

Moon, moon, moon, shining bright~

Moon, moon, moon, my night light~

Moon, moon, moon, I can see~

Moon, moon, moon,

you’re taking care of me.

 

For the rest of the song, check out her CD: The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band. It's wonderful! As are the rest of the songs on the CD :)

 

I opted not to do the felt board I had prepared for today. I'm sure it would have been much to long for this crowd ; ) We did it at Family Storytime, and it was pretty lengthy. But I'll add it here so you can play with the idea at home. This song is a simple way to teach young children about the solar system. If you want, you can make paper or felt sun and planets and use them as tools like I did. You can also just sing the song :)

 

If You’re Ever Out in Space

(Sing to the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie")

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

The SUN!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

MERCURY!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

VENUS!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

The EARTH!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

MARS!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

JUPITER!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

SATURN!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

URANUS!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

NEPTUNE!

 

If you’re ever out in space, in space, in space

 

If you’re ever out in space you might see…

 

PLUTO!

 

Can you think of anything else you might see in space?

The concept of the solar system is a BIG one for our youngest ones, metaphorically and physically! But when you play with the concepts with verse and song, it can make it more approachable and fun. Let's end up with a simple song about what we see in the sky. For this one, we used ASL signs for sun, sunlight, and moon. Check out this website for quick instruction on American Sign Language: ASL Custom Search.

 

Sun and Moon

The sun is in the sky

The sun is in the sky

Hot and bright it gives us light

The sun is in the sky!

 

The moon is in the sky

The moon is in the sky

Round and round the earth it goes

The moon is in the sky!

 

We also did the same craft as Family Storytime. For some nice examples, and more songs and info about Space for kids, check out the blog post here: Family Storytime: Space!

Next week we will be focusing on Africa in celebration of the Africa and Diaspora Festival happening in our region this month and next. I hope you can join us!

 

See you next time,

Miss Kelly

Don't forget the booklist!

• What the Sun Sees by Nancy Tafuri
• Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
• The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch
• Greetings, Sun by Phillis and David Gershator, Ill. by Synthia Saint James
• The Sun, the Moon and the Stars by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
• And If the Moon Could Talk by Kate Banks, Ill. by Georg Hallensleben
• Green Wilma, Frog in Space by Tedd Arnold
• Our Stars by Anne Rockwell
• I Love You Sun, I Love You Moon by Karen Pandell, Ill. by Tomie De Paola
• Night’s Nice by Barbara & Ed Emberly
• Mommy’s Little Star by Janet Bingham; Ills. by Rosalind Beardshaw
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with illustrations by Jerry Pinkney
• Earth to Stella! by Simon Puttock; Ills. by Philip Hopman
• When the Moon Smiled by Petr Horacek
• Sheep Blast Off! by Nancy Shaw; Ills. by Margot Apple
• Baby Brains and Robomom by Simon James
• Mousetronaut by Astronaut Mark Kelly; Ills. by C. F. Payne
• Space Walk: Lift the Flap Adventures a board book by Salina Yoon
• Countdown! with Milo by Mike Austin
• A Long Way Away: a Two-Way Story by Fran Viva
• Roaring Rockets by Tony Mitton
• Space Boy by Leo Landry
• Here in Space by David Milgrim
• The Robot Book a book with moveable parts created by Heather Brown (office ref)
• A Trip Into Space – Houran
• Astro Bunnies by Christine Loomis; Ills. by Ora Eitan
• Oh No, Astro! by Matt Roeser; Ills. by Brad Woodard
• The Mouse and the Moon by Gabriel Alborozo
• The Moon’s Almost Here by Patricia MacLachlan; Ills. by Tomie dePaola
• Journey to the Moon: A Pop-Up Lunar Adventure by Andy Mansfield
• Lots of Bots by Kiki Thorpe
• Space Shuttle Blasts Off by Peter Bently; Ills. by Louise Conway
• Sun and Moon by Lindsey Yankey (good display book)
• If You Were the Moon by Laura Purdie Salas perfect for display book/theme book for Eclipse…)
• *New book: Whose Moon is That? by Kim Krans
• Nonfiction
  • Night Wonders by Jane Ann Pedicord J 523 Peddicord
  • Night Light: a Book About the Moon by Dana Meachen Rau, Ill. by Denise Shea J 523.3 Rau
  • On the Moon by Anna Milbourne and Benji Davies J 629.454 Milbourne
  • Stars! Stars! Stars! by Bob Barner J 520 Barner
  • Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian J 811.54 Florian