Storytime: I Am Special!

This storytime was for a preschool-aged group at my library.

Read Aloud Books

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!Written by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow

Mama has taken away the paints. But maybe, if he's sneaky, this little boy can get one more paint session in with his head, neck, arms, hands, chest.... Oh man, wait until mom sees! The rhythm and rhyme make it a fun book to read aloud (based on the song It Ain't Gonna Rain No More), and the kids have fun guessing which body part is next.

The Pigeon Needs a Bath!Written and illustrated by Mo Willems

A storytime without a Mo Willems book is like a day without laughter... Okay, but seriously, in this, his newest Pigeon book, Pigeon is refusing to take a bath. Even though he is totally filthy. His excuses are clever, the ending is funny, and pretty sure it was enjoyed all around.

Naked!Written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Jumping out of the bath, this little boy has no intentions of putting his clothes back on any time soon. Maybe a cape...but nothing else! Okay, so first of all, it's written by Michael Ian Black, so it's HILARIOUS. And the illustrations are just right (with just the right amount of coverage, hehe). I had parents and kids giggling the whole time I read this book. I love it.

Songs and Rhymes

Hello Song

Song: This is the Way We Wash Our Hands

(Tune: Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush)

This is the way we wash our hands,

Wash our hands, wash our hands

This is the way we wash our hands,

So early in the morning

This is the way we scrub our face…

This is the way we comb our hair….

This is the way we brush our teeth…

Song: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders knees and toes

knees and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes

Head, shoulders knees and toes

eyes, ears mouth and nose.

"Two Little Hands"

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap,

Two little feet go tap, tap, tap,

One little body turns around,

One little body sits quietly down.

Goodbye Song

Games and Activities

Flannel: Little Boy in the Tub

This goes along with the kids' most favorite game of hide and seek. In this version, a little boy is taking a bath in one of five different-colored tubs. I hid him in the tub, behind the bubbles, and had the kids guess which color. Then we all say together...

"Little boy little boy, where do you hide?
Are you in the green tub? Let's peek inside!"

And I pull away the bubbles and.... nope. Guess again! Hehee. (We also like to do the rhyme in sign language, especially all the different colors).

Here's what he looks like "in" the tub. Anyway, the kids LOVED it.

And here are the files for the tubs and the little boy to print. I cut them out and laminated them, putting Velcro on the back. The bubbles were just from white felt, cut like a cloud.



Craft: Handprints

Your handprint is completely unique! And so I had stamp pads out and each kid got to stamp their hands on some paper and check out their fingerprints and palm lines and see all that great stuff. And then we hung them up to show off:

Just have wipes at the ready.

And for fun to take home: duckies!

Turns out our library has a bunch of leftover ducks reading books. And so the kids got to take one home for their own baths.

Other Book Ideas

Who's In the Tub?Written by Sylvie Jones, illustrated by Pascale Constantin

I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes!Written and illustrated by Linda Davick

PartsWritten and illustrated by Tedd Arnold

I Like Myself!Written by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow