Sturdy For Common Things: Miss Becca's Storytime Mixer

This week we took a break from themed storytimes and went for a straight up Storytime Mixer. No rhyme or reason to the books picked other than they are all great books. Books from me to you. Books to share with my friends; my storytimers are good friends of mine. Afterward we made friendship bracelets.

Storytime Mixer Lineup:

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Kids love this book. Parents love this book. Author/Illustrator Oliver Jeffers had both laughing.

A Dog Is a Dog by Stephen Shaskan

Another hilarious book that was well received by both kids and parents.

Bootsie Barker Bites by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Peggy Rathmann

This book was introduced to me by a fellow co-worker that often shelves books in the children's room. She said it was a favorite of her daughter's when she was a little girl, so I thought I'd share it with the storytime gang. Everyone knows someone like Bootsie Barker when you were young. Everyone knows that no one likes a bully.

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan Shea, illustrations by Tom Slaughter

We've been reading this book at home most of January and February. It is so, so, so clever and perfect for all ages. It was the most requested book by parents wanted to check it out after storytime. This book and the next on the lineup...

Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth

I purchased this book back when I worked at a bookstore fresh out of college. It is one of my favorites with messages we all can learn from. I chose this book to share with my storytimers, but I also read it for myself. Jon J. Muth writes in the Author's Note:

"When you look into a pool of water, if the water is still, you can see the moon reflected. If the water is agitated, the moon is fragmented and scattered. It is harder to see the true moon. Our minds are like that. When our minds are agitated, we cannot see the true world."

Reading this book reminds me to be still. Even if it is just for a moment, a pause between reading books at storytime to see the faces that are listening. Those brief bouts of stillness, while short, are effective. They are reminders of what I place value on most.

Zen Shorts is a little longer than the other picture books. By the time I was finished there wasn't enough time to read the last book, but I'm adding it the lineup list nonetheless...

Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld

Caldecott winning illustrator, Tom Lichtenheld's newest book about a cloud that really isn't sure where it's place is in the world to later find, big or small, he can make a difference.

Storytime Mixer Craft:

I was given a bag of beads by a children's librarian that had recently retired and decided to put them to good use for the Storytime Mixer craft. Have to admit though.... I was a little hesitant to make bracelets. As a girl, I loved making bracelets, but I didn't think the boys would want to participate. Turns out the boys were the ones wanting to make two or three or four. I also needed a little break from prepping crafts for the week. The bracelets only took 20 minutes to prepare, which was done a few hours before storytime.

Other than the beads I already had, I did end up buying more beads, but only 2 small bags. I couldn't resist the star beads on clearance. The materials used included: assorted plastic beads, elastic beading thread (thick variety that is also found in the fabric section of any craft store), and scissors.

Before storytime, I cut 10-inch pieces of the elastic string and double knotted one end.

After storytime the kids rifled through the bead colors and selected beads they wanted to use.

The beads were threaded one by one on the string.

And when threading was complete the bracelet ends were double knotted together. The older children were able to manage this, but the younger ones needed assistance from myself or their caregiver.