Wednesday Story Time

At my library, I do two story times on Wednesdays - a baby time and a toddler time. Each week, I try to select a few finger plays and three books that match whatever theme we're focusing on. This week's theme is Arizona Centennial.



Two Cool Coyotes by Jillian Lund

 Our storytimes have started to become massive due to the kickoff of our Summer Reading Program. I thought this would be a big hit but the width of the book made it hard to keep a hold of (the things you realize as a story teller!) and, either way, the kids just weren't too into it.

Desert Night Desert Day by Anthony Fredricks

The kids were very receptive to this story. They had fun pointing out the quail that makes an appearance on almost every page as well as the other desert flora and fauna. The illustrations in this book are really beautiful and the rhyming is enjoyable for all ages.

Don't Call Me Pig! by Conrad Storad



Another bust. I thought they would like how sassy the main character is but I think it went over their heads. I skipped quite a few of the pages for a quick finish and then substituted in No, David! which I made interactive by letting the kids shout "No David!" and explaining what his bad behavior was on each page.

Any tips for large storytime groups? What do you do when it seems like your program has devolved into utter chaos?