PreSchool Storytime: Elephants

We had a great storytime today! So much fun! Elephants are one of my favorite topics. I mean, did you know that baby elephants suck their trunks like baby people suck their thumbs? HOW CUTE IS THAT?!

Welcome

Rhyme: Where is Thumbkin

Story: Elmer by David McKee

I love this story of the funny patchwork elephant.

Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock

Rhyme: Elephant Goes Like This and That

An elephant goes like this and that (stomp feet)
He's terribly big (hands up high)
And terribly fat (hands out wide)
He has no fingers (wiggle fingers)
He has no toes (point at your feet)
But goodness gracious, what a nose! (start at your nose and pretend to stretch it out and down, as if you're making a trunk)

Story: Looking After Little Ellie by Dosh and Mike Archer

I love this story about a group of mice babysitting for a baby Elephant. Sadly, it's out of print. :(

Song: Shake My Sillies Out< by Raffi Rhyme: HEY ELEPHANT! I got this one from Storytime Katie You should all be VERY jealous because I got to hang out with her at ALA and she's made of awesome.

One elephant went out to play
Upon a spider’s web one day
He had such enormous fun
He called another elephant to come…
(HEY, ELEPHANT!)
Two elephants went out to play
Upon a spider’s web one day
They had such enormous fun,
They called another elephant to come…
(You get the picture.)

Story: My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems

Who doesn't love Elephant and Piggie? I also love a book where I can melodramatically fake sob. The best part is when Gerald the Elephant was sobbing about the COOL COOL ROBOT that Piggie did not see, one of the kids reached out to me and said "oh, it's ok."

Song: Young MacDonald had a Zoo

You all know about Old MacDonald, who had a farm, right? Well, did you know he had a daughter? She went by the name of Young MacDonald, and she had a zoo. And then it's Old MacDonald, but with zoo animals. This is great, because most zoo animals ROAR, and who doesn't like a ROAR ROAR here and a ROAR ROAR there? Here a ROAR, there a ROAR everywhere a ROAR ROAR

Story: Big and Little by John Stadler

Another one that's heart-breakingly out of print. I love the lift-the-flaps of the mouse ringleader and the high diving elephant that let you play with perspective. This one ALWAYS goes down like gangbusters with kids and adults.

Song: Comin' Round the Mountain.

For display, I had a ton of nonfiction about elephants, other Elephant and Piggie books, and other Elmer books.