Little Tug

Little Tug might not be the tallest, fastest or biggest boat in the harbor, but he is certainly the most helpful.  He pulls, pushes and guides other boats and ships to safety.  At the end of his busy, helpful day, Little Tug runs out of steam and so the boats he has been helping return the favor by tucking him in for the night.  The tall sail boat gives Little Tug a sail for a blanket, the fast motor boat “hums him a lullaby” and the big ocean liner give him a “great big hug.”

This book is just right for toddlers.  The story is simply told and easy to follow and the illustrations are clean and engaging.  Your own little helper will be able to see a bit of himself or herself in Little Tug, and the story has a cozy all’s-right-with-the-world feel.

Stephen Savage also wrote and illustrated the picture book Where’s Walrus?  and illustrated the picture book  Polar Bear Nights.  Check them all out at your library!

Miss Robin

Two Little Blackbirds

I have a vague memory of my mother reciting this classic rhyme to me when I was a young child. Her version, however, used the term dickie birds instead of blackbirds.  According to Wikipedia this English language rhyme was first published in Mother Goose Melody in London around 1765.  In this version the birds were given the names Jack and Gill.  In modern versions published in the 19th century (the one my Irish Catholic mom preferred)the birds were named after the apostles Peter and Paul. Whichever version you choose, your baby or toddler will catch on quickly to the act of putting one, then the other finger behind their back. I recite the following rhyme near the end of all my baby storytimes at the library using bird finger puppets made with felt in black, blue, red, and yellow.  Pointer fingers work just fine, but simple, colorful finger puppets attract and hold their attention throughout the recitation. Give it a try.  And get ready to recite it over and over.  Babies love repitition.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill          (hold pointer fingers up in front of you)
One named Jack, the other named Jill.     (make small motions with fingers)
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill.                    (put one, then the other finger behind you)
Come back Jack, come back Jill.             (bring each finger back to front)

Two little blue birds sitting on a gate
One came early, the other came late.
Fly away early, fly away late.
Come back early, come back late.

Two little yellow birds sitting on a cloud
One came soft, the other came loud.
Fly away soft, fly away loud.
Come back soft, come back loud.

Two little red birds sitting in the snow.
One came fast, the other came slow.
Fly away fast, fly away slow.
Come back fast, come back slow.

Miss Julie

Learning Letters Starts with Shapes

Before we can learn to read, we have to learn our letters.  And before we can learn our letters, we have to learn our shapes.  Not only does learning our shapes give us a vocabulary for talking about what each letter looks like, it also helps highlight the sometimes very slight differences between letters.  Learning to talk about the difference between a circle and an oval, or a square and a rectangle, for example, can pave the way for talking about the subtle differences between letters like b, d, p and q.

So how do we learn our shapes and have fun?  We share excellent books, of course!

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert uses layers of colorful shapes to make various animals.  As you turn each page, you remove one shape from the animal, and a new animal is revealed below.  This book is lots of fun to read together and kids enjoy discovering each animal as they turn the page.

Another great book, My Heart is like a Zoo by Michael Hall takes one shape, the heart, and uses it to make a variety of animals.  You and your child will both be amazed at how versatile the heart can be!

And finally, Dot by Patricia Intriago is a study in how small changes to the shape of a dot can completely change what it means to the viewer.  Teaching your child to focus on the small cues that make shapes different from each other will be helpful to them as they begin to sort out which shape belongs to which letter.

And when you're done reading, be sure to take your shapes on the road. Discovering them here, there and everywhere is fun for everyone!

Miss Kate