Look What I Can Do! by Nancy Viau

In the forest, baby animals are growing. Trying new things and learning new skills aren't always easy, but they press on.

What I thought: A lovely book about growing up. I love the illustrations. It's hard to pick a favorite. Kids will enjoy identifying the animals in the story.

Storytime Theme: Baby Animals

(Illus. Anna Vojteeh. Abrams, 2013)

Dream Friends by You Byun

One little girl has fantastic, magical dreams of a friend. What adventures they have...but only in her dreams!

What I thought: A fantastic book, fresh and new. Would pair well with Clara & Asha and Red Knit Cap Girl. I love the illustrations. So imaginative and vibrant. They remind me of the anime film My Friend Totoro. My favorite illustrations are hide & seek and in the forest (mushrooms).

Storytime Themes: Dreams, Friends, Imagination 

(Nancy Paulsen Books, 2013)

Flannel Friday Roundup for June 27, 2014

Here's your Flannel Friday Roundup for June 27. We only have 5 contributions this week. I assume everyone is in the throes of summer reading. I know I am...I had 18 events and saw 419 people this week!

Inspired by Flannel Friday Posts:

• Madigan with Baby Faces inspired by Melissa
• Mollie with Five Little Fireworks inspired by Tara
• Me with a Ladybug inspired by Lisa

Original Posts:

• Katie with a Red, White, & Blue Sensory Bin for Babies (I found this post interesting in light of my upcoming 5 Senses storytime later this summer.)
• Kathryn with Butterflies

There won't be a roundup on July 4. Happy Independence Day! Please save contributions for the July 11 roundup. Katie has the July 11 roundup.



Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #flannelstorytime.
Our May/June Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Anna (@opinionsbyanna).
Our July/August Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Lisa (@lmulvenna).

Flannel Friday: Ladybug

This week's post is yet another inspired by post. My inspiration this week was Lisa of Libraryland. She posted her Little Red Bug last June and I thought it was adorable.

I used shapes in Microsoft Word for patterns. Big wiggle eyes complete the set. The six black spots are removable.

Mollie and Katie have both made ladybugs as well and I love the rhyme they use.

I'm your host this week.

There won't be a roundup on July 4. Happy Independence Day! Please save contributions for the July 11 roundup

To find out who has the roundup on July 11, please visit the "This Week" section of the Flannel Friday blog.

Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #flannelstorytime.
Our May/June Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Anna (@opinionsbyanna).
Our July/August Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Lisa (@lmulvenna).

Hug a Bull: An Ode to Animal Dads & I Love Ewe: An Ode to Animal Moms by Aaron Zenz

The author and illustrator of Chuckling Ducklings & Baby Animal Friends is back! This time he's educating us about animal dads from geese to bulls and animals moms from cows to sheep.

What I thought: I can't say how much I love Aaron Zenz. His art, his stories, and the sneaky way he educates us on animal names be they baby, mom, or dad. I'm in awe of skill with colored pencils. I like all the illustrations in both books, but I'm especially fond of the last pages that review the animals the mom or dad names.

I like Aaron Zenz so much I put him on my fall storytime schedule as a theme. Check it out here. 

Storytime Themes: Animals, Moms, Dads

(Walker Books, 2013)

Divergent Party for Teens

I hosted a Divergent Party to celebrate the release of the movie.

Teens took a faction quiz as they arrived. (This was partly for fun and partly to sort them into teams for a later game.)

I plated Veronica Roth's Divergent Playlist during the party.

From here on, I had an activity for each faction.

For Abnegation, we talked about our volunteer experiences.a

For Erudite, we played Divergent Trivia (Jeopardy style).

For Dauntless, we gave each other temporary tattoos. Teens really liked this...helped them get ready to attend the movie premiere the next day.
 

For Amity, we made Faction Duct Tape Bracelets. 

For Candor, we played Would You Rather...? and Truth or Dare. I found suggestions for both games via Pinterest.

And of course, what party would be complete without Faction Refreshments. Here's what I served:

• Gummy worms & animal crackers (Amity)  
  Oreos (Candor) 
•  Dark Chocolate Kisses (Erudite) 
• Spicy Nacho Doritos, Cheddar Jalapeño Crunchy Cheetos, & Cherry Sours (Dauntless)
• cheese & crackers (Abnegation)

 
And for reference, here's my Pinterest Board for this event. 

Flannel Friday: The Lonely Bus Driver

This is an inspired by Flannel Friday post. My inspiration was Shawn of Read, Rhyme, Sing. Back in September, she posted her version of The Lonely Bus Driver. I loved it and and the post inspired me to plan a bus themed storytime for the spring.

I used clker to find templates for the faces. The bus was a coloring sheet I adapted. Puff paint details as usual.

Hannah has the roundup this week.

Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #flannelstorytime.
Our Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Anna (@opinionsbyanna).