I Spy in the Library

I Spy in the Library is probably one the cheapest and most well loved programs that I have ever conducted in the library. I gathered about 24 tchotchkes from my apartment and office, took pictures of them and then I hide them all over the library. I gave the kids a sheet with pictures of all of the items that they were supposed to find. When the kids found all of the tchotchkes, they turned in their sheets and received a packet of fun dip. It was a good time for all!

Some of My Favorite Picture Books

Here are some of my favorite picture books that you should read this summer, especially if you have a funny bone that is itching to be tickled!

Bossy Bear by David Horvath
Bossy Bear constantly makes demands and tells people what to do. He wants every single toy that he sees and tells his friends that they have to play his way or they won't play at all. Then he realizes that no one likes to play with bossy bears, but luckily, he meets a little turtle that tells him that although he is bossy, he doesn't have to be. This cute little story has cutesy illustrations from the duo that created the Uglydolls. Bright colors and googly eyes make the books fun to read. This story also shows that being bossy isn't always the best thing if you want to have friends. Don't forget to read the sequel to this picture book - Just Like Bossy Bear.

Chicken Butt! by Erica S. Perl and Illustrated by Henry Cole
Do you know what? Chicken Butt! is sure to make you giggle! This timeless joke is illustrated by Henry Cole, who makes the chicken bounce around from page to page while the little boy tries to distract his daddy by going on an on with the ridiculous chicken rhymes. The father gives up on reading his Sunday newspaper when a monkey shows up. Do you know why? Chicken Thigh!

Starlight Goes To Town by Harry Allard and Illustrated by George Booth
Here's a new tale by Harry Allard, where a delightful little hen, Starlight LaPoule, dreams of becoming a high fashion model. Her dreams come true when her chicken fairy godmother grants her wish. Starlight ends up in Milan, where things don't quite pan out for her in the world of high fashion. She then crash lands in rural Connecticut in order to begin her new life, which includes all kinds of wishes that go haywire, but end up helping Starlight live her life the way she wants to. The wacky illustrations in this book will make everybody laugh and Starlight's expressions and antics will make readers crack up.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: To get to storytime.

Chicken Themed Storytime
Chickens are humorous little creatures in the world of children's picture books. They often appear to be on some sort adventure and they can be rather mischievous. I love reading stories about chickens to the kids and they seem to enjoy it just as much as I do! The perfect time to read chicken themed books to kids is in the spring, so here's a short list of some of my favorites.

My Life as a Chicken by Ellen A. Kelley
Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberley
Chicken Butt! by Erica S. Perl
Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black
Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
Goodnight Lulu by Paulette Bogan
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
Henny-Penny by Jane Wattenberg
Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski
Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate Dicamillo
Tillie Lays An Egg by Terry Golson
Starlight Goes To Town by Harry Allard
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington
Chicken and Cat by Sara Varon
The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan
Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road? by Tedd Arnold, Mo Willems, Jon Agee and others.
Silly Chicken by Rukhsana Khan


Along with a display of chicken books in your library or classroom, you can do a chicken craft, such as a chicken puppet. The directions are located on first-school: http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/animals/birds/rooster-handprints-1.htm.

You can also have the kids do the chicken dance. Here's the music: http://www.cartooncritters.com/musicforkids.htm.