Pig Storytime, Friday, August 18 @ 10:30

Books

• Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems.  Everyone has to be introduced to Piggy from that great duo, Elephant and Piggy!
• The Cow That Went Oink by Bernard Most.  Make sure you preview the cover:  See all these cows standing in a herd together. And this cow standing off to the bottom ALL ALONE? This favorite readaloud gives opportunity to laugh like a rooster (cock a doodle had) and a sheep (maaaa-ha-ha), etc.
• This Little Piggy by Tim Harrington.  Charming new take on that ten toe chant we know so well.  The 1st piggies do the same old eating roast beef, etc.  But the 2nd set of little pieggies lead wildly exciting lives, dancing, flying planes, and more.  This makes the 1st set so jealous they break out of their ruts and have costume parties, chew gum, and just learn to enjoy life more.  The gentle humor with the surreal element yield up a big favorite.
• The Story of Peppa Pig, see Peppa. Big emphasis on mud puddles.  Tied in nicely with our mud puddle song and craft.
• Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer.  
• The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz. Very hip update. Maybe for older kids?
• If You Give a Pig a Pancake.  I stop a couple of times in amazement throughout this book.  "Things are getting so complicated!" I say.  "This is the most complicated book I ever read!" Children in other storythours have lost interest in the this-happens-then-that-happens structure of these books, but a pause and a head scratching brings them back in.  Also excellent is stopping partway through and asking them to help retell what's happened so far. 
• The Pigs' Picnic by Keiko Kasza.  This one's a bit like Frank Asch's Bread and Honey; the pig borrows lion's mane, zebra's stripes, etc. to impress his girlfriend.  And scares her.  
• I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman.  This is how I'd LIKE to do this book:  with a big pig cut out, which I would then swipe with color after color.  This goes to the familiar tune: I know an old lady who... but with colors instead of critters.
• Watch Them Grow: Piglets by Colleen Sexton. Sometimes it's fun to start off a storytime with a little REALITY.  With no disrespect to Piggy and Olivia and Toot and Puddle, real pigs are kind of cool too.  Busy Piggies by Schindler is what I chose for a younger crowd.

Songs

Old MacDonald with the old switcheroos.

The Wheels on the Bus with cows and pigs.

(as a clapping song, more of a rap than a song -- mod it up a little)

5 pigs (pause) so squeaky clean, (pause)

Cleanest pigs (pause) you’ve ever seen,

Till one fell (pause) with a great big THUD!

Landing in that ooshy gooshy MUD

now there are 4 pigs (go back to top)

Craft

These pigs were nice white  paper towel pigs I gave the kids. I showed them how to 'paint' with marker and water, and they had a good time doing that. I gave them (let them choose) a piece of construction paper to decorate as background. Fit in nicely with the 5 squeaky clean pig song.