Toys Storytime

Lisa cannot sleep by Kaj Beckman; pictures by Per Beckman.
New York, F. Watts, 1970, c1969.
A little girl who can't sleep without her doll ends up with so many toys in bed that there is no room for her.

Just like Jasper! by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen.
Boston: Little, Brown, c1989.
Jasper Cat goes to a toy store to spend his birthday money.

Ten little animals by Laura Jane Coats.
New York : Macmillan ; London : Collier Macmillan, c1990.
A counting book in which one by one ten little animals jump on the bed, only to fall off and bump their heads.

Ten play hide-and-seek by Penny Dale.
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, c1998.
A little boy and nine stuffed animals play hide and seek before going to bed.

Tidy Titch by Pat Hutchins.
New York: Greenwillow Books, c1991.
Titch helps his older brother and sister clean their rooms.

The blue balloon by Mick Inkpen.
Boston: Little, Brown, 1990.
A child (with the help of artful pull-out pages) explains the extraordinary features of his blue balloon.

The steadfast tin soldier retold and illustrated by Rachel Isadora.
New York: Putnam's Sons, c1996.
The perilous adventures of a toy soldier who loves a paper dancing girl culminate in tragedy for both of them.

Now we can go by Ann Jonas.
New York: Greenwillow Books, c1986.
A child must take all the toys from her toy box and put them in her bag before she is ready to go.

Where can it be? by Ann Jonas.
New York: Greenwillow Books, c1986.
A child looks all over the house for her missing blanket. Uses flaps to reveal what the child finds behind closed doors.

The marvelous toy by Tom Paxton; illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles.
New York: Morrow Junior Books, c1996.
A father gives to his young son the same marvelous toy that his father had given to him many years before.

The little engine that could retold by Watty Piper ; illustrated by George & Doris Hauman.
New York: Platt & Munk, c1961.
When the other engines refuse, the Little Blue Engine tries to pull a stranded train full of dolls, toys, and good food over the mountain.

On top of the world by John Prater.
Greenvale, N.Y.: Mondo, 1998.
On a warm night in a moonlit playground, four toy animals climb and climb to the top of the world and then have the fun of coming down again.

The line up book by Marisabina Russo.
New York: Greenwillow Books, 1986.
Sam lines up blocks, books, boots, cars, and other objects, all the way from his room to his mother in the kitchen.

Block city by Robert Louis Stevenson; illustrated by Ashley Wolff.
New York: E.P. Dutton, c1988.
A child creates a world of his own which has mountains and sea, a city and ships, all from toy blocks.

Good night, everyone! by Harriet Ziefert; illustrated by Andrea Baruffi.
Boston: Little, Brown, c1988.
A tired Harry wants to sleep but his toys decide to play noisily.

Poetry:
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Red Wagon

My little red wagon
Goes thump bitty bump
Down into a hole
And over a bump.
It's filled to the tiptop
With all of my toys.
Clatter, bang, rattle--
Oh, what a noise!
~Melody Reed~

WHAT SHALL I BUY?

I have a penny,
What shall I buy?
I'll buy a whistle,
That's what I'll buy.

I have two pennies,
What shall I buy?
I'll buy a good top,
That's what I'll buy.

I have three pennies,
What shall I buy?
I'll buy a new doll,
That's what I'll buy.

I have four pennies,
What shall I buy?
That's so much money!
Now what shall I buy?
~Anonymous~

Riding the Range

Valiant steed, trusted friend,
We ride together to the end
Blazing trails, seeking thrills,
Fording rivers, climbing hills
Galloping across the plain
With thundering hoofs and flowing mane,
Till Mama calls to end our play:
"Put up your stick horse for today."
~Cathy J. McDavid~

Flannelboards:
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Lisa Cannot Sleep. Pattern This long out-of-print book is worth inter-library loaning if your library doesn't have a copy. It is one of my favorite flannelboard stories!

Ten Little Animals. In the back of the book is a counting page with the toys laid out one to ten. Photocopy the tenth row, enlarging until you have the pattern the size you want. The pattern will be blurry, but will work fine for making a flannelboard adaptation out of felt pieces!

The Runaway Toys The text and patterns for this can be found in KIDSTUFF magazine, Volume 2, Number 5. This magazine is out of production, but back issues may be available through your library.

Instead of a puppet, bring some classic toys, such as a doll, spinning top, jack-in-the-box wind-up car or train, or ball.

Jack-in-the-box
Sitting so still	Make a fist with thumb inside fingers
Won't you come out?	Nod head yes
Yes, I will.	Quickly pop thumb out of fingers

The Floppy Doll
Suit actions to words

Flop your arms
Flop your feet
Let your hands go free
Be the raggiest rag doll
You ever did see.

Here's a ball for baby	Make a ball with hands
Big and fat and round.
Here is baby's hammer,	Tap fist against knee
See how it can pound

Here are baby's soldiers	Hold up all ten fingers
Standing in a row.
Here is baby's music,
Clapping, clapping so.	Clap in rhythm

Here is baby's trumpet,	Blow through half opened fist
Tootle-tootle-oo.
Here's the way the baby
Plays at peek-a-boo.	Cover eyes with hands for peek-a-boo

Here's a big umbrella,	Mime holding an umbrella
To keep the baby dry.
Here is baby's cradle,	Make cradle with hands and rock gently
Rock-a-baby-bye.

Spin around and around	Twirl round and round
And around and around.
Start losing your balance	wobble slowly
And slip to the ground.	gently slide to the floor

I play with my toys and	stack "blocks" on lap
I put them away.	put hands up to "shelve"
My mother expects it;
What more can I say?	shrug

I am a top all wound up tight	clasp hands tightly together
I whirl and whirl with all my might;	make hands spin around each other quickly
And now the whirls are out of me	stop whirling
So I will rest as still as can be	fold hands

Craft:
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Make an old fashioned Pin Wheel
(parent and child craft)

Supplies needed (for each child)

unsharpened pencil with eraser top
large head straight pin
8 inch square construction paper or light-weight card stock

Let children color one side of the paper however they wish. Then have parents carefully cut each corner, in a straight line to within 3/4 inch of the center of the square. Next bend every other corner tip in, to the center, without creasing the paper. Hold all four tips in place with a piece of tape. Push the pin through the tips and the center of the paper, right into the side of the eraser top, on the pencil. Keep the pin tip embedded in the eraser. Blow gently to set the wheel spinning.