"Where's Walrus?" by Stephen Savage ISBN: 9780439700498
A picture-only book that serves a "Where's Waldo?" function for a younger budding but equally truth-seeking curious crowd. When one of my shorter patrons refused to give it back after story time, I knew it was a keeper.
"Batman Shapes" by Benjamin Bird & Ethen Beavers ISBN: 9781479558926
For one, it's one of the few board books that's actually large enough to use for story time. The text is large, and the content is easy enough for any pre-kindergarten story time classroom. The awesomeness of superheroes goes without saying, and it is one of those rare books that can get boys screaming to participate shouting out things like "There is the square! That's the circle! I found the rectangle!" with more enthusiasm than they will probably ever show again in their life until they reach the age where they can buy their own batman costume and participate in any number of shenanigans as they pledge to their favorite fraternity.
It seems perfectly harmless at first. A little shake here, a gentle swish there. But then there's always one patron that ruins it for everyone. You know the kid I'm talking about. The one that makes you smile painfully as they eat your supplies while mom (or could she possibly be their sister/neighbor/dealer?) plays on their phone that is if you're lucky enough not to be ding-dong-ditched as an unanticipated babysitter. Two words: GLITTER EVERYWHERE. When art programs can often seem like the first five chaotic minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" the frustration can really settle in for a librarian. Therefore, here's a few tried and true field dressings to help make it past the beach front.
Glitter: Mix with a touch of rice in a salt shaker. If they want to empty to whole thing into the carpet, why not make the kid work for it am I right? It makes it last longer, and it's a lot more economical in the end then spending what little free time you have vacuuming, picking out the bits of dirt, and refilling glitter containers.
Glue: Never use a bottle when a glue stick will do. In fact, why not skip the glue all together unless you absolutely have to use it. I have made quick work of most fixing and fastening with tape and a well-meaning stapler. It might not look as "pretty" but it gets the finished product to the patron faster, and (assuming they don't leave their art project under a computer table to rot) its anticipated life span isn't as long as you would hope anyway. Though we all have those fleeting visions of coming up with a craft idea so spectacular the kids will place it in their keepsake box until they day they hand it down to their children, and their children's children. Be realistic about the outcomes and expectations of your craft. Let the kids have fun, and don't be heartbroken when every piece isn't hung in the Louvre. It's all about the experience and playing with the work.
Crappy t-shirts: Best bloody investment you'll ever make. Nothing has ever left me in a state of complete befuddlement more than a parent who brings their child to an art program wearing the most expensive all-white-stain-magnet-clothes they can conceive of. Art is messy. Children are messy. And kids at an art programs are the modern day reincarnation of Shiva the Destroyer of Worlds. This small investment of your money and time at a local Goodwill will save you hours of "Are you going to pay for that?" arguments over the kids' ruined clothes.
Pipecleaners: aka Manna from heaven. Have you ever heard the phrase "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?" Between you, me and the wall I think it was really a metaphor for trying to thread any string-like substance when trying to make jewelry for several impatient girls in princess costumes at once. This life hack involves pipecleaners, the materials that not only bend to your will but probably shape space-time as we know it. For easy jewelry making grab a handful of these with some beads and you got yourself the easiest-to-string set of bracelets and necklaces you'll ever make. Offer a variety of colors, and the kids'll be too busy picking out favorite colors to be picky.
*Warning: Using this book for children under the age of 4 years will more than likely result in crying and hysteria, and a potential life long fear of books!
"The Book that Eats People" by John Perry ISBN: 9781582462684
I discovered this book when I was trying to think of a well-meaning April Fools joke for a class I did outreach for. You can play it straight and just read from it, or you can walk around with your book, open/close it rapidly as it "bites" at people, or my personal favorite drag it out of your bag and wrestle it to the floor yelling for help to pin it down before reading.
"Let's Do Nothing!" by Tony Fucile ISBN: 9780763652692
I once had a Special Needs teacher from a middle school request a story time using books that weren't too text heavy and at the same time weren't too "kid-ish." It's pretty difficult to find a book that can cross that age-interest gap without relying hard on just droning on from a chapter book looking up every few pages to make sure that one kid isn't poking that other kid (you know who they are). This book worked pretty well with crossing the divide. Like most teenagers, these kids sat down for our first field trip with this "you're not going to make me do anything or enjoy this in any way" look on their face. That's when you ask them if they would like to do nothing. Suddenly you can get a series of affirmative responses. If you're really lucky you can get them to pretend and play along for doing a series of these "nothings" with the characters from the book, and they''ll learn that you really can't possibly do nothing.
"Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum" by Lisa Wheeler ISBN:9780316988940
An oldie but a goodie. It has rhythmic elements that can lend itself to a singing story time (if that's your thing), and is one of those cause-and-effect books that can keep the kids guessing without giving up some fun surprise twists in the plot.
Like many things in life, this is a product of absolute boredom. It's a fastening together of random ideas to throw at the wall and see what sticks. Help yourself to anything here especially since most of it has been taken from somewhere else in the first place. Call it Manifest Destiny if you need justification. Librarians are shameless thieves after all. From Hobbit quote tattoos they pull from Pintrest (right down to the curly cue font) to architectural designs in order to feng shui their programming room (You know what we do on our vacations? Visit other libraries. Sad but true) we take from a little bit of everywhere and add to our "collection". We try to bring the best this world has to offer, and present it with no further ado in our natural habitats. Our libraries.