Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
Comin’ Down to Storytime by Rob Reid. This great picture book could definitely be used as a beginning book/song for every story time. This book is taken from the favorite song “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain!” The author uses animals to depict the children at story time. The verses include “We’ll be comin’ down to storytime when we come. Yee ha!” “hear a funny story,” “say a nursery rhyme,” “make a fingerplay,” and so on, as all the farm animals run excitedly to the barn. It ends with, “We will check out lots of books when we leave, Bye Now!” The animals exit, each with at least one book in hand, and are shown on or under a big tree, reading. See this book listed in our catalog
Music
Miles the Crocodile
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Want to raise a jazz lover? Have I got the book for you: Miles the Crocodile Plays the Colors of Jazz by Andy Blackman Hurwitz and illustrated by Andrew Cunningham! Miles is a trumpet playing crocodile here to demonstrate “that the colors of jazz can make beautiful art” through words, pictures, and music! The book comes with a CD of jazz music that corresponds with the story. My favorite track is “Blue Jazz Blue” in which Miles sings the “I Ain’t Got No Cookie Blues” lamenting “I got my milk, but I want my cookie too!” If you like this kit, look out for other books in the “Baby Loves Jazz” series like Charlie Bird, Duck Ellington, and Ella Elephant. See this book listed in our catalog
How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
Submitted by Jill from Leonardtown!
How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle is a rhythmic treat with a boppin’ beat. “Some days you wake up and you just gotta wokka… get you dance on.” That’s the case with one youngster who wakes up on a fine morning and sets out through his friendly, culturally diverse city neighborhood to gather up his friends. Each neighbor, when asked the question “How do you wokka-wokka?” shows off their own special dance. Some dance like “flamingos in a flocka,” others like “a clock go ticka-tocka.” As the crowd of dancers grows, the day turns into a rocking, “wokka-wokka party on the block-a” complete with balloons and whole dancing families. You’ve just got to read this book aloud, and follow it up with your own special wokka! See this book listed in our catalog
Bartleby Speaks
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
Crickets chirp, the wind blows, and birds tweet. But if you’re yelling and carrying on, you’ll never hear any of it. In Bartleby Speaks! written by Robin Cruise, and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, young Bartleby Huddle simply does not speak. He’s a happy baby, but a relatively quiet one. He’ll coo and chortle, but words just aren’t his thing. As he grows older, his family worries about his lack of words, so they try everything (as loudly as possible) to get young Bartleby to speak. But alas, no amount of opera, cello playing, tap dancing or woofing can convince Bartleby to chime in. But in the end, it’s Bartleby that teaches his family that you need to stop and listen to really have something to say. See this book listed in our catalog
The Composer Is Dead
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
The Composer Is Dead is a wonderful book by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Carson Ellis, and featuring music by Nathaniel Stookey! As the title indicates, the composer is, well, decomposing, and it’s up to one handsome and intelligent inspector to find the culprit. He will question the entire orchestra! Is the murderer lurking in the strings? No–they were performing waltzes all night. How about the woodwinds? Inspector thinks they’re pretty sneaky until the clarinets compliment the shiny buttons on his jacket. It might be the brass! But they were off playing important songs, as they boisterously proclaim. It must be the conductor! Wherever you find a conductor you find a dead composer! Beethoven, Bach, Brahms–all dead! Actually, anyone who plays an instrument is guilty of butchering a composer every now and then… If you want justice, go to the police, “but those who want something a little more interesting should go to the orchestra!” See this book listed in our catalog
Chicken Dance
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
You’re invited to a barnyard talent show in Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Santat. The grand prize? Tickets to see Elvis Poultry in concert! Oh, the chickens want to win so badly! Unfortunately, the ducks win every year. But for Elvis they have to try! But what are they good at? They can’t bowl, or juggle, or walk on tight rope. They can’t even fly or swim like other birds! When it’s time to finally hit the stage, they’ve completely run out of ideas. They decide to “wing it,” and just be themselves! They “bawk and roll” all over the stage. Suddenly, Elvis is in the building! “You chicks rocked!” he says, “You had me all shook up.” Then he asks them tour with him as back up dancers! This book is delightful, and be sure to check out the hilarious author and illustrator bios in the back! See this book listed in our catalog