I looked through all my storytime plans and wrote down all the titles I thought I might like to list here. In addition to the books in Pt. 1, there are 35. So I think there will be a Pt. 3. And 4. And probably 5 and 6 also. I LOVE talking about good books!! And now, on to the favorites… Here are some newer titles, published in 2008 or 2009, that have been big storytime hits:
- Shea, Bob. Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. Dinosaur vs….. A BOWL OF SPAGHETTI! Who will win? DINOSAUR WINS AGAIN! RAHRRR! This is a wonderful participatory book, with content that young kids can relate to. Who doesn’t want to conquer the talking grownups? But bedtime? Bedtime ALWAYS wins, at least at my house.
- Himmelman, John. Katie Loves the Kittens. When I first read this, alone, at my desk, I almost cried. The illustrations so wonderfully portray Katie’s enthusiasm for the kittens, and then her sorrow at having frightened them, it’s palpable. I’m feeling sorry for Katie right now, just imagining it! This is a great story for anyone who’s ever felt like they wanted to make friends but didn’t know how to do it.
- McMullan, Kate, and Jim McMullan. I’m Bad! Just like the others in this series (I’m Dirty, I Stink), here’s another opportunity to totally ham it up. Bad breath? YEAAAAHHHHHHH (say while exhaling deeply)! When it comes down to it, though, this bad dino needs his mama’s help just like most of us do.
- Gravett, Emily. Monkey and Me. If you were paying attention last spring, you could have gotten a free copy of this one in your Cheerios box. I love this story because it’s got a great beat (and you can dance to it). I have the kids clap their hands or slap their legs as we read “monkey and me, monkey and me, monkey and me we went to see, we went to see some…”. Then kids and I try to guess what they saw based upon the actions of the little girl and her toy monkey. This book incorporates so many early literacy skills: phonological awareness (the rhymes and beat), print awareness (the name of each animal is written out in big, dark letters), narrative skills (helping to tell the story) and, of course, print motivation (it’s just plain FUN!).
- Bergman, Mara. Yum Yum! What Fun! More animals, more rhymes, more silly (and a tiny bit scary) fun! This is a new addition to my food-themed storytime.
- Pretty much everything by Jan Thomas: Rhyming Dust Bunnies, What Will Fat Cat Sit On, and The Doghouse. Simple, silly, perfect, but still room for DRAMA! And, no time at all, the kids will read them to you.
- Tankard, Jeremy. Boo Hoo Bird. I loved Grumpy Bird, so it’s not surprise that Bird’s next adventure would be a pleaser too. When Bird gets bonked on the head (LOVE that the author used the word “bonked”), his friends try a variety of things, including a cookie and a bandaid, to make him feel better. To no avail. What will fix this boo-boo? Bird is a bit of a drama queen, which makes it that much more fun to perform.
I’m sure there are lots of great new storytime books I’m missing (I’m WAY behind on my new book reading right now) so PLEASE share your recent favorites!
And I’ll be back soon with part 3…
missmaryliberry.com 
Oh yes, one of my pet peeves is people who condescendingly say, “it’s just a kids’ book.” There is some REALLY GREAT, really well-written and creative, really entertaining kids’s stuff out there — that’s fun for everyone! It’s not ALL Goodnight Moon (which is not terrible, of course)!
Hadn’t heard of Chicken Cheeks before – now: ordered!! thanks!
I consider it part of my mission as a children’s librarian to *prove* that picture books are not just for little kids. And what fun it is trying!!!
Thanks!! Now I totally need some orange socks! I have the pipecleaners already…
I’ve been doing a silly stories theme this week and have tried out Chicken Cheeks and Chicken Butt
on the kids. Chicken Butt, of course, gets BIG laughs. Chicken Cheeks they like too, for the animals and illustrations, although they don’t really get that all those words are synonyms for your posterior. The teachers, do, though! Someone told me that they thought it would be perfect for 2nd graders. I agree. My storytime kids are all preschoolers, so I haven’t gotten to test that out yet.
I was *so* hoping to get to be the one to tell you there’s a Rhyming Dust Bunnies sequel coming!! 🙂
New Socks I’ve used with all age groups, and all love it – of course I had to buy a pair of orange socks and make geeky-looking glasses out of black pipe cleaners…
I haven’t seen Can You Make a Scary Face yet, but I’m eagerly anticipating it! A dust bunny sequel? YES!! I LOVE New Socks as well (orange must be my size!), but I find it’s funnier for the grown-ups than the kids (not that they don’t enjoy it…)
You have totally picked my favorites! The new Jan Thomas book is also fun: Can You Make a Scary Face? – and I can *not* wait for the sequel to Rhyming Dust Bunnies coming out in November: Here Comes the Big Mean Dust Bunny!!! How about Bob Shea’s other books: Big Plans and New Socks? Guaranteed fun for all ages!!
Thanks so much for sharing!