The Grouchy Ladybug: Story time themes: Insects, Summer, Humility, The Golden Rule, Manners, Telling Time

Title: The Grouchy Ladybug
Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle
Word Density: Low to Medium
My Recommended Age-Appropriateness: Preschool to 8

Summary:

In this Eric Carle classic, a ladybug (or ladybird, or ladybeetle, depending on your locale,) gets up on the very wrong side of the rose petal. Determined to pick a fight with every obliging creature it runs into, the poor ladybug moves through its (notice its gender is undefined) day, hour by hour, and finds absolutely no contentment. What it doesn't realize until the very end is that happiness is a state of mind; the ladybug chooses to be grumpy, and so grumpy it is. The silly bug challenges progressively bigger and scarier and more powerful animals (and even a giant whale's fin, in a moment of final desperation.) Finally, getting what it asked for, the ladybug lands right back where it began its dreary day. In humility, the ladybug learns how to be accepting, pleasant, and friendly at last. Carle's vibrant illustrations, the exciting cut-away design of the book, and its progression showing an analog clock moving through the hours of a day, all combine to keep this classic story a vital part of any preschool classroom or storytime session. It compliments other books carrying the same themes of grouchiness, bad days, and bad manners, such as A Pig's Book of Manners, by Nicholas Allan and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst.

Pick and choose among the following themes, Bible verses, and songs to create a lesson that best ties in with your current theme or objective:

Christian Themes:

1. Humility.
2. Being a good neighbor.
3. Treating others like you would like to be treated.
4. Do not think more highly of yourselves than you ought to.

Preschool Themes:

1. Grouchiness.
2. Manners.
3. Being nice.
4. Insects.
5. Telling time.

Scripture Connections:

1. Romans 12:3 "I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you." (CEV)

2. Matthew 23:12 "Whoever makes himself great will be made humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be made great." (NCV)

3. Luke 6:31 "Treat others just as you want to be treated." (CEV)

4. Matthew 22:39 "And the second command is like the first: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (NCV)

Song Connections:

1. "The Selfish Song," by Veggie Tales.

2.  "Telling Time," by Jennifer Fixman, "We Love Math With Miss Jenny."

3. "Show Kindness Every Day," from Jack Hartmann's "Counting Piggy Tails - Better than Counting Sheep."

4. "Living In Harmony," by A Capella Kids.

Enrichment:

If you use this lesson during the Spring or Summer, take the children outside and try to catch ladybugs. Place the caught specimens in a bug viewing container and let the children study them, using magnifying glasses and sufficient light. If no ladybugs are to be found, provide a library table with lots of nice glossy books about ladybugs for the children to peruse.

Too Much Noise! Themes: Stress, Quiet, Solitude, Prayer, Distractions, Worship, Farm Animals, Noises, Sounds

Too Much Noise!

...A Preschool Story Time Lesson Plan About Seeking Quietness.

INTRODUCTION:

As an introduction to your storytime, bring in an assortment of noise makers for the children. Include objects that make loud noises (such as tin pie plates, rattles, plastic cups for banging together,) and items that create soft sounds (like organza scarves, sandpaper, pinwheels, or small triangles.) Alternate between having your group make loud then soft noises. Discuss the differences the children experienced. How did the loud noises make them feel? How would they feel if the loud noises went on for a very long time?

STORY: Too Much Noise, by Ann McGovern. Enjoy the story with the children. Take a few minutes after the story to discuss the main character's experience of having all those noisy farm animals in his house. How do they think that experience helped him feel better about the quieter "noises" in his home?

GAME: Play "Barnyard Match-up." Assign a farm animal noise to each child. Make sure there are two of every animal represented. For example, if you have twenty children, make sure you have two pigs, two cats, two cows, etc. to make 10 sets. Let the children all make their animal noises at the same time, seeking out their partner. Game is over when all the sets have come together. Assist younger children and have fun in the cacophony!

SONG and Quiet-Down: Gather everyone back to your storytime circle, and discuss the noisy game you just played. Emphasize the distinction between the noise before and the quiet now.

Explain that everyone needs to find a quiet place now and then to stay healthy and happy. Tell about how Jesus often sought out a quiet place away from the crowds to rest and to pray.

Play "Agnus Dei" from Cedarmont Worship for Kids, Volume 1. Sit back and let the music lead the children into a place of stillness and worship.

STORY: A Quiet Place, by Douglas Wood. Ask the children where their favorite quiet place is. Describe what Jesus' favorite quiet place might have been like.

BIBLE VERSE BRACELETS: Psalm 46:10a "Be still, and know that I AM God..." (NKJV)

and/or Matthew 14:23 "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there." (NKJV)

(Print out, on a brightly-colored sheet of paper, today's verse repeated down the page. Cut between each verse so that you have 10-15 strips, each with the verse printed on it. Ask the children to form a line, and using tape to stick the ends together, wrap a "Bible Verse Bracelet" round each little wrist. Some children do not want to wear it; in that case, hand it to them and tell them to use the verse as a bookmark. The children love these, and come to expect them at each session! The verses also find their way home to parents and siblings, and help to spread the news about that day's storytime.)

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: Visit a local farm. Explore the many types of animals there. Discuss the different sounds each animal makes. Find the noisy places on the farm. Find the quiet places. Enjoy!!

The Secret Birthday Message: Storytime themes: Birthdays, Pirates, Directional Words, Shapes, Following Jesus

                              

Title:  The Secret Birthday Message

Author/Illustrator:  Eric Carle

Word Density: Low
Age-Appropriateness: Toddler to 8

Summary: 

I get really, really excited about ANY of Eric Carle's books. But I get especially happy when I find a new one (or in this case, old one.) First published in West Germany in 1971, The Secret Birthday Message is a little gem. With characteristically wonderful artwork, Carle presents a simple idea. A boy named Tim discovers a mysterious coded message in his room on his birthday-eve. In it are specific instructions for where to find his birthday present. Full of symbols, shapes, and directional words like "in," "behind," and "through," Carle uses specially-cut pages that lead the reader on a literal treasure hunt through the book. And of course, in classic Carle fashion, there's a surprise at the end of the search. A thoroughly lovely and educational presentation by my favorite author, artist, philosopher, and universal grandpa, Eric Carle.

Using this story as the basis for your lesson, choose from or combine the following themes found in this book to correspond with your current curriculum unit or lesson objectives:

Preschool themes:

1. Secret messages/Pirates.

2. Birthdays.

3. Shapes.

4. Directional words.

Christian themes:

1. Follow the Savior.

2. Jesus' Birthday.

3. The Greatest Treasure is Peace With God.

4. God's message for us.

Scripture connections:

1. Matthew 6:19-21: "Don't store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will be where your treasure is." (New Century Version)

2. John 8:12: "Later, Jesus talked to the people again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life.'" (New Century Version)

3. Acts 10:36: "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all." (NIV)

4. Ephesians 4:6: "[There is] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (NIV)Song suggestions:

1. "Follow the Saviour" by Colin Buchanan from "Follow the Saviour" CD.

2. "The Greatest Treasure" by Colin Buchanan, from his "Practise Being Godly" CD.

3. "The Best Book to Read is the Bible" from Colin Buchanan's "Follow the Saviour" CD.

4. Song, "Luke, Chapter 9 Verse 23," from Colin Buchanan's "Practise Being Godly" CD.

·Enrichment: Provide a "secret message" for the children to decode. Place a bag of treats in a hidden area. Draw a map using symbols and pictures, and show it to the children. Help them decipher the map and find the treats.

                      

The Owl and the Woodpecker: Storytime Themes: Being a Good Neighbor, Forest Animals, Owls, Birds, Peace, Problem Solving

Title: The Owl and the Woodpecker

Author/Illustrator: Brian Wildsmith

Word Density: Medium

My Recommended Age-Appropriateness: 4 to 12

CHRISTIAN THEMES: 

1. Loving your neighbor.
2. Living peacefully with one another.

PRESCHOOL THEMES:
1. Settling differences.
2. Being a good neighbor.
3. Solving problems.
4. Forest animals.
5. Nighttime and daytime animals.

SUMMARY: In this classic fable about a group of forest animals who have property disputes, readers learn about how to be a good neighbor. With beautiful colors and lively textures, Wildsmith portrays the all-too-realistic argument between nocturnal Owl, who recently moved into the tree next door, and Woodpecker. Owl can't sleep and becomes infuriated with Woodpecker's daytime noise. Woodpecker, however, maintains that it's his right to peck on his own tree anytime and as loudly as he wants. The dispute grows more and more heated, eventually causing a siding of opinions among all the forest's residents. The tiny mouse sees Woodpecker's point of view, insisting that "Owl is always bossing...us around." The larger animals tend to see Owl's perspective, encouraging Woodpecker to compromise and "stop pecking" so they can all get some peace. Finally the residents gather round to encourage the troubled Owl to do something to fix the situation. He, however, feels the problem is entirely Woodpecker's fault, and insists on Woodpecker moving house. Their neighbors get so fed up with it all that they actually try to push down Owl's tree. Of course, this doesn't work, but coincidentally, two beavers begin to take a liking to Owl's tree. When a big storm comes along and threatens to blow down Owl's tree one day while he's fast asleep, Woodpecker sees the danger and, disregarding all their earlier disputes, rushes in to waken Owl one last time with his frantic pecking. Owl is so grateful to Woodpecker for rescuing him, that all is forgiven, and a suitable arrangement is made so that everyone lives peacefully together. Altogether an excellent way of demonstrating how to be, and not to be, a good friend and neighbor.

Choose from the following themes, songs, and Bible verses to create a lesson that best suits your curriculum or learning objectives:

SCRIPTURE CONNECTIONS:

1. 2 Corinthians 13:11 "...Try to get along and live peacefully with each other." (CEV)

2. Proverbs 11:25 "...those who help others will themselves be helped." (CEV)

3. Romans 15:2 "We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord." (NLT)

4. Romans 15:5 "God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ." (CEV)

SONG CONNECTIONS:

1. "Up All Night" (a song about nocturnal animals) by Zach Burba from "Cool Creatures" CD & MMMKids.
2. "Love Your Neighbor" from the Veggie Tales Veggie Tunes CD.
3. "This is My Commandment" from the Cedarmont Kids Platinum Collection.

Craft Idea: Let the children create paper plate owls. Give each child two paper plates, one large and one small. Staple the smaller one above the larger one to simulate the owl's head. Provide plenty of brown craft feathers (available in most arts and crafts supply stores) and let the children use glue to cover their owls in feathers. Finally, glue two plastic googly eyes (also available at craft stores) on the "face." Hang your lovely, silly owls around the room and enjoy!

Oh Be Careful Little Mouth! Story Time Themes: Frogs, Watching our Mouths, Words, Honoring God

STORYTIME LESSON PLAN:  Oh, Be Careful Little Mouth...!

OPENING ATTENTION-GETTER: Sing the nursery rhyme "Glub, Glub Went the Little Green Frog." (Author unknown.) You may use hand motions for added interest. (I have a little stuffed frog finger-puppet I like to use with this rhyme.)

"Glub, glub went the little green frog one day,

Glub, glub went the little green frog.

Glub, glub went the little green frog one day,

and his eyes went BLINK, BLINK, BLINK!"

DISCUSSION: Explain to the children the concept of using our mouths in ways that could hurt ourselves and other people. Ask the children for examples. Then ask them for some ways we can use our mouths in ways that help. Take a few minutes to talk with the children about this.

SONG: Sing "Oh, Be Careful Little Eyes..." with the children.

STORY: Read The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog by Ana Martin Larranaga.

SONG: Sing "Shhh!" from the Cedarmont Kids "Happy Songs" recording.

BIBLE VERSE: Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

(Print out, on a brightly-colored sheet of paper, today's verse repeated down the page. Cut between each verse so that you have 10-15 strips, each with the verse printed on it. Ask the children to form a line, and using tape to stick the ends together, wrap a "Bible Verse Bracelet" round each little wrist. Some children do not want to wear it; in that case, hand it to them and tell them to use the verse as a bookmark. The children love these, and come to expect them at each session! The verses also find their way home to parents and siblings, and help to spread the news about that day's storytime.)

FINGERPLAY: "A Green Frog" (author unknown)

~Use hand motions to act out the rhyme...

"Said the little green frog as he sat on a log,

'Nobody really likes me!'

A snake came along and said,

'You are wrong!'

And gobbled him up for tea!"

FINGERPLAY #2: "5 Little Speckled Frogs" (author unknown)

~Remember to use hand motions to act out the finger play...

"Five little speckled frogs

Sitting on a hollow log

Eating some moist delicious bugs (yum, yum!)

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Now there are four speckled frogs! (Ribit! Ribit!)"

...continue until there are "no more speckled frogs!

STORY: Read, What Would Jesus Do? by Helen Haidle. Explain how He wants us to use our mouths to encourage, heal, praise, and help. Give some concrete, age-specific examples of these.

ART: Make googly-eyed frogs! Prepare green frog shapes from suitable green card stock. Cut out enough for the number of children you anticipate to attend. (Always make more than you think you'll need!) Have enough plastic wiggly eyes (the kind you can find in the craft section of arts and crafts stores) for each child to have two. Let the children decorate their frogs with colors, chalk, glitter-glue, etc. Then help them glue on the plastic eyes.

CLOSING RHYME: Recite the following rhyme with the children:

"2 little eyes to look to God,

2 little ears to hear God's Word.

2 little feet to walk God's ways,

2 hands to serve God all my days.

1 little tongue to speak God's truth,

1 little heart for God in youth;

Take them, oh Jesus, let them be

always willing, true to Thee."

(~From Through the Church Door, by Louise Marshall Haynes.)

Dinosaur Roar!: Storytime themes: Dinosaurs, Grace, Opposites, Descriptive Words, God's Strength, Our Dependence Upon God

Story Time Lesson for Teaching About God's Sufficient Grace

Summary: Dinosaur Roar! by Henrietta and Paul Stickland.

In this simple book, large colorful happy-looking dinosaurs accompany antonyms that will help children understand opposites. A perfect opportunity to introduce the concept of God's strength and our weakness.

Preschool Themes: Opposites, descriptive words, dinosaurs.

Christian Themes: God is strong when we are weak.

Opener:

Play an "opposites" game with the children. Give a few examples of opposites to demonstrate or remind children of the concept. Then let the children guess the opposite of a word's meaning by acting the opposite out. For example, say "up." The children guess "down," by saying it and acting out "down" in their own way. Say "hard" and let them act out and say "soft." Try "cold" and let them dramatize "hot." Give them cues as needed and have fun.

Story: Dinosaur Roar! by Henrietta and Paul Stickland. See if the children can act out some of the dinosaur actions during the story. Reinforce the concept of opposites using examples from the story. Ask the children to give some examples of things that are strong, then things that are weak. Ask them if they've ever felt weak. (Perhaps when they've been ill or afraid.) Explain that God is always strong. Nobody is stronger than God! And when we feel weak and realize we're not very strong, we can remember how much He loves us and is strong for us!

Song: "Jesus Loves Me" (See if the children can catch when the words "weak" and "strong" are sung during the song, by acting out the words as they are sung.)

Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9 (a) (NKJV)

(Print out, on a brightly-colored sheet of paper, today's verse repeated down the page. Cut between each verse so that you have 10-15 strips, each with the verse printed on it. Ask the children to form a line, and using tape to stick the ends together, wrap a "Bible Verse Bracelet" round each little wrist. Some children do not want to wear it; in that case, hand it to them and tell them to use the verse as a bookmark. The children love these, and come to expect them at each session! The verses also find their way home to parents and siblings, and help to spread the news about that day's storytime.)

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Explain the verse to the children by saying that God is very strong. He is stronger than anything we can imagine. He knows that we are weak compared to Him. And because He is so strong, we are made strong through Him. So no matter how little or weak we feel, God is strong enough for everything and everyone!

Art: Dinosaur coloring pages. Please see the authors' and illustrator's website for free printables of dinosaurs from their book. This site also has templates for creating your own dino pop-up mouth! Choose any of these, make copies for the children, and let them color and decorate them as they wish.

Walter the Baker: Themes: Confession/Redemption, Honesty, Making Mistakes/Telling the Truth, Occupations, Pretzels, Multicultural Units

Title: Walter the Baker by Eric Carle
Word Density: Medium
My Recommended Age-Appropriateness: Preschool to 12

CHRISTIAN THEMES: 
1. Confession and honesty.
2. Redemption.



PRESCHOOL THEMES: 
1. Making mistakes.
2. Telling the truth, even when it's hard.
3. Pretzels.
4. Occupations and community workers.
5. Multicultural units.

SUMMARY: Walter the Baker tells the tale, in Eric Carle's own imaginative way, of the origin of the humble...pretzel. More like a fairy tale than his "Very" series, (The Very Grouchy Lady Bug, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, etc.,) this story is wordier and can be used for an older audience. And what fun! Walter, the "Very Gifted Baker," pleases the Duke and Duchess every morning with his fantastic sweet rolls. But one day, an accident causes him to make a grave mistake, and Walter substitutes water for the milk in the recipe. He hopes no one will find out, but the sophisticated palates of his rulers detect the problem straightaway. The Duke wants to banish Walter forever, but then decides to offer him a chance for redemption. Walter is challenged to invent a roll through which the "rising sun can shine three times." But to make things trickier, he added, "it must be made from one piece of dough, and...it must taste good." Walter fears he is good as lost, until another accident saves the day. With lively and colorful collage illustrations, Carle's sense of humor shines through. I especially liked the pages where Walter is shown struggling to invent the new roll, and bits of dough show up in strange places, even on the poor, intrusive cat. Very fun even on a totally superficial level, Walter the Baker can be used to draw out deeper levels of meaning. Use it in storytime lessons teaching about mistakes, honesty, and redemption. Another Eric Carle classic!

Pick and choose from the suggested themes, Bible verses, and songs to create a lesson plan that best suits your current teaching unit or learning objective.

SCRIPTURE CONNECTIONS:

1. 1 John 1:9 "But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away." (CEV)

2. Psalm 34:22 "The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him." (NIV)

SONG CONNECTIONS:

1. "My Reedemer Lives" from the Hillsong Kids CD "Tell the World"

2. "Second Chances" from the Veggie Tales soundtrack from "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie" CD

ENRICHMENT: Take your group to a local bakery to watch how pretzels or other baked goods are made. Bring some warm pretzels back for your children to enjoy.