Owl Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Big Book: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson
owl babies

Song: “There Were Three Night Owls in the Tree” (Tune: “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain”)
There were three night owls in the tree:
Hoo! Hoo!
There were three night owls in the tree:
Hoo! Hoo!
Oh, they called up to the sky to their mama flying by,
And she swooped down and joined them happily:
Hoo! Hoo!
(Credit: Adapted from Jen in the Library)

Song: “The Wheels on the Bus”
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town!

Additional verses:
Horn/beep-beep-beep
Wipers/swish-swish-swish
Doors/open and shut
People/up & down
Owls/whoo, whoo, whoo

Book: Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien

Song: “Be Like an Owl” (Tune: “London Bridge is Falling Down”)
Flap your wings and fly around, fly around, fly around.
Flap your wings and fly around, just like an owl.
Open your eyes big and wide, big and wide, big and wide.
Open your eyes big and wide, just like and owl.
Land on the ground and hop along, hop along, hop along.
Land on the ground and hop along, just like an owl.
Turn your head and say who, who, say who, who, say who, who.
Turn your head and say who, who, just like an owl.
(Credit: Jen in the Library)

Puppet Story: Adapted from Good-night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins

Closing Rhyme

Animals at Night Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

Song: “We Are Dinosaurs” – Laurie Berkner: Whaddaya Think of That?

Book: Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Song: “Flutter, Flutter, Little Bat” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Flutter, flutter, little bat.
How I wonder where you’re at.
Up above the world so high.
Like a mouse who’s learned to fly.
Flutter, flutter, little bat,
Glad there are no flying cats!
(Credit: King County Library System)

Flannel Rhyme: “Bear in the Lair”
Sleepy bear, sleepy bear,
Are you in the (color) lair?

Repeat for different colored lairs (caves) until you find the bear.

(Credit: Lady Librarian Life)

Book: Make More S’mores by Cathy Ballou Mealey, illustrated by Ariel Landy

Closing Rhyme

Nocturnal Animals Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Puppet Rhyme: “There’s Something in the Woods”
There’s something in the woods, that I can’t really see. (hands around eyes like binoculars)
There’s something in the woods. Now what can it be? (hold up hands, shrug shoulders in question)

Repeat the rhyme above before giving each clue:
I’m an animal who’s big, brown, and furry and who “Roars.” (bear)
I’m an animal who has a long skinny tail and carries my babies on my back, “Click, click, click.” (opossum)
I’m an animal who says, “Whoo, whoo” at night. (owl)
I’m an animal who’s black and white and very stinky, “Stomp, stomp, stomp.” (skunk)
I’m an animal with a black mask and I’m nocturnal! (raccoon)

Song: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.

Book: I Am Bat by Morag Hood

Song: “Bats Eat Bugs” – Banana Slug String Band: Dirt Made My Lunch
Bats eat bugs, they don’t eat people.
Bats eat bugs, they don’t fly in your hair.
Bats eat bugs, they eat insects for dinner,
That’s why they’re flying up there.

Coyotes eat rabbits, they don’t eat people.
Coyotes eat rabbits, ‘cuz you’re too big to bite.
Coyotes eat rabbits, they eat rabbits for dinner,
That’s why they’re out in the night.

Snakes eat mice, they don’t eat people.
Snakes eat mice, that’s why they’re on the ground.
Snakes eat mice, ‘cuz we’re too big to swallow,
So they don’t want you hanging around.

Bears eat berries, they don’t eat people.
Bears eat berries, they don’t eat you or me.
Bears eat berries, and they’ll steal your dinner,
So you better hang it high in a tree.

Nothing out there wants to eat you.
Nothing out there wants to make you its meal.
Nothing out there eats people for dinner
‘Cuz they know how sick they would feel

Flannel Rhyme: “One Whole Pie”
One whole pie
Set by the door,
Cut into pieces,
I count four.

Four pieces of pie,
All for us,
Bear ate one piece, (make loud eating sounds as you take the piece off the board)
Now there are three.

Three pieces of pie
All for us,
Opossum ate another piece,
Now there are two.

Two pieces of pie,
Oh! What fun!
Skunk ate another piece,
Now there is one.

One piece of pie,
I can’t wait!
I ate that last piece,
Empty plate!

Song: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau: Kids and Kitties

Closing Rhyme

Bat Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

Song: “Flap, Flap, Flap Little Bats”
Flap, flap, flap little bats,
Flap, flap, flap little bats,
Flap, flap, flap little bats,
Early in the evening.

Additional verses:
Clap, clap, clap little bats…
Dance, dance, dance little bats…
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle little bats…
Soar, soar, soar little bats…

Last verse:
Sleep, sleep, sleep little bats,
Sleep, sleep, sleep little bats,
Sleep, sleep, sleep little bats,
Early in the morning.
(Credit: Miss Katie’s Story Time)

Song: “Roly Poly” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Roly poly, roly poly
Up, up, up
up, up, up
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
down, down, down
down, down, down

Repeat with: out/in, fast/slow
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne

Song: “Bats Eat Bugs”
Bats eat bugs, they don’t eat people.
Bats eat bugs, they don’t fly in your hair.
Bats eat bugs, they eat insects for dinner.
That’s why they’re flying up there.

Coyotes eat rabbits, they don’t eat people.
Coyotes eat rabbits, ‘cuz you’re too big to bite.
Coyotes eat rabbits, they eat rabbits for dinner.
That’s why they’re out in the night.

Snakes eat mice, they don’t eat people.
Snakes eat mice, that’s why they’re on the ground.
Snakes eat mice, ‘cuz we’re too big to swallow,
So they don’t want you hanging around.

Bears eat berries, they don’t eat people.
Bears eat berries, they don’t eat you or me.
Bears eat berries, and they’ll steal your dinner,
So you better hang it high in a tree.

Nothing out there wants to eat you.
Nothing out there wants to make you its meal.
Nothing out there eats people for dinner
‘Cuz they know how sick they would feel.
(Credit: Banana Slug String Band: Dirt Made My Lunch)

Fingerplay: “Five Little Bats”
Five little bats sitting on a gate.
First one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late.”
Second one said, “There are mosquitoes in the air.”
Third one said, “Let’s eat them up right here.”
Fourth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”
Fifth one said, “Let’s flap and run and run.”
Then Whooo-ooo went the wind and out went the light,
And the five little bats flew off in the night.

Book: I Am Bat by Morag Hood

Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau: Kids and Kitties

Closing Rhyme

Raccoon Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Kitty by Rebecca Jordan-Glum

Song: “Raccoon Sitting in a Tree” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Raccoon, raccoon, climbing a tree, (make climbing motions)
Wearing a mask, you can’t fool me. (hands circle eyes, then shake finger)
Hiding there so I can’t see (point to eyes)
What you’re doing in that tree. (hands stretched over head like a tree)
Raccoon, raccoon, climbing a tree, (make climbing motions)
Wearing a mask, you can’t fool me. (hands circle eyes, then shake finger)

Book: Raccoons by Mari C. Schuh

Song: “Nocturnal Animals” – Banana Slug String Band: Dirt Made My Lunch

Book: Raccoon Tune by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Howard Fine

Song: “Jump, Jump” – Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights: I’m a Rock Star

Puppet Rhyme: “There’s Something in the Woods”
There’s something in the woods, that I can’t really see. (hands around eyes like binoculars)
There’s something in the woods. Now what can it be? (hold up hands, shrug shoulders in question)

Repeat the rhyme above before giving each clue:
I’m an animal who’s big, brown, and furry and who “Roars.” (bear)
I’m an animal who has long ears and goes “Hop, hop, hop.” (rabbit)
I’m an animal who says “Whoo, whoo” at night. (owl)
I’m an animal who’s red, furry, has a big, bushy tail, and likes to eat chicken. (fox)
I’m an animal who’s small, has a big, bushy tail, and loves to eat nuts. (squirrel)
I’m an animal who’s tiny and makes very quiet “Squeaks.” (mouse)
I’m an animal with a black mask and I’m nocturnal! (raccoon)

Closing Rhyme

Owl Story Time – Preschool

Hello song

Book/Puppets: Who’s Next Door? By Mayuko Kishira and Jun Takabatake

who's next door

Song: Be Like an Owl (Tune: London Bridge is Falling Down)
Flap your wings and fly around, fly around, fly around.
Flap your wings and fly around, just like an owl.
Open your eyes big and wide, big and wide, big and wide.
Open your eyes big and wide, just like and owl.
Land on the ground and hop along, hop along, hop along.
Land on the ground and hop along, just like an owl.
Turn your head and say who, who, say who, who, say who, who.
Turn your head and say who, who, just like an owl.
(Credit: Jen in the Library)

Book: I’m Not Scared” by Jonathon Allen

I'm not scared

Song: “Nocturnal Animals” – Banana Slug String Band: Dirt Made My Lunch

Flannel/Song: There Was One Night Owl in the Tree (Tune: “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain”
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
Oh, he called up to the sky to an owl flying by,
And the owl came and joined him happily:
Hoo!  Hoo!
(Credit: Jen in the Library)

Song (Shaky Eggs): “I’m Not Going to Sleep” – Dana McCarthy: Chocolate Milk and Other Tasty Tunes

Book: Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

wow! said the owl

Craft: Gray owls on black paper & hand-traced wings with glued on feathers

feather owl craft preschool story time

End rhyme