Storytime: Bunnies!

Last week in storytime, I did the ever popular bunnies theme to tie into the Easter holiday.  While my storytime didn’t really focus on Easter, I was still a little nervous that the bunny theme would make those who don’t celebrate Easter feel left out.  Turns out I really had nothing to worry about.  The first little girl who came into the room introduced me to her baby doll, Baby Jesus (that was apparently the doll’s name.)  And the second girl who came in gave me a bookmark for my Bible.  The other kids weren’t as overtly religious, but they were all, “Yeah, Easter!  Yay!”

Opening Song:  Open, Shut Them.

Book #1:  Roslyn Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth by Marie-Louise Gay

This is a story about a little rabbit who decides to build the biggest hole on Earth in the hopes that she’ll reach the South Pole and see a penguin.  She finds that this endeavor is harder than she thought, and she ends up eating a carrot lunch with her father in the hole that she dug.  My favorite part about this book is the little penguin holding a carrot sandwich on the last page.

Activity #1:  Bunny with a Basket

Bunny with a (name of color) basket lost his eggs.
I don’t know how.  If you have a (color) egg, come give it to him now.

The kids really had fun with this one.  They were also good about waiting until their color was called (I used to have problems with all the kids rushing forward at once whenever I let them put stuff on the board; it was pandemonium, I tell you).  And the older kids were very kind when helping the few 1 and 2 year olds find where to put their eggs.

Book #2:  Squish Rabbit by Katherine Battersby

Squish is a little rabbit who often feels left out due to his size.  When he meets a squirrel, however, he finds a friend who’s just his size.  This story was cute and the kids really enjoyed it.

Activity #2:  Little Peter Rabbit

Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his ear.
Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his ear.
Little Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his ear.
And he flicked it until it flew away.

This was one of the very first flannels I made!  It was back when I thought everything had to be felt.  If I ever redo this one, I would probably add a picture of a rabbit, a fly and an ear to reinforce word recognition.

Book #3:  Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

This book offered some great chances for asking open ended questions such as, “What other green animals do you see?” and “How tall is the rabbit?”

Closing Song:  Children, Children Turn Around