This is always a fun storytime and it’s so great to hear the wishes and dreams of our kids! Some of them are serious (such as what they want to grow up to be), some of them are silly (like what they’d wish for if they were granted wishes), and sometimes it’s simply that they wish they had cake. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Introduction: Before we get started, we talk about what wishes and dreams mean. Of course there’s birthday wishes, wishes on stars and more. Dreams can come to us when we sleep, or they can be wishes we have for ourselves and others. After I’ve given them the chance to say their own wish or dream, we sing our hello song!
Sign of the Day: There are a lot of ASL opportunities with this storytime, we went with “wish.” This is one of those signs that means something different in certain contexts and this one also means “hungry.” So it’s important to talk to the kids about how it can really mean two things.
Book: Yes Day! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I’m pretty sure every kid has wished for a “Yes Day,” or a day when every little wish or desire is met with a ‘yes!’ This little picturebook lets us dive into a day in which a little boy gets everything he wants!
Song: Wee Willie Winkie. Sometimes we just sing this as is, standing up and down for the “upstairs and downstairs” lyric and sometimes we sing just the first verse and I start with 8 o’clock and have us go faster and faster as we get later and later into the night, ending at 10 o’clock with the kids hurrying to lay down and pretend to sleep.
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown.
Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,
Are the children in their bed, for it’s past ten o’clock?
Hey, Willie Winkie, are you coming in?
The cat is singing purring sounds to the sleeping hen,
The dog’s spread out on the floor, and doesn’t give a cheep.
But here’s a wakeful little boy who will not fall asleep!
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown.
Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,
Are the children in their bed, for it’s past ten o’clock?
Book: A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson
This is a sweet book that encourages kids to dream big even when others are doubting.
Rhyme: 5 Birthday Candles. You can easily turn this rhyme into felt with a birthday cake and 5 candle pieces. In non-covid times, I’ve had children take turns coming up to the feltboard to blow out the candle.
5 Birthday Candles, wish there were more!
Blew out one, then there were 4.
4 birthday candles, pretty as can be!
Blow one out, then there are 3.
3 birthday candles, hope my wish comes true!
Blow one out, then there are 2.
2 birthday candles, birthday cakes are fun!
Blow one out, then there is 1.
1 birthday candle, the party’s almost done!
Blow out one, then there are none!
Oral Tale: Silly Wishes
There are some great short tales in this compilation, but for this storytime, I chose the story Silly Wishes, a Swedish tale about a couple who are visited by a fairy. When the wife does a favor for the fairy, she grants them 3 wishes. The wife immediately wishes for a fat sausage for dinner. When her husband comes back, he scolds her and in anger, wishes the sausage would be stuck to her nose.
Closing: With a quick review of our sign of the day, we sing our closing song, Tickle the Clouds.
More Books to Check Out:
Librarian Ginny 