Storytime: What’s In the Oven?

Includes the retelling of two traditional folktales and a variant,
the ECRR concepts of narrative skill/retelling and singing,
non-fiction elements of farming and bread-baking,
plus a dash of mathematics and multiculturalism!

(Pick and choose depending on ages in group.)

Book (folktale): The Little Red Hen -- Byron Barton (Alt. version: Paul Galdone)

Song: “Mulberry Bush” variant : This is the way we plant the seeds... Cut the stalks… Thresh the wheat.. Grind the wheat… Mix the batter…Knead the bread… Bake the bread… Eat our toast (Every Child Ready to Read skill (ECRR1)- narrative -- remembering sequence in book, vocabulary “thresh” “knead”; ECRR2 “singing”)

Book: Bread, Bread, Bread – Ann Morris (a multicultural look at breads around the world)

Book/Action Chant: Peanut Butter and Jelly – Nadine Bernard Westcott Silly action song depicting the sequence of sandwich making (with elephants!)

Storytelling with Flannelboard/Masks/Puppets (depending on size of group): The Gingerbread Man – Karen Chace has quite a few suggestions on her blog, including a link to Jan Brett’s beautiful printable masks:http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-gingerbread-man-stories-songs-and.html  Gingerbread script: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/pre-school-storytime-whats-in-oven.html

Mother Goose Action Rhyme: Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake Baker’s Man
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake Baker’s Man
Bake me a cake As fast as you can.
Roll it and pat it (Roll and clap hands)
And mark it with a B (Trace B on palm)
And put it in the oven (extend both hands)
For baby and me (point to Baby and Self)

or  Action: Make a Cake (source unknown)
Mix the batter, stir the batter (make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Shake some flour in (make a shaking motion with one arm/hand)
Mix the batter, stir the batter (make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Place it in a tin (pretend to pour)
Sprinkle in some raisins (pretend to sprinkle)
Pop it in to bake (open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)
Open wide the oven door (pretend to open door)
And out comes the cake! (open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)

Book & Flannel or Props: The Doorbell Rang – Pat Hutchins Used12 flannel (or real) children and 12 flannel/prop cookies to demonstrate the cookie “division” as I read this story – great numeracy exercise but best for groups age 4 & up

Action Song: Great Big Cookie (To the Tune of Linda Arnold’s “I am a Pizza”— these lyrics by Carol Simon Levin)
I am a cookie (circle hands over head)
Chocolately and round (extend hands out to sides)
Filled with lots of chocolate chips (point to chips)
The best that can be found (rub tummy)
I am a cookie (circle hands over head)
Take a bite of me (make chewing motions)
Tasty, sweet, delicious (extend hands out to sides)
I’m oh-so-yummy!  (rub tummy)
(gobble gobble gobble!)
(sing slowly, sadly)
I WAS a great big cookie (circle hands over head)
The very best around  (extend hands out to sides)
Now there’s nothing left of me (shake head)
Just crumbs upon the ground!  (sit down)

Shakey Eggs -- Chant: "Peanut Butter &  Jelly", Lithgow's: You've Gotta Have Pep (any lively tune would do)

Handed out take home bags of bread dough (flour, yeast, salt, water) and instructions for making "Teddy Bear Bread"  (below)

How to Make Teddy Bear Bread (can also use premade pizza dough)

Author: Jean Van't Hul

Prep Time: 3 hours   Cook Time: 20 minutes

https://artfulparent.com/mmm-teddy-bear-bread/

---

Ingredients

1.5 cups warm water (about 110–130 degrees Fahrenheit) 

1 packet active dry yeast

1–3 tablespoons honey (skip or use sugar for under 2 year olds)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups all purpose flour or bread flour

For glaze: 1 egg + 2 T water

---

Instructions

1. Mix the warm water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in half of the flour to the yeast mixture, then let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. Mix in the salt, oil, and rest of the flour. 

4. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for five minutes. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky. 

5. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours). 

6. Punch the dough down, then divide it into small balls and pieces to use it to make bread dough creations & fForm the bread dough into faces, animals, suns, snails, and other fun shapes.

7. Place your bread dough creations on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or greased) and let them rise until doubled in size (30 minutes or so) while preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. Make an egg wash by whisking together the egg and water. Brush the tops of the bread shapes with the egg wash.
Bake! Place your bread shapes in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Smaller shapes might need less time and the larger ones might need more time.
Let cool and enjoy!

Omitted:

Optional Book or Flannel (if time): The Cake that Mack Ate – from the book by Rose Robart – the cumulative tale of what happened to the cake baked by the farmer’s wife – with a surprise ending, this silly folktale variation is a version of The House that Jack Built.

More ideas: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Baking

CDPL 1/19/23

Pre-School Storytime: What’s In the Oven?

 

Includes the retelling of two traditional folktales and a variant,
the ECRR concepts of narrative skill/retelling and singing,
non-fiction elements of farming and bread-baking,
plus a dash of mathematics and multiculturalism!

(This is a long program – pick and choose depending on ages in group.)

Book (folktale): The Little Red Hen -- Byron Barton(Alt. version: Paul Galdone)

Song: “Mulberry Bush” variant : This is the way we plant the seeds... Cut the stalks… Thresh the wheat.. Grind the wheat… Mix the batter…Knead the bread… Bake the bread… Eat our toast (Every Child Ready to Read skill (ECRR1)- narrative -- remembering sequence in book, vocabulary “thresh” “knead”; ECRR2 “singing”)

Book: Bread, Bread, Bread – Ann Morris (a multicultural look at breads around the world)

Book/Action Song: Peanut Butter and Jelly – Nadine Bernard Westcott Silly action song depicting the sequence of sandwich making (with elephants!)

Book: Bunny Cakes – Rosemary Wells Funny story and great example of ECCR2 skill “writing”)
Max is a great lead in to…


Song/Flannel: Helping  by Shel Silverstein from Free to Be, You and Me. Lyrics & tune: http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/helping-an-illustrated-song-by-shel-silverstein/

Storytelling with Flannelboard/Masks/Puppets (depending on size of group): The Gingerbread Man –Karen Chace has quite a few suggestions on her blog, including a link to Jan Brett’s beautiful printable masks:http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-gingerbread-man-stories-songs-and.html

Book & Flannel or Props: The Doorbell Rang – Pat Hutchins (K-1^st): Used12 flannel (or real) children and 12 flanne/prop cookies to demonstrate the cookie “division” as I read this story – great numeracy exercise.

Action Song: Great Big Cookie (To the Tune of Linda Arnold’s “I am a Pizza”— these lyrics by Carol Simon Levin)
I am a cookie (circle hands over head)
Chocolately and round (extend hands out to sides)
Filled with lots of chocolate chips (point to chips)
The best that can be found (rub tummy)
I am a cookie (circle hands over head)
Take a bite of me (make chewing motions)
Tasty, sweet, delicious (extend hands out to sides)
I’m oh-so-yummy!  (rub tummy)
(gobble gobble gobble!)
(sing slowly, sadly)
I WAS a great big cookie (circle hands over head)
The very best around  (extend hands out to sides)
Now there’s nothing left of me (shake head)
Just crumbs upon the ground!  (sit down)

Optional Books (if time and if comfortable): In the Night Kitchen – Maurice Sendak or Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake – Thomas Taylor (cute book about sharing) Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? – Bonnie Lass & Philemon Sturges The Cookie Fiasco (Elephant & PIggie Like Reading Series) Dan Santat

Mother Goose Action Rhyme: Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake Baker’s Man
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake Baker’s Man
Bake me a cake As fast as you can.
Roll it and pat it (Roll and clap hands)
And mark it with a B (Trace B on palm)
And put it in the oven (extend both hands)
For baby and me (point to Baby and Self)

or  Action: Make a Cake (source unknown)
Mix the batter, stir the batter (make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Shake some flour in (make a shaking motion with one arm/hand)
Mix the batter, stir the batter (make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Place it in a tin (pretend to pour)
Sprinkle in some raisins (pretend to sprinkle)
Pop it in to bake (open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)
Open wide the oven door (pretend to open door)
And out comes the cake! (open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)


Optional Book or Flannel (if time): The Cake that Mack Ate – from the book by Rose Robart – the cumulative tale of what happened to the cake baked by the farmer’s wife – with a surprise ending, this silly folktale variation is a version of The House that Jack Built.

The Cake That Mack Ate (suggested flannel pieces above -- egg is missing from scan)

• This is the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the EGG that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the CORN that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the FARMER who planted the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This the WOMAN who married the FARMER who planted the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• These are the CANDLES that lit up the CAKE, that was made by the WOMAN who married the FARMER who planted the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is MACK...
• He ate the CAKE!

DVD/Video: Reading Rainbow: Florence & Eric Take the Cake—Jocelyn Wild  (the book is narrated by Julia Child but a little long, sometimes I just show the amazing cake decorating segment (also available on Youtube) -- the kids adore guessing what the cake will be!) or Reading Rainbow: How to Bake an Apple Pie and See the World – Marjorie Priceman. 
 
Encourage bread baking at home with this handout : http://www.breadworld.com/fesp_archive/ChildrenGetStirringWhenBakingBread.pdf

11.12, 3.14, 12.14

12.15: Bread

The Little Red Hen - Barton

This is the Way...

Bread, Bread, Bread – Morris

Peanut Butter & Jelly – Westcott

?

 

12.15: Cookies & Cupcakes

The Doorbell Rang - Hutchins (w flannel)

song: Great Big Cookie -- I am a cookie...crumbs upon the ground

natural lead in to:

Gingerbread Man - storytelling with puppets

Bunny Cakes - Wells

Song/Flannel: Helping

In the Night Kitchen -- Sendak

Action song -- pair up: Paddy Cake

Flannel: The Cake the Mack Ate -

RR: Florence & Eric thru end of bakery segment

 

12.16 BWL: Holiday Baking – Cookie Fun

 

The Doorbell Rang - Hutchins (w flannel)
mention “natural divison” (Bedtimemath.com)

Action Song: Great Big Cookie (kids echo each line)
(To the Tune of Linda Arnold’s “I am a Pizza”— these lyrics by Carol Simon Levin)

I am a cookie (circle hands over head)

Chocolately and round (extend hands out to sides)

Filled with lots of chocolate chips (point to chips)

The best that can be found (rub tummy)

I am a cookie (circle hands over head)

Take a bite of me (make chewing motions)

Tasty, sweet, delicious (extend hands out to sides)

I’m oh-so-yummy!  (rub tummy)

(gobble gobble gobble!)

(sing slowly, sadly)

I WAS a great big cookie (circle hands over head)

The very best around  (extend hands out to sides)

Now there’s nothing left of me (shake head)

Just crumbs upon the ground!  (sit down)

Cookie Count by Robert Sabuda (wkrm) Great pop-up.

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson and/or The Duckling Gets a Cookie by Mo Willems

Action Rhyme: “Who Stole the Cookies?”
Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
Kitty stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Who me? Yes, you!
Couldn’t be? Then who?

Participatory storytelling with puppets: Gingerbread Man

DVD: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (RR DVD- WGL)

 

Baking https://storytimekatie.com/2012/11/26/cookies/

Craft: Make Gingerbread Man story puppets: http://resources.mysparklebox.co.uk/6000-7000/sb6672.pdf (or Ellison die cuts -- we didn’t have fox die), stiff B&T cardboard to mount, gluesticks, markers, popsicle sticks & tape, also had hole punch and ribbon for those who wanted to hang their puppets (or nametag) as a tree ornament.

 

Branchburg: 4/17 – young crowd, focused on cookies.

 

Brief story handout for Gingerbread Man:

 

The Gingerbread Man (Puppets or Flannel)

Once upon a time, there was a little old woman and a little old man who lived in a small house in the country.

Every year,  the little old woman baked a Gingerbread Man to share with the little old man. She turned on the oven and got out a very big bowl. She measured and mixed in some sugar and some flour and some molasses.

Then she cut out the Gingerbread Man shape. She added some raisins for eyes and red hot candies for buttons.

Then into the hot oven went the Gingerbread Man!

After a while, the little old woman opened the oven door and peeked in to see if the Gingerbread Man was finished baking. But as she opened the door of the oven, the Gingerbread Man hopped off of the baking sheet and onto her shoulder and onto the counter and onto the floor – and ran right out the door.

Stop! Yelled the old woman. But the Gingerbread Man called back, “Run Run Run as fast as you can -- you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!” And off he ran.

The old man saw the Gingerbread Man and ran to catch him. But the Gingerbread Man called back, “I’ve run away from the old woman, and I can run away from you I can I can. Run Run Run as fast as you can -- you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!” And off he ran.

Around the corner, the Gingerbread Man met a pig who said to him, “Wait Mr. Gingerbread Man, you look so good, I’d like to eat you!” But the Gingerbread Man just ran faster as he said, “I’ve run away from the old woman and the old man and I can run away from you I can I can. Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Next the Gingerbread Man met a horse who also said, “Wait Mr. Gingerbread Man, you look so good, I’d like to eat you!” But the Gingerbread Man just ran faster as he said, “I’ve run away from the old woman and the old man and the pig and I can run away from you I can I can. Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Soon the Gingerbread Man met a cow who said, “Wait Mr. Gingerbread Man, you look so good, I’d like to eat you!” The Gingerbread Man was getting tired, but he could still outrun a cow, so once again he said, “I’ve run away from the old woman and the old man and the pig and I can run away from you I can I can. Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Then the Gingerbread Man saw a river just ahead. Behind him were  the cow and the horse and the pig and the little old man and the little old woman still running after him! Just then a fox came out and said, “Hello Mr. Gingerbread Man, you look tired. Lucky for you that I don’t like gingerbread!”

The Gingerbread Man replied, “Yes, I’m running away from a cow and a dog and a horse and a pig and a little old man and a little old woman – because they all want to eat me! And I can’t cross this river because I will get wet!”

The fox said, “I’m a good swimmer, climb on my back and I will swim across the river and you won’t get wet.” “Thank you Mr. Fox,” said the Gingerbread Man. And he climbed on the back of the fox who slid into the cold water.

As they reached the very middle of the river, where the water is deepest, the fox said, “The water is getting deep, perhaps you had better climb onto my head so that you don’t get wet!” The Gingerbread Man was afraid to get so close to those big fox teeth, but he had no choice. So he hopped up onto the fox’s head.

Then the fox said, “You will be even safer from getting your feet wet if you sit on my nose.” The Gingerbread Man was really scared, but he believed what the fox said – especially since the fox didn’t like to eat gingerbread. So, he slowly climbed onto the fox’s nose.

And – just when he got settled there, the fox flipped his nose up which tossed the Gingerbread Man up in the air. And the fox caught him in his wide open mouth. “Yum!” said the fox. “That was worth a cold swim in the river!”

Adapted by Carol Simon Levin from:www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/t-z/youthservices/early-child-lit/ecl-docs/gingerbread-script

Optional (not used) The Gingerbread Man – Eric Kimmel, Live Oak Video (VHS)

https://storytimekatie.com/2012/11/26/cookies/

https://madelynslibraryprogramming.wordpress.com/2016/10/05/toddler-storytime-desserts/

https://librarianleah.wordpress.com/2015/11/18/cookies/

https://sunflowerstorytime.com/2014/09/12/milk-cookies/

Another fun title: Nanette’s Bagette by Mo Willems

School Age Storytime: Baking Up a Storm!

Book: Thunder Cake – Patricia Polacco – Based on a true story from the author’s childhood (we discussed autobiography & personal narratives) in which the author’s grandma (Babushka) helped her overcome her fear of thunderstorms by having her gather the ingredients for a “thunder cake.”

Action: Make a Rainstorm – directions here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/pre-school-storytime-its-raining-its.html

Special inclusion today because of Nelson Mandela: “Sometimes it isn’t only nature that can make a thunderstorm of change, sometimes people do it too..” Book: Nelson Mandela – Kadir Nelson)—omitted some of the other titles below to make time for this.

Book: Bunny Cakes – Rosemary Wells (K-1^st): Funny story and great example of Every Child Ready to Read skill “writing”) or Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! – (1^st-4^th) Amusing variant of The Little Red Hen --  when Rooster sets out to cook strawberry shortcake, his friends are eager to help but they fill the kitchen with cooking confusion. A great introduction to cooking terminology and measurement with non-fiction notes on the side. (If children aren’t already familiar with the folktale upon which this story is based, Jerry Pinckney, Byron Barton and Paul Galdone all offer nice versions.)

(K-1st) If adding folktale  The Little Red Hen (any traditional version) could add “Mulberry Bush” variant song: This is the way we plant the seeds... Cut the stalks… Thresh the wheat.. Grind the wheat… Mix the batter…Knead the bread… Bake the bread… Eat our toast (ECRR1- narrative -- remembering sequence in book, vocabulary “thresh” “knead”; ECRR2 “singing”)


Song/Flannel: Helping (K-1) by Shel Silverstein from Free to Be, You and Me. Lyrics & tune: http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/helping-an-illustrated-song-by-shel-silverstein/

Storytelling with Flannelboard/Masks/Puppets (depending on size of group): The Gingerbread Man –Karen Chace has quite a few suggestions on her blog, including a link to Jan Brett’s beautiful printable masks:http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-gingerbread-man-stories-songs-and.html or The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred – Samantha Vamos (Spanish/English cooperation story –fun to act out with masks or puppets.)

Book & Flannel or Props: The Doorbell Rang – Pat Hutchins (K-1^st): Used12 flannel (or real) children and 12 flanne/prop cookies to demonstrate the cookie “division” as I read this story – great numeracy exercise.


Optional Book or Flannel (if time): The Cake that Mack Ate – from the book by Rose Robart – the cumulative tale of what happened to the cake baked by the farmer’s wife – with a surprise ending, this silly folktale variation is a version of The House that Jack Built.

The Cake That Mack Ate (suggested flannel pieces above -- egg is missing from scan)

• This is the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the EGG that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the CORN that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is the FARMER who planted the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This the WOMAN who married the FARMER who planted the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• These are the CANDLES that lit up the CAKE, that was made by the WOMAN who married the FARMER who planted the SEED that grew into CORN, that fed the HEN that laid the EGG, that went into the CAKE that Mack Ate.
• This is MACK...
• He ate the CAKE!

Book (seasonal selection): December – Eve Bunting -- A mother and son living in a cardboard box share what they have with an old woman one Christmas Eve and find that their luck changes afterward or anytime title Wild Boars Cook – Meg Rosoff  Bossy, selfish, stinky, and hungry boars whip up a messy massive pudding in this hilarious book.

Additional possibilities:  Bread, Bread, Bread – Ann Morris or Everybody Bakes Bread – Norah Dooley (both provide a multicultural look at breads around the world), How to Bake an Apple Pie and See the World – Marjorie Priceman (also available as a DVD), Clever Jack Takes the Cake-- Candice Fleming, Don’t Forget – Patricia Lakin (4^{th grade up} )while buying ingredients for her mother’s birthday cake, Sarah learns the meaning of the blue numbers tattooed on the shopkeeper’s arm.

Encourage bread baking at home with this handout :
http://www.breadworld.com/fesp_archive/ChildrenGetStirringWhenBakingBread.pdf


12.13

 

Other possibilities:
Peanut Butter & Cupcake by Terry Border
Lady Pancake & SIr French Toast by Josh Fink
Tough Cookie by David Wisniewski
Nanette’s Bagette by Mo Willems