Storytime Favorites: I'm a Frozen Icicle

I'm starting a new feature here on Ye Olde Blogge to share some of my favorite storytime things. These could be fingerplays, crafts, songs, and even some of the more out-there themes we hit on. (Yes, I am a theme-user. We have four separate weekly storytimes and up to five different storytime presenters where I work. If we didn't plan with themes, we'd be replicating an awful lot of work. I know other people don't use them, and that's cool too.)

About a year ago I started keeping these in Evernote so I could actually find them and use them when we get to a theme they work with, instead of going, "Awwww, man, I forgot about (insert here)!" on Saturday when all the storytimes for the week are done. Every so often, I'll be looking at my notes and think, "Man, that's a cool one. I should really share more."

So this is me, sharing. I'm a fan of full-body fingerplays (bodyplays?) like the one below.

(start by standing up straight)
I'm a frozen icicle hanging in the sun.
First I start to melt, then I start to run.
(Let your body droop slowly toward the floor)
Drip, drip, drip, drip.
Melting can be fun!!
(sink to floor)

Where I live, we're not subject to a lot of cold, so the whole notion of an icicle is a little alien to my kids, but they enjoy it anyway! We inevitably end up flopped all over the floor, and they beg to do it again and again.

I'm not sure where I found this; it's been in my arsenal for so long that I've forgotten. If anyone knows who originally wrote it, please let me know so I can credit them.

Reading Roundup: 2013 plus New Year's Resolution

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 143
Early Readers: 3

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing (selected in August) Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat
"Ahahahaha! Those poor carnivores; what are they to do? They like eating meat. Unfortunately, the meat has a distinct aversion to being eaten, and they're shunned. How can they change their ways? I love how this ends."
Illustration (selected in July) Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise by Tomie dePaola
"While it's not for everyone in its unabashed religiosity, the art in this one is top-notch. Flowers, animals, and people in the signature dePaola style (additionally influenced by native Mexican art) spill over the pages in washes of color."
Overall: (selected in April) The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen
"A beautiful story about a universal childhood fear. This was absolutely amazing."

Since I did it for the bigger kids, I'm going to make a New Year's resolution over here. I want to read more early readers. Three? The whole year?! That just ain't right.