I Wonder if These Books Will Work?

August is just not a great time for new "Beyond the Book Storytimes" posts.  We have a long Storytime Break so I don't have much to share.  Things start back up in early September.  Meanwhile, though, we're looking ahead and planning some future storytimes.  We repeat lots of stories from previous years...it just takes too much time to develop three two-person stories every week.  But we all love to find new books to try as well.  So far we've identified a handful that we'd like to try.  Here's a few I'm looking forward to, some for two-person Family Storytime, others for Toddler Time solo, along with some early thoughts about how we might do them.  If they make the final cut and we actually do them, I'll report on them with details here eventually:

I Want My Hat Back  by Jon Klassen

I'm thinking we have one person either dressed as Bear or with a Bear puppet outside of the puppet stage, then another with puppets behind the stage.  At the end Bear disappears behind the stage, then emerges with his hat.  And the audience can speculate about Rabbit's fate. 

This Is Not My Hat  by Jon Klassen

You've got to show these pictures, so I think maybe we scan most of the illustrations, but have Little Fish as a puppet in front of the screen.  In our brainstorming, not everyone could see this working, but I think once we walk through it this will work great.  We may do this in Family Storytime, but may save it for a K-2 Book Adventure (we may do a "Caldecott" theme in February)

That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems
(see, we're not only thinking of Jon Klassen books)

This could be a good two-person puppet show.  Goose and Fox down below interacting, with the chorus of Goslings up above, acting as a sort of chorus.   Hmmm...so far I've listed three stories and we've got a Bear eating a Rabbit, a Big Fish swallowing a Little Fish, and a family of Geese enjoying Wolf soup.  Maybe we could squeeze in a "Death and Dying" theme in between Getting Dressed and Silly Stories. 

I'm the Best  by Lucy Cousins

This could be an easy one to act out, with one person as Dog and the other person switching to each

of Dog's friends.  Lots of chances for action as Dog does various activities either better than, or worse than his friends.

Don't Copy Me by Jonathan Allen

We might act this one out with some child volunteers.  Four of five young puffins copy everything the grown-up puffin does...you know, the irritating game anyone with a sibling has done at one time or another.  Should be fun.

A Kiss Like This  by Mary Murphy

A nice flap book that could work with a puppet follow-up in Toddler Time.  Maybe pulling various puppets out of the bag and having them kiss any toddlers who are willing...

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy  by Jan Thomas

Terri and Sheila did this as an act-out in Family Storytime, but I'm thinking of using puppets for Toddler Time.  Possibly me putting on a cowboy hat, then interacting with a cow puppet, and taking getting scared at stuff I see in the bag:  like a spider (but it turns out to be a flower), a snake (stick), etc.