“ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES” PROGRAM IDEAS FOR SUMMER 2011
Presented by Penny Peck , San Jose State University, School of Library and
Information Science
November 12, 2010, at the California Library Association Conference
Pikly@aol.com
Storytime Outlines for the summer of 2011, celebrating the “One World, Many
Stories” theme by Penny Peck, Crash Course in Storytime Fundamentals,
Libraries Unlimited, 2008. ISBN 978-1591587156.
In the manual, they have storytime themes such as “Bedtime Around the World,” or
“Cinderella Around the World.” As an alternative, I wrote up plans for a country or area of the
world you can focus on each week for your preschool storytimes. I have done this before and it
was a great success. We had a large wall map, and put up a pin each week to show the country
we were celebrating. You can also use a globe for this. The books were the main focus each
week, but we also included lots of songs, a hands-on craft, and a few times we included a dance
or game. Sometimes, a parent would bring in something from that country to share, such as
clothing, toys, etc. The parents from the countries really enjoyed sharing and talking about their
country, teaching the kids how to say “hello,” and felt the library validated their culture. A great
book to use any week is Rachel Isadora’s Say Hello.
You can do the same songs every week, with a few substitutions just so you don’t get bored.
You don’t need to feel compelled to change the songs every week; kids like familiarity. Check
www.kididdles.com or http://bussongs.com/ for song lyrics. Common songs that relate to the
Around the World theme include:
My Aunt Came Back
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Frere Jacques
It’s a Small World
Banana Boat Song (Day-O)
De Colores
Kookaburra
But don’t forget old favorites like:
Wheels on the Bus
Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Also, you will notice I included a simple craft project for each preschool storytime theme.
The craft truly should be simple without needing a lot of preparation ahead of time. Teen
volunteers can do the prep. Remember, the preschoolers need to practice cutting with scissors,
since that is a Kindergarten Readiness skill needed, so don’t do a lot of precutting. Also, in
summer, you are likely to get a few older siblings at storytime, so it is fun if there is a project for
them to do. For more storytime ideas, visit www.bayviews.org, the website for the Association
of Children’s Librarians of Northern California. Here are some themes that go along with “One
World, Many Stories,” and are understandable to preschoolers:
Canada
Here are two great projects that fit the theme of Canada – one is a relatively simple paper
beaver made using a toilet paper tube, the other is a Domino game printable, with pictures of
things that relate to Canada such as a moose, map, maple leaf, etc: http://www.dltkkids.com/animals/mbeaver.html , http://www.dltk-cards.com/dominos/dominos4.asp .
Andrews, Jan. Very Last First Time.
Arnosky, Jim. Beaver Pond, Moose Pond.
Carrier, Roch. The Hockey Sweater.
Numeroff, Laura. If You Give a Moose a Muffin.
Perkins, Lynne Rae. Pictures from Our Vacation.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Root, Phyllis. Looking for a Moose.
Stafford, Liliana. The Snow Bear.
Wood, Douglas. Rabbit and the Moon.
Mexico
There are many books and websites on Mexican children’s crafts, so look around for what
would be good for your community. You might have a library staff member who is originally
from Mexico who might have something that is a traditional activity for their family. A very
easy craft is a paper bag piñata:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/mexico/simple_paper_bag_pinata.htm . Another excellent
source for storytime ideas is the site www.bibliotecasparalagente.org .
Aardema, Verna. Borreguita and the Coyote.
Elya, Susan M. Eight Animals on the Town.
Guy, Ginger. Fiesta! and Siesta!
Mora, Pat. Uno, Dos, Tres + One, Two, Three.
Mora, Pat. Listen to the Desert.
Morton, Lone. Goodnight Everyone; Buenas Noches A Todos.
Ramirez, Antonio. Napi.
Reiser, Lynn. Tortillas and Lullabies, Tortillas Y Cancioncitas.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. Mice and Beans.
Winter, Jeanette. Josefina.
Caribbean Islands
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Puerto Rican traditional Caretas masks can be made out of paper plates:
http://www.craftsforkids.com/projects/900/907_3_2.htm .
Adoff, Arnold. Flamboyan.
Carlstrom, Nancy. Baby-O.
Garne, T.S. One White Sail.
Gershator, Phillis. Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata.
Gershator, Phillis. Sweet, Sweet, Fig Banana.
Gershator, Phillis. Kallaloo!
Faustin, Charles. A Caribbean Counting Book.
Godard, Alex. Mama, Across the Sea.
Lessac, Frane. My Little Island.
Isadora, Rachel. A Caribbean Dream.
Williams, Karen Lynn. Circle of Hope.
South America
These Quetzal toilet roll crafts are easy, and will help preschoolers learn the letter Q:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mquetzal.html .
Ehlert, Lois. Moon Rope.
Flora. Feathers Like a Rainbow.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Gerson, Mary Joan. How Night Came From the Sea.
Knutson, Barbara. Love and Roast Chicken.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Farmyard Jamboree.
McDermott, Gerald. Jabuti the Tortoise.
Torres, Leyla. Saturday Sanchoco.
VanLaan, Nancy. So Say the Little Monkeys.
Scandinavian Countries
Trolls are a popular toy, that happened to originate in Scandinavian folklore. Here is an easy
troll craft made with corks: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/norway-cork-trolls-709359/ .
Andersen, Hans Christian. Princess and the Pea and The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Galdone, Paul. The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Kimmel, Eric. Easy Work!
Lobel, Anita. The Pancake.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Fat Cat.
Zemach, Harve. Nail Soup.
United Kingdom
Beatrix Potter’s classic characters are perfect for preschool storytime, from Peter Rabbit to
Hunca Munca. Check out the crafts at the official website: http://www.peterrabbit.com/funand-games.asp .
Galdone, Paul. The Tree Sillies.
Jacobs, Joseph. Johnny-Cake.
Kimmel, Eric. The Old Woman and her Pig.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. Slop!
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Various. Jack and the Beanstalk.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Various. Teeny Tiny.
France
An iconic French children’s character is Madeline! Here is a paper craft you can use to go with
the classic picture book: http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/cartoons/mmadeline.html .
Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline.
Brown, Marcia. Stone Soup.
Perrault, Charles. Cinderella, or Puss in Boots, or Beauty and the Beast.
Wright, Johanna. The Secret Circus.
Zemach, Margot. The Three Wishes.
Spain and Italy
Here is a simple toilet roll craft of a bull, which is perfect to use with Ferdinand the Bull by
Munro Leaf: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mbull.html .
Here is a simple paper gondola craft: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/italy-gondola-709366/ .
Another great activity would celebrate Tomie DePaola’s Strega Nona character! Make a
cardstock picture frame, and glue pasta around the frame and then paint it.
Daly, Niki. Bravo, Zan Angelo!
DePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona.
DePaola, Tomie. Tony’s Bread.
Duff, Maggie. The Princess and the Pumpkin.
Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand.
Sierra, Judy. The Beautiful Butterfly.
Germany
Germany is the home to the Grimms Fairy Tales, so you could any craft that went along with
Red Riding Hood or another character from Grimm: http://www.dltkFrom Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/mlittlered.html . Another cute idea is this hat:
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/germany-edelweiss-hat-709361/ .
Galdone, Paul. Rumplestilskin.
Galdone, Paul. Elves and the Shoemaker.
Grimm. Snow White.
Grimm. Bremen Town Musicians.
Marshall, James. Red Riding Hood.
Schubert, Ingrid. There’s a Hole in My Bucket.
Russia
One of the most popular Russian tales used at storytime is “The Mitten;” I prefer the old
version by Alvin Tresselt but many like the version by Jan Brett. Make these simple mitten
bookmarks, seen here:
http://familycrafts.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=familycrafts&cdn=parenting&tm=
10&gps=760_264_1676_748&f=11&tt=11&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.kidsdomain.com/c
raft/bookmark2.html .
Brett, Jan. The Mitten.
Domanska, Janina. The Turnip.
Ginsburg, Mirra. Clayboy.
Hamilton, Martha. The Tale of Two Frogs.
McCaughrean, Geraldine. Grandma Chickenlegs.
Tresselt, Alvin. The Mitten.
Middle East
Sand art is very easy to do but can have amazing results! All you need is sand paper and
crayons: http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/egypt/sand_paper_art.htm .
Balouch, Kristen. Mystery Bottle.
Berson, Harold. Kassim’s Shoes.
Demi. The Hungry Coat.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Hickox , Rebecca. The Golden Sandal: a Middle Eastern Cinderella Story.
Johnson-Davies, Denys. Goha, the Wise Fool.
Lewin, Betsy. What’s the Matter, Habibi?
London, Jonathan. Ali, Child of the Desert.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!
MacDonald, Margaret Read. How Many Donkeys?
Nadimi, Suzan. The Rich Man and the Parrot.
Oppenheim, Shulamith. Ali and the Magic Stew.
Shah, Indries. The Farmer’s Wife.
Israel
Animals from Noah’s Ark can be a fun craft, which isn’t focused on a religious holiday. This one
is made with construction paper and animal crackers: http://www.dltkbible.com/manimalcracker.html .
Ludwig, Warren. Old Noah’s Elephants.
Renberg, Dalia. King Solomon and the Bee.
Various. David and Goliath.
Africa
You can choose to focus on specific countries such as Kenya, but many Africa tales come from
folklore, and don’t fit just one country because the tale came before there were country
designations.
Here are instructions for a traditional African shield and spear, but I would only make the
shield. Too many kids would use the spear to poke each other: http://www.dltkkids.com/world/africa/make_an_african_mask.htm .
To make the drum shown here, all you need are two paper cups, some masking tape, and
brown paint: http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/africa/mdrum.htm .
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Aardema, Verna. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain.
Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears.
Feelings, Tom and Muriel. Jambo Means Hello.
Feelings, Tom and Muriel. Moja Means One.
Javaherbin, Mina. Goal!
Joosse, Barbara. Papa Do You Love Me?
Kimmel, Eric. Anansi and the Magic Stick.
Lexau, Joan. Crocodile and Hen.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. Mabela the Clever.
McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit.
Williams, Karen. Galimoto.
China
One of the easiest crafts to construct is this Chinese paper lantern:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/chinesenewyear/lantern/ . A few of the younger
children may need help cutting with a scissors but hopefully you can enlist some teen
volunteers. Make a string of these lanterns to hang from the ceiling!
Chinn, Karen. Sam and the Lucky Money.
Demi. The Empty Pot.
Hong, Lily. Two of Everything.
Lin, Grace. The Ugly Vegetables.
Lin, Grace. Dim Sum for Everyone!
Look, Lenore. Henry’s First-Moon Birthday.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Thong, Roseanne. Round is a Mooncake.
Thong, Roseanne. Red is a Dragon.
Young, Ed. Lon Po Po.
Japan
If you have a lot of older preschoolers, try this Godzilla paper craft: http://www.dltkkids.com/world/japan/mgodzilla.htm . Another easy craft is the paper fish:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/japan/koi/ . I have made these before using tissue
paper, and hanging them up like a windsock, and the kids really enjoyed doing this project. Of
course, Origami is a traditional Japanese paper craft, but most preschoolers find it too difficult.
Morimoto, Junko. Two Bullies.
Mosel, Arlene. Funny Little Woman.
Say, Allen. Bicycle Man.
Sierra, Judy. Tasty Baby Bellybuttons
Uchida, Yoshiko. Two Foolish Cats.
Wells, Rosemary. Yoko’s Paper Cranes.
Yashima, Taro. Crow Boy.
Australia
Paper boomerangs are a big hit, but you have to warn the kids not to through them at each
other: http://www.ehow.com/how_4853394_boomerang-kids.html . You can also make
paperbag puppets of Australian animals, such as the kangaroo or koala: http://www.dltkbible.com/butterflysong/kangaroo.htm .
Fox, Mem. Possum Magic.
Fox, Mem. Hattie and the Fox.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Fox, Mem. Shoes From Grandpa.
Fox, Mem. Koala Lou.
Kent, Jack. Joey.
Larranaga, Ana Martin. Big Wide-Mouth Frog.
Morpurgo, Michael. Wombat Goes on Walkabout.
Murphy, Stuart J. Jump Kangaroo Jump.
Paterson, A. B. Waltzing Matilda.
Ungerer, Tomi. Adelaide.
Vaughan, Marcia. Wombat Stew.
India
Make an elephant craft: http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/craftdetails.cfm?TopicID=150 .
Arnold, Marsha. Heart of a Tiger.
Brown, Marcia. Once Upon a Mouse.
Demi. One Grain of Rice.
Galdone, Paul. The Monkey and the Crocodile.
Rumford, James. Nine Animals and the Well
Smith, Jeremy. Lily’s Garden of India.
Young, Ed. Seven Blind Mice.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Pacific Islands
Make paper Hawaiian leis as shown here: http://parenting.leehansen.com/crafts/hawaiian-leicraft.htm I separate each flower with one inch cut from a plastic drinking straw, which is easy
to thread onto the yarn.
Fellows, Rebecca. A Lei for Tutu.
Guback, Georgia. Luka’s Quilt.
Joosse, Barbara. Grandma Calls Me Beautiful.
Kono, Erin. Hula Lullaby.
Martin, Rafe. Shark God.
Rattigan, Jama Kim. Dumpling Soup.
Samuels, Barbara. Aloha, Dolores.
Outlines for Tween (grades 4-8) Book Discussion Groups celebrating the “One World, Many
Stories” Theme
Book discussion groups are a rewarding and fun program for libraries, whether the group is
for adults, teens, or tweens. Usually, these groups are for those old enough to be independent
readers; I find that children in grades 4 and 5 can make up a great discussion group. These
groups often meet once a month to discuss a book everyone has read. Below are some tween
novels that relate to our multicultural theme, with ideas for activities, discussion questions, and
related programming. If you are starting a tween book discussion group, use Shireen Dodson’s
The Mother Daughter Book Club as a resource, or use the Multnomah County (Oregon) Library
website: www.multcolib.org. It has a section under the Readers tab for kids’ books, called
“Talk It Up” which describes how to start a club, and lists ideas for more than 150 novels for
kids, along with discussion questions. And summer is a great time to start a book discussion
group – tweens have more time to read due to less homework, and are looking for things to do
with peers while they are out of school. Keys to success:
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
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Do publicity outside the library – press releases, announcements to schools and other
groups.
Do related hands-on activities like games and crafts after the discussion.
Have refreshments, often related to something that happens in the book.
Have a consistent day/time each month, and consistent meeting place.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.

During the summer, you could have longer meetings where you show a movie relating
to the book. Be sure to get your movie license (http://www.movlic.com/).
Many of the following books and ideas are from my book Readers’ Advisory for Children and
Tweens by Penny Peck, Libraries Unlimited, 2010.
Outlines for a few book club meetings relating to the “One World, Many Stories” theme:
Erdrich, Louise. The Birchbark House. Native American/United States.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-birchbark.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Make paper birchbark canoes, or help the children
research other Ojibwa craft ideas.
Giff, Patricia Reilly . Nory Ryan’s Song. Ireland.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-nory.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Because hunger and starvation are such a big part of the
book, holding a canned food drive would empower the children to do something positive. You
can also do some simple Irish games, or make four leaf clover bookmarks.
Dowd, Siobhan. London Eye Mystery. England.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/ORCA/2011/guideslondon_eye.html
Hands –on activity relating to the book: Using a map of London, find the various places
mentioned in the story. Besides the “London Eye,” find other places to visit in London while on
vacation.
Jiang, Ji-Li. Red Scarf Girl. China.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-redscarf.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Have the students make posters, like the ones discussed
in the book, which you can use for a library bulletin board.
Cumyn, Alan. Secret Life of Owen Skye. Canada.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-owen.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Children in Canada play many of the playgrounds games
found in the U.S. Because Canadian weather is so much colder, play Freeze Tag. Or play Jack
Straws, which is similar to Pick Up Sticks.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Park, Linda Sue. When My Name Was Keoko. Korea.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-when.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Children make a toy similar to a Hacky Sack in Korea; I
found the instructions in Phyllis Shalant’s Look What We Brought You from Korea. Use a metal
washer ring, about the size of a quarter or larger. Cut a circle of cloth about the size of a plate.
Make a small cut in the middle of the circle of cloth. Place the washer in the middle of the cloth
over the cut, and tuck the edges of the cloth into the washer. Use it to play Hacky Sack. They
also play a variant of Jacks in Korea, so that may be more practical if you need to play in a small
room.
DeAngeli, Marguerite. Door In the Wall. Europe-Middle Ages.
Discussion questions available at:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440227793&view=tg
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Because of the time period, you could make cardboard
castles, or have each child research and make a family crest. Or, if you have some high school
volunteers, you could break into small groups to play chess.
Perkins, Mitali. Secret Keeper. India.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.mitaliperkins.com/books_by_mitali.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Mehndi body art is popular with older tweens, so that
could be a project as long as you have parental permission. There are several books on how to
do it.
Zemser, Amy Bronwen. Beyond the Mango Tree. Africa - Liberia.
Discussion questions available at: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-beyond.html
Hands-on activity relating to the book: Most students do not know very much about Africa, so
you might make a game where they can learn the names of the countries on the African
continent. Of course, many children have learned to play the traditional Mancala game from
Africa, so that could be another great hands-on activity.
Ryan, Pamela Munoz. Esperanza Rising. Mexico
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Discussion questions available at:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1431&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D
%22%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch.jsp%3Fquery%3DDiscussion+Guide+for+Esperanza+Rising%26c1%3D
CONTENT30%26c17%3D0%26c2%3Dfalse%22%3EAll+Results+%3C%2Fa%3E
Hands-on activity relating to the book: As part of the story, Esperanza’s grandmother crochets.
You could have a local knitting/crocheting group come in and teach the basics of crochet,
letting the kids crochet potholders. You can also make traditional Mexican tissue paper
flowers.
Other Tween novels relating to the “One World, Many Stories” theme, especially if you are
focusing on the travel aspect:
Books for Younger Children
Averill, Esther. Jenny Goes to Sea.
Ayres, Katherine. A Long Way.
Base, Graeme. The Water Hole.
Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline collection.
Blackstone, Stella. My Granny Went to Market.
Brisson, Pat. Kate on the Coast.
Brisson, Pat. Your Best Friend, Kate.
Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius.
Danziger, Paula. You Can’t Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown.
Gilliland, Judith Heide. Not In the House, Newton!
Henkes, Kevin. A Weekend for Wendell.
Hyatt, Patricia. Coast to Coast With Alice.
Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Johnson, D.B. Henry Hikes to Hitchburg.
Joyce, Susan. Post Card Passages.
LeMarche, Jim. The Raft.
Lester, Helen. Tacky In Trouble.
Lobel, Anita. Away From Home.
MacLachlan, Patricia. All the Places to Love.
McCloskey, Robert. Time of Wonder.
Morris, Ann. Bread, Bread, Bread.
Morris, Ann. Hats, Hats, Hats.
Morris, Ann. Shoes, Shoes, Shoes.
Pattison, Darcy. The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman.
Potter, Giselle. The Year I Didn’t Go to School.
Priceman, Marjorie. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World.
Priceman, Marjorie. How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.
Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Rylant, Cynthia. Tulip Sees America.
Scillian, Devin. P Is for Passport: A World Alphabet.
Teague, Mark. The Secret Shortcut.
Tunnell, Michael O. Mailing May.
Uegaki, Chieri. Suki’s Kimono.
Walters, Virginia. Are We There Yet, Daddy?
Williams, Vera B. Stringbean’s Trip to the Shining Sea.
Tween Fiction
Burnford, Sheila. The Incredible Journey.
Creech, Sharon. The Wanderer.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.
Cushman, Karen. Rodzina.
Danziger, Paula. United Tates of America.
DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
DuBois, William Pene. The Twenty-One Balloons.
Feiffer, Jules. A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears.
Fleischman, Sid. By the Great Horn Spoon!
Glaser, Linda. Bridge to America.
Goscinny, Rene. Nicholas On Vacation.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Takeoffs and Landings.
Hobbs, Will. Down the Yukon.
Peck, Richard. Fair Weather.
Roberts, Willo Davis. What Could Go Wrong?
Robertson, Keith. Henry Reed’s Journey.
Ryan, Pamela Munoz. Esperanza Rising.
Smith, Roland. The Captain’s Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe.
Spooner, Michael. Daniel’s Walk.
Stewart, Trenton. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.
Vining, Elizabeth Gray. Adam of the Road.
Whelan, Gloria. Parade of Shadows.
Winkler, Henry. Barfing In the Backseat: How I Survived My Family Road Trip.
Simple Do-It-Yourself Program Ideas
It can be fun to hire a puppeteer, magician, or juggler to visit your library to present a
program. But sometimes we cannot afford the fee needed for these professional shows, so
libraries can offer simple “Do It Yourself” programs. I just did three such programs this past
summer, with the help of teen volunteers. We set up ten different “stations” around the library
(including outside) where kids could play a game or do a craft relating to the theme. Assign two
or three teen volunteers to each station to help smaller children, make sure people share
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
materials, run the game, etc. We prepared the games and crafts ahead of time, again, using
teen volunteers under the direction of one staff person.
You can do an icebreaker as people enter – some trivia questions (with prizes of course!),
singing a song that goes with the theme, or a simple game. Then send that group off to the
stations as a new group enters for the icebreaker. Another way to break up a large crowd is to
assign colored stickers as folks enter, perhaps 20 people with one type of sticker, 20 with
another sticker, etc. Then send the different groups to different stations, so you have scattered
the large crowd to various areas to avoid long lines at certain stations. Make one of the
stations for refreshments; simple icee pops are very inexpensive (about $6 for a box of 100),
and icee pops don’t make a mess.
Many ideas listed below were grabbed off the Internet. All of these programs can be
converted into a storytime, by adding picture books appropriate to the theme, and choosing
just a few activities. Here are some very low-cost program ideas; I have listed five or six per
theme, but you may be able to add more ideas and have ten stations:
Sports and Games Around the World
Put the first 15 kids in a circle. Begin with a large beach ball that is printed to look like a globe,
and toss it back and forth. Each time a person catches the ball, they yell out the name of a
country before they toss it. The person is out if they cannot think of a country name to yell
(and no repeats – you can’t yell out an answer that has already been used). Put in a new
replacement player each time someone is out. For lots of other games, check out the book
Sidewalk Games Around the World by Arlene Erlbach. Also check out Mary D. Lankford’s
Hopscotch Around the World and Jacks Around the World. A good general website for children’s
playground games around the world is: http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/gamessection.htm .
India: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/pachisi.htm
This is a relatively easy to make and play board game – go to the website and print out the
game and instructions. Pachisi is the original game, that Ludo and Parcheesi were derived from.
Even preschoolers can play if they can count to twenty–five.
Mexico: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/lotto/
Loteria Game is similar to Bingo, and is a great way to involve a large number of children. You
can buy Loteria games, or make your own.
China: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/traditional_chinese_games.htm
There are more than 20 traditional Chinese playground games listed here!
Australia: http://www.ehow.com/list_6331992_traditional-children_s-games-australia.html
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
The game Down Down Down is played with tennis balls, and the children divided into pairs. It is
a little like an Egg Toss game, so check it out!
Africa: http://www.ehow.com/list_6716937_traditional-african-children_s-games.html
Here is a list of some simple group games played in various countries in Africa. Many librarians
know about the traditional board game Mancala; here are the instructions for making one:
http://crafts.kaboose.com/mancala-game.html
France: http://www.ehow.com/how_2318315_play-french-hopscotch.html
The French version of Hopscotch is called Escargot, because the game is in the shape of a snail.
See the instructions on how to play at the website listed above.
Snacks: Icee pops, lemonade.
United Nations Day
Begin with a world map that shows the countries, but doesn’t name them. Have the country
names printed on cards. Let children take turns putting the country name on the map (parents
can help).
Then have the group break up and go to the various stations you have set up with the teen
volunteers. Have a different craft or simple game at each station, with a sign and map indicating
the country of origin of that activity. There are many books and websites with games and crafts
from various countries.
Snacks: Icee pops, Mexican pastries, Chinese almond cookies, etc.
Animals Around the World
Begin with a large world map, and pictures of various animals. Let the audience members take
turns putting the animal on the appropriate country, such as the Koala on Australia, the Tiger
on India, the Panda Bear on China, etc.
Then, have various stations where the children can make animal crafts, with a map showing the
animals’ country or continent of origin. There are lots of books and websites with animal crafts.
Snacks: Animal crackers and lemonade, icee pops.
International Dance Festival
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
Instead of doing a program with various stations, you could hold an International Dance
Festival at a relatively low cost. You will need to partner with various dance groups or dancing
schools in your area. Many dance schools will do a short performance (approx. 15-20 minutes)
for free, or for a low honorarium of $100, because they often do this as a way to generate new
students. They also like to have a venue where their students can demonstrate their skills in
front of an audience. I have done this program both indoors, and outdoors, and the dance
groups were happy to participate. Some did two or three dances and then left. Some groups
did one dance, and took a break to change clothes, and then did another dance after a different
group had performed, so you can arrange it whichever way it works for you.
The types of dance groups we were able to partner with in the San Leandro area may be
similar to what you can find: ballet folklorico groups, Irish dancers, Hawaiian/Pacific Island
dancers, a Filipino dance group from the local high school, young Chinese ribbon dancers, teens
who performed traditional dances from India, a Capoeira group that performed an AfroBrazilian dance that incorporated martial arts, an square dance group, Morris dancers, and a
local dancing school that had tap, hip-hop, jazz, and more. Some groups may have photos you
can use in your press releases. You also want to take photos of the event, and send those to
the local papers to show the type of programs you are holding at the library as a way to
publicize your success.
This type of program works best on an evening or a Saturday. One big plus is that the
dancers often brought their families so we had a built-in audience! A dance festival should be a
party; be sure to have refreshments, both for the audience, and beverages for the dancers.
Other logistical concerns are the floor, and a good sound system as many groups will dance to
recorded music. You might even partner with your local recreation department, because they
often have dance classes, and may have a portable floor and sound system you can borrow.
Thanks! Penny Peck, Pikly@aol.com
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.
The California Summer Reading Program is a project of the California Library Association, supported by
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rights reserved. No images may be reproduced without written permission.
From Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA. Some material from Peck’s Crash Course in Storytime
Fundamentals, Libraries Unlimited, 2008 and Readers’ Advisory for Children and Tweens, Libraries
Unlimited, 2010.