On Wednesday, my assistant Clara and I, were thrilled to host a Harper Collins Picture Perfect Storytime at Makutu’s Island in Chandler. Makutu’s Island hosts a “Toddler Time” every Wednesday morning, and it was the perfect venue to read these amazing books, geared at ages 2-6. We were both so excited to get to participate in this special event, as reading to our children, is something we both love.
Not only were our guests treated to two amazing stories, but Harper Collins sent us some great swag, based on some of their most popular books like Pete the Cat and the Pinkalicious series. Paired with some great photo props and frames made by Clara, and a fun venue like Makutu’s Island, and we were all set for a great time.
The first story we read was “Little Penguin and the Lollipop.” This was my favorite of the two stories, because it started out with Little Penguin talking to the kids and asking for their help. Little Penguin’s friend Kenneth was upset, you see Little Penguin had accidentally eaten Kenneth’s lollipop. Little Penguin asked the children to help him by making funny faces, repeating silly phrases, and counting out loud, the kids loved it. Toddlers sometimes have a hard time not wiggling and fidgeting during a story, so paired with standing and acting like a penguin, this was the perfect way to get rid of the wiggles.
The second story we read was “I LOVE YOU LIKE A PIG.” This story was super cute, and the perfect length for a second story. The author had the children oink, roar, and smile. We had the children do these while standing up, and added actions like hugging themselves and spreading their arms wide while roaring, which was a perfect way for this age group to interact.
The second story we read was “I LOVE YOU LIKE A PIG.” This story was super cute, and the perfect length for a second story. The author had the children oink, roar, and smile. We had the children do these while standing up, and added actions like hugging themselves and spreading their arms wide while roaring, which was a perfect way for this age group to interact.
After our two stories, it was time to jump around and have a dance party, the kids needed to get rid of their built up wiggles. We were able to find some cute songs about pigs and penguins, and shook our booties while we danced around. After the dance party, it was time to bring out the parachute and balls, we had so much fun, and the wiggles were nowhere to be found.
As the mom of 4 kids, I know the challenge of finding books that hold the attention of little ones. I tried to choose books that looked fun and were age appropriate, and let me tell you, “Little Penguin and the Lollipop” and “I LOVE YOU LIKE A PIG”, did not fall short. The books were perfect for our audience, and offered lots of opportunities for the children to interact with the storyteller.
I always had the hardest time finding books when my boy/girl twins were toddlers. My daughter Adysen could sit and read story after story, but my little guy Jaxsen had more trouble sitting still. They would argue over which book to read first, and a few pages later he would be off playing, the books were just not interesting enough for his short attention span. After reading these books, I know that even at 2 or 3 years old, the twins would have loved them.
I always had the hardest time finding books when my boy/girl twins were toddlers. My daughter Adysen could sit and read story after story, but my little guy Jaxsen had more trouble sitting still. They would argue over which book to read first, and a few pages later he would be off playing, the books were just not interesting enough for his short attention span. After reading these books, I know that even at 2 or 3 years old, the twins would have loved them.
Loving to read can open a new world of possibilities for children. Help your little ones develop a love of reading and books with with these stories and activities from Harper Collins. Looking for what to read next with your child? Choose a book from Picture Perfect Storytime. These books are geared for ages 2-6, and are accompanied by a website where you can find book ideas and activities to go along with the books https://goo.gl/j89odL.
