Hi! My name is Joe, and I work in a button factory.

Ever think about doing a fun, fast-paced, camp song with your kids? Here's one that we sing at the library storytime programs.

It's called, "My name is Joe."

First start out by waving your hand, "Hi! My name is Joe, and I work in a button factory. I've got a wife and some kids and a family. One day, my boss said, 'Hey, Joe. Push that button with your right hand." And this ensues. Begin pushing an imaginary button with your right hand. Continue pushing.

And then, "Hi, my name is Joe. And I work in a button factory. I've got a wife and some kids and a family. One day, my boss said, 'Hey, Joe. Push that button with your left hand." Now you are pushing two buttons, one with your right hand, and one with your left hand. Continue pushing and repeat the phrase. You then can push buttons with the following:

right foot,

left foot,

right hip,

left hip,

head,

and then, "Hi, my name is Joe," while flailing, pushing all those buttons, "And I work in a button factory. One day, my boss said, 'Hey, Joe,' and I said, 'NO!!!!!!'"

Really yell out that last 'NO!' as if you absolutely do NOT want to push any more buttons for this boss! This is so much fun and the kids really love it. Try it yourself and see!

Cheers!

Biography Databases

Need a biography? Did you know that the library has a wealth of information in our biographical databases? There are several which can be very helpful with finding biographies.

Obama, Barack Sex: Male Born: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States 4 August 1961 Activity/Profession: Lawyer, U.S. Senator ( 4 Aug. 1961 – ),

1)Biography Resource Center: gives a list of full text biographies; also has magazine and newspaper articles, and websites.

2)Oxford African American Study Center: allows for searching and browsing of biographies of African American individuals throughout history and gives a number of sources with text of biographies for each individual.

3) Science Online: Has a biography search, by both nationality, occupation, Nobel Prize Winners, and Women in Science.

To view a fascinating biography about Barack Obama, our president elect, visit:

http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0001/e2342?from=browse&hi=2&pos=14

Fingerplays

Sharing fingerplays with your children is a novel way for you to help them develop fine motor skills. And, it's also a fun, enjoyable way to learn simple refrains, practice verbal skills, and sing together.

Here is an example of a great fingerplay to practice with your child:

My book

This is my book; it will open wide

To show the pictures that are inside (put hands together facing palms up to form book)

This is my ball, so big and round (put hands and fingers together to form a circle)

To toss in the air (use hands and arms to make a juggling motion)

Or roll on the ground (use hands to pretend you are rolling a ball on the ground)

Here's my umbrella to keep me dry (put hands above head in an arch)

When the raindrops fall

From the cloudy sky. (put hands in air above head showing fingers in a wiggly motion to represent rain)

This is my kitty, just hear her purr

When I'm gently stroking her (bend arm and stroke it with other hand)

Soft, warm fur.

Rhymes for Kids

Hi All:

I've had a great idea from someone who suggested I mention rhyming sites for kids. The website she recommended is http://kidsfront.com/rhymes-for-kids.html called Rhymes for Kids, Short Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes - Kidsfront.com. This site offers many short rhymes you may remember singing as a child.

Other sites for rhymes are http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/ for Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes; http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ which has Nursery Rhymes, lyrics, orgins and history, and includes a trivia quiz (very interesting!); and http://www.smart-central.com/, where you can select rhymes from a drop down menu based on alphabetical order by title.

Answers.com, defines nursery rhyme as follows: a traditional verse or set of verses chanted to infants by adults as an initiation into rhyme and verbal rhythm. Most are hundreds of years old, and derive from songs, proverbs, riddles, ballads, street cries, and other kinds of composition originally intended for adults, which have become almost meaningless outside their original contexts. Their exact origins are often obscure, although a few more recent examples are by known authors: ‘Mary had a little lamb’ was written by Sarah Josepha Hale in 1830. See also jingle, nonsense verse.

Enjoy!

The First Thankgiving

"When the Pilgrims

first gathered together to share

with their Indian friends

in the mild autumn air,

they lifted their voices

in jubilant praise

for the bread on the table,

the berries and maize,

for field and for forest,

for turkey and deer,

for the bountiful crops

they were blessed with that year.

They were thankful for these

as they feasted away,

and as they were thankful,

we're thankful today."

From "It's Thanksgiving!" by Jack Prelutsky, Children's Poet Laureate

"Jack Prelutsky is the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate:

Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation. He is the bestselling author of more than 30 books of humorous children's verse and the editor of several enormously popular poetry anthologies. Among his best-loved books are THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, illustrated by James Stevenson, and THE DRAGONS ARE SINGING TONIGHT, illustrated by Peter Sis. He lives in Washington State. You can visit him online at www.jackprelutsky.com." - From "It's Thanksgiving!" by Jack Prelutsky.

We are big fans of this poetic genius. Please visit your local Long Beach Public Library for more Jack Prelutsky books of children's poetry.