Books in Motion: Connecting Preschoolers with Books through Art, Games, Movement, Music, Playacting, and Props by Pat R. Scales

Books in Motion: Connecting Preschoolers with Books through Art, Games, Movement, Music, Playacting, and Props Reviews

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  Mandie

  This book was worth looking at due to the book lists for each area (movement, art, etc.) and the ideas on how to incorporate tie each title to the theme. Otherwise it doesn't have a lot of new material for those who are seasoned storytime leaders.
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  Cassie

  Revisit for ideas
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  Sarah French

  This book has some really great ideas for library story times! Good index.
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  Kathy MacMillan

  Using a wide variety of clever activity, prop, and movement suggestions, Books in Motion offers practical suggestions for children’s librarians, teachers, and childcare providers to get kids moving during the reading of books, not just in between stories. Though this may seem a radical suggestion to some, incorporating games, scavenger hunts, and hands-on activities in the reading of stories addresses multiple intelligences and serves to engage children on many levels.
  
  Dietzel-Glair reviews 500 picture books published since 2000, with each entry offering an annotation and detailed suggestions for activities to use while reading. The best word to describe the books chosen is “diversity” – both of well-known and lesser-known authors, and in the cultures and characters represented. Each chapter focuses on one of the categories mentioned in the subtitle, along with group management and logistical tips. Some of the suggestions derive directly from the text, such as the directions for acting out the actions of the frog in William Bee’s Beware of the Frog (Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2008), providing a good guide for storytime leaders who don’t naturally tend to movement in storytime. Many more of the suggestions, however, bring in unusual angles on the text, such as assigning motions to the refrain in Emily Gravett’s Orange Pear Apple Bear (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005), playing “Pass the Peanut” during Petr Horáček’s My Elephant (Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2009) by having the kids wear socks on the hands as “trunks” and pass a peanut around the circle, or using juggling scarves as superhero capes in Bob Graham’s Max (Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2000). Best of all, many of the creative suggestions can be adapted to other stories as well. Patterns for craft activities are included in the appendix, and books are accessible by author, title, and subject index. This is a great addition to your storytime resource shelf.
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  Dawn Foster

  The blah, uninspiring cover is representative of the rather blah ideas presented in this book. Unless you are totally ignorant of babies, toddlers & preschoolers, and have NEVER worked w/this age group or seen them in action, this book will not inspire you to create! There was really nothing new or exciting here; nothing I hadn't done decades ago w/my own children or have done with preschoolers in my job now. I'm always amazed when I read these professional resources with such uninspiring and certainly nothing new & creative ideas that people get paid to write them! I think any librarian or teacher (or daycare provider, etc) would already have these movement & song ideas in their arsenal of what works; even brand new librarians will have better ideas from their schooling/internship/practicum than this book offers.
  
  Don't mean to be overly critical but I just don't think using scarves over and over and OVER in a story time is a creative use of time, resources, or a clever idea.
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  Brenda McDonald

  Here are some intriguing ideas about adding music, drama, movement, art and more to storytimes, not during the between story stretches, but during the reading of a book. This concept challenges the "we must be still and quiet during storytime" mindset. The author also offers tips at the beginning of each chapter. One that was a "duh" moment for me: Use masking tape to make a circle on the floor or carpet so the children know where to stand to form a circle. I never could figure out why kids didn't know how to form a circle, like for the Hokey Pokey. I keep forgetting we aren't born knowing these things. :) The best thing about this book is that it gives us tools to present books and storytime in fun ways that actively engage kids and parents.
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  Lisa

  It is unfortunate that this book does not have a good cover because the content is pretty good. There are a whole bunch of picture books listed and for each there is an activity to go with it. The nice thing is that it doesn't talk about the common picture books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, which will give your programs some variety. The book includes patterns and and a list of more storytime resources.
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  Davina

  A nice supplement to the usual storytime blogs. I appreciated the subject index which makes it handy to find a fresh title/activity to work into a storytime theme. Some may find these ideas simple but I appreciate that Dietzel-Glair doesn't get overly elaborate with crafts or activities. The kids aren't going to care and who has time for it anyway?
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  Kelly Carey

  This book would probably be helpful for beginning teachers and public librarians who plan storyhours; however, a lot of the items were repetitve and obvious. The text does serve as a good remind to keep kids moving and engaged during read alouds and not just after them.
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  Michelle

  Great book with simple, fun extension activities to enrich storytimes. Would be a good resource for anyone wanting to liven up his/her storytime repertoire.
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  Michelle

  Great book with tons of great ideas. I think every children's library should own it!
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  Veronica

  Great resource for helping to take playtime with young children to the next level.