The Fox and the Crab

I am preparing stories for my next family story time. The theme is "tails." I plan to tell "The Fox and the Crab Have a Race" using stick puppets. This story is an adaptation of a Chinese folktale and can be found in A Twist in the Tail: Animal Stories from Around the World by Mary Hoffman. In this story the slow but clever crab fools fox into thinking he is just as fast as fox by riding on fox's tail (unknown to fox) for the race. There are several variations of this type of folktale. This one is short and easy to tell.

The stick puppets were easy to make though it took some planning to make them reversible. I used clipart from Microsoft Publisher for the fox and crab. After I enlarged the images to the sizes I wanted, I then copied each image and reversed it. After printing out the images, I outlined them in black marker to make them easier to cut out. I then glued one of the crabs and one of the foxes on card stock. Before I cut out around each image I added a second piece of card stock so that when I cut around the image, the shape would match for the reverse image. After pasting the reverse image to card stock, I taped a craft stick to the back of one fox piece and then glued the other piece over it. Instead of a craft stick I used a toothpick for the crab. The toothpick is smaller and lighter and even helps support the crab on the fox's tail. I cut a slit into the crab figure so it would fit on the fox's tail.

Crab and Fox - Reversible Stick Puppets

Crab on Fox's Tail

This week's Flannel Friday Round-Up is hosted by Lisa of the Libraryland blog.  Flannel Friday has everything you need to know including information about past and future round-ups, Flannel Friday's Pinterest boards and Flannel Friday's Facebook page.

Costume...Or Not?

This week's Flannel Friday Roundup features Halloween storytelling ideas and is hosted by Mary of the Miss Mary Liberry blog. This year I have a Halloween draw and tell story:

Costume...Or Not?

A Halloween Draw and Tell Story

by Linda Meuse

Notes from the Story Room

http://meusenotes.blogspot.com/

Tom and his brother Will had spent the evening trick-or-treating along their street. (1) The last house on the street was set back from the street but there was a path to the door. (2) It was lit by a smiling Jack O' Lantern. (3) They went up the path to the huge front door. (4) After just one knock a ghost came through the door. (5) He was holding two of the biggest chocolate bars that Tom and Will had ever seen. (6) "Thank you so much!" said Tom as the ghost dropped one into his bag. "Wow, thanks," said Will when he got one too. "By the way," added Will, "That's the best ghost costume I've ever seen." "Thank youuuuu...," said the ghost as it floated back through the door. Tom and Will started down the path but suddenly stopped. They both looked at each other realizing what had just happened. "Maybe that wasn't a costume after all!" exclaimed Tom. The boys ran home as fast as they could. What do you think? Costume...or not?

Drawing sequence:

(1) Draw street

(2) Draw path

(3) Draw Jack O' Lantern

(4) Draw door

(5) Draw ghost

(6) Draw candy bars



More Halloween posts:

One Little Ghost (rhyme)

Snacks for Ghosts and Bats in Hats (board story and game)

Big Pumpkin Deconstructed and Big Pumpkin Constructed (props for an audience participation retelling of Erica Silverman's Big Pumpkin)

Evening Family Story Time #2 - Halloween! (family story time program with crafts)

Monsters! - Evening Family Story Time 10/2/12

Family Story Time - Monsters!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Attendance: 49 (28 children and 21 adults)

Books - My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
             Monster Munchies by Laura Numeroff
             Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing

Finger Puppets: "Five Little Monsters"

Cut and Tell Story: "The Mess Monster"

Prop Poem:  "Monster Lunch"

Prop Story: "Sam and the Acorn"

Crafts: Monster Mouth and Monster Feet

A Monster Mouth and Monster Feet (with "hair" between the toes)

Notes: Last year in October I did a Halloween program so this year I decided to do monsters instead. The monster theme drew a large crowd for evening Family Story Time. I've noticed that several families have been attending regularly. It's nice to see several dads at the program. "Sam and the Acorn" was the biggest hit of the program. It made the work that went into making the pieces worthwhile. The group also liked "The Mess Monster." By far the most popular activity of the evening was the Monster Feet craft. The feet were fun to make and the children loved walking around in them. Several cell phone cameras came out as parents took pictures of their little monsters. I changed the craft to make it easier to prepare for a large group by making an easy to cut out foot template. The children drew on the toenails and, instead of tissue paper, small pieces of yarn were used for monster hair. The Monster Mouth craft is similar to the Jack O' Lantern Smile that was one of last year's crafts for the Halloween Family Story Time. Several examples are available online or you can make your own. The children colored the mouth, cut it out and then taped a craft stick to the back.

Monster Lunch

This activity was inspired by a Flannel Friday post by Lucy of the In the Children's Room blog. Her "Monster Lunch" flannel board activity is based on the poem, "A Munching Monster" by Marian Swinger. I used the same poem but made a prop for it instead. The monster eats the monster food and then ends up with a monster tummy ache. This was made for the monster themed October 2 Family Story Time.