Mexico Storytime
Scott Bahlmann
Done for the One World Many Stories summer reading program
Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi
Book: A Party for Papa Louis – Diane Gonzales Bertrand
(I prepared this to be read in spanish and english for each page, but most of my kids were too young so i just did english. It was okay, not great.)
Puppets: Under My Sombrero–
adapted from Bajo mi sombrero by Anne E. Schraff
(I wore a big sombrero and stuffed the animals into it. The kids loved this 'The Mitton'-esk story.)
It was a hot day, muy caliente, when I went out for a walk. I wore my big sombrero, it cast lots of cool shade.
As I walked along, I met a bird. It saw my big sombrero and the cool shade and asked to share my sombrero. “Puedo, Por Favor?” it asked, “Can I please?” It is a very big sombrero, so I shared it with the bird.
Then I met a mouse as I walked along, and the mouse saw my big sombrero and all the cool shade it cast. The mouse asked if it could share the sombrero, “Puedo, Por Favor?” It’s a very big sombrero, so I shared with the mouse.
As I walked in the hot sun I met a cat. The cat saw my big sombrero and the cool shade it cast. It asked to share my sombrero, “Puedo, Por Favor?” I still had room so I shared my sombrero with the cat.
A little further down the road I met a frog who was sitting in the hot sun. It saw the shade from my large sombrero, and it asked to share, “Puedo, Por Favor?” There was still some room in my sombrero, so I shared with the frog.
My hat was a little bit heavy as I walked further down the road in the hot sun. But my sombrero kept me cool. I met a pig who saw my sombrero, and asked if it could share “Puedo, Por Favor?” There wasn’t much room, but I didn’t want to be rude, so I said it could share.
My sombrero was full now, but as I walked further down the road I met a dog. The dog saw the cool shade from my sombrero and asked if it could share, “Puedo, Por Favor?” My hat was full, but the dog was muy caliente, very hot, out in the sun…so I said it could share.
It was very full under my sombrero; it wasn’t big enough for so many! I told all the animals, “Get out, there is no room! Everybody go away!” Out came the dog and the pig. out jumped the frog. Out scurried the cat and the mouse, and out flew the bird. Now it’s just me under my big sombrero, and it fits just right!
Book: Pedro’s Burro – Alyssa Satin Capucilli
(Fun, and you can have the kids look for the Burro with the sombrero!)
Activity: Mexican Hat Dance - from the CD Folk Dance Fun
(Make a big circle around a sombrero, I used the basic dance from this link. Lots of fun!)
Book: Cuckoo – Lois Ehlert
(The illustrations were a little complex for a storytime, I felt...it was difficult for the kids to see the story on some of the pages from a distance.)
Flannelboard: from The Little Red Ant and the Great Big Crumb - Shirley Climo
(see full version here)
(I made a little ant puppet, and used the Mexican words for the animals. It was good!)
Book: Musicians of the Sun – Gerald McDermott
(There were fun characters to voice...you get to be the wind and the sun! And I adore McDermott's illustrations.)
Craft: Paper Bag Maraccas
Put beans in a paper bag that the kids get to decorate, then twist and tape the bottom!