Argentina Storytime

July 18, 2011Scott Bahlmann

Part of our One World Many Stories summer reading program.

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi

Book: The Littlest Llama – Jane Buxton

(An adorable story with a cute ending. Just a bit long.)

Flannelboard Poem: Jaguaete
from Animal poems of the Iguazú - Francisco X. Alarcón

dicen que ahora                  some say
estoy casi extinto I’m now almost
por este parque                  extinct in this park
pero la gente                       but the people
que dice esto                       who say this
no sabe don’t know
que al oler                            that by smelling
las orquideas                       the orchids
an los arboles                       in the trees
estan percibiendo they’re sensing
la fragancia                           the fragrance
de mis fauces                       of my chops
que al oir                               that by hearing
el retumbo the rumbling
de los saltos                         of the waterfalls
estan escuchando they’re listening
el gran rugido                      to my ancestors’
de mis ancestros great roar
que al observer that by observing
las constelaciones the constellations
delfirmamento of the night sky
estan mirando they’re gazing
las motas de estrellas at the star spots
marcadas en mi piel on my fur
que yo soy that I am and
y siempre sere                     always will be
el indomable                        the wild
espiritu untamed
silvestre vivo living spirit
De esta jungla of the jungle

(I had a potted plant, a waterfall, and some star constellations which I put up through the poem. Had the kids guess what the animal was.)

Book: No More, Por Favor - Susan Middleton Elya

(I'd been looking for an excuse to use this book, and it fit fantastically! The interspersed Spanish flows very nicely.)

Activity: Banana Chant

We pick bananas, pick pick bananas,
pick bananas, pick pick bananas,
(picking low down, and then higher up in the tree)

And we peel bananas, peel peel bananas,
peel bananas, peel peel bananas, (peel slowly, then faster)

And we chop bananas, chop chop bananas,
chop bananas, chop chop bananas, (use karate chop actions, slow and then faster)

And we mash bananas, mash mash banans,
mash bananas, mash mash banans,
(mash hand in fist, then a ‘bowl’ on the knees, then mash in a ‘bathtub’ with feet)

And we eat bananas, eat eat bananas,
eat bananas, eat eat bananas, (eat with a spoon, then throw it away and use fingers!)

Then we go banans, GOGO BANANAS!
Go banans, GOGO BANANAS! (stand up and wave hands while spinning!)

(I have this as part of a book babies program, and expanded it a little for the storytime. Picked bananas high, low...chopped slow and fast...mashed in our fists, then a 'bowl' on our laps, then in a 'tub' with our feet.)

Book: The Magic Bean Tree - Nancy Van Laan