Story Time at Port Orange, Volusia County Regional Library

 Last Wednesday it was my pleasure to be the guest author for Story-Time at the Port Orange Library reading my children's picture book "Oliver's Wish" (subtitle A Tale From the Garden).  Decked out in what has become my 'uniform' for reading, I arrived at the Library at 9:30 and was greeted by the Children's Librarian, Thomas Jonte.  He showed me to the children's activity room where there was a table and two chairs for my and his use.  I had requested the use of a flannel board and there it was, sitting on the table.  By each door was a pile of round carpet pieces for the children to use for floor sitting.  There were chairs set in a u shape for the parents and grandparents. There were about twenty children in attendance between ages three and five years old.


 Thomas, first introduced me. Then, with the aide
 of a large Ukulele  he began story time by having
 the children dance a little jiggly jig to loosen and relax.  A song was sung and then they all sat down upon their carpet pieces.
 I begin by showing the children poster size
drawings of two flamingos. The first, a real flaming.
delighted the children.  They were all anxious to tell they knew what that bird was and some had even seen one.  The second drawing is of a wooden flamingo (named Oliver of course) living in a garden with many others. This is to familiarize them with exactly what kind of a flamingo Oliver is.

Now the story begins.

 I tell the story from memory in order that the book with pictures is always facing the children.  

 

 They watch the expressions on my face as much as they look at the pictures.

A round of applause delights the story teller.

Now that the story has been told,

each child choose a little picture copied from the story book. Each picture has been backed with velcro so that it can be attached to the flannel board.  

 

This is great fun! Once the pictures are attached they rearrange them.

Just enough time now to color one picture downloaded from

 www.oliverswish.com and the half hour allotted to the story teller is over.

I have had a wonderful time!

Thanks for having me Port Orange Library. 

 

~~~~

 

Credit for pictures go to Amanda Petrone.

(my granddaughter)