• Pre-school

My Closet Threw a Party by:Parnell, Robyn

In fun and fanciful verse and wacky, colorful pictures, a quite unusual party comes brightly to life in a little girl's cluttered closet and messy room, as clean clothes play with stinky ones until they all become entangled together.

What's With This Room? by:Lichtenheld, Tom

A discussion between a boy and his parents about a bedroom, that is so dirty he would "have to clean up just to call it a mess," ends with a blast.

Oh, What a Mess by:Wilhelm, Hans

After Franklin Pig wins first prize in an art contest, his very messy family finally begins to put their dirty, messy home in order.

Pigsty by:Teague, Mark

When Wendell doesn't clean up his room, a whole herd of pigs comes to live with him.

I Took a Bath in a Washing Machine

from Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes

Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks

Mrs. McNosh hangs up her wash with such gusto that her clothesline ends up holding the dog, a Christmas wreath, a kite, and other odd items.

I told this story by stringing a clothesline across the room and pinning the various pieces to it. The pieces were made by photocopying and enlarging various illustrations. Because some of the pieces were relatively small, the weight of the clothespins was heavier than the piece. I taped pennies to the back of the pieces to counterbalance this.

Cut shirt shapes from coffee filters. Have kids scribble on them with washable markers. Using a spray bottle, wet the shirts. The marker will bleed to create a tie-dye affect. I did the craft at the beginning of the program so that the shirts could dry. Then the kids hung their shirts on a clothesline with miniature clothespins purchased at a craft store. You could also let the kids add stickers or vinyl numbers/letters to further decorate their shirts. (From Susan Dailey's Storytime Year)