Opening Song: "If You're Happy and You Know It" [standing up] with whispered added verse "If it's storytime and you know it, say Shhhh..."
Book: The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend or P. Zonka Lays an Egg by Julie Paschkis
Action Rhyme: “5 Eggs and 5 Eggs” [NOTE: before doing rhyme, hold up and count 5 fingers on one hand, count 5 fingers on other hand, then count all ten together]
5 eggs and 5 eggs—that makes 10.
Sitting on top is the mother hen.
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! What do I see?
10 fluffy chicks, as cute as can be.
Song: “Dance, Freeze, Melt” by The Learning Groove from Rockin’ Red [no egg tie-in, just a favorite]
Activity: Show actual size graphics of elephant bird egg [up to 13”—birds went extinct around 400 years ago] , ostrich egg [largest egg for a living bird—6”], and chicken egg. Have kids hold up their hands with their fingers splayed out—ask them to estimate if they think their hand could completely cover the chicken egg, the ostrich egg, and the elephant bird egg. Could a grown-up’s hand? “I’ll tape these on the wall after storytime—you can go measure your hands and see if your estimates were right!” Egg graphics [pdf]
Book: Hatch, Little Egg by Edouard Manceau or What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward
[NOTE: if reading Hatch, Little Egg, afterwards, talk about which kinds of animals DO hatch from eggs--show images of snake hatching from egg, frog spawn, father penguin keeping egg warm from children's nonfiction books]
Song with Shaker Eggs: “I Know a Chicken” by Laurie Berkner
Book: Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting [if time] [NOTE: emphasize print awareness w/this one] or What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward
Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with E." Possibles before opening to kids for suggestions: Eleven Elephants! [STAMPEDE!] Eel! Elevator!
