About the Blog || About Katie || Current Storytimes || Retired Storytimes
Hi, there! I’m the Katie behind “Storytime Katie” and if you’re on this page, I’m assuming you want to know a little more about me!
Image of a brown-haired woman wearing glasses sitting on a stone wall outside. (I’m smiling too!)
I’m an Early Literacy Librarian, working at a library in the Chicago suburbs. While I specialize in ages 0-6, I work in a collaborative work environment where I also get to work with school-age kids and teenagers. At my library, I lead a team that includes several early literacy staff members and am also the point person for all matters of storytime!
I’m super passionate about connecting kids with books they love, getting kids excited about the library, early literacy, making flannelboards, and creating the best storytimes that I can.
Image of a brown-haired woman wearing glasses. She is standing in front of a pond and wearing farm animal finger puppets on her right hand. (Still smiling!)
A few of my favorite books to read in storytime are: “Wow! Said the Owl” by Tim Hopgood, “Toot Toot Beep Beep” by Emma Garcia, “Clip-Clop” by Nicola Smee, “Thank You Omu” by Oge Mora, “Hooray for Hat!” by Brian Won, “The Mixed-Up Truck” by Stephen Savage, “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld, and “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats.
In my spare time, you’ll find me knitting, playing the ukulele, embroidering, biking, writing, reading, listening to Taylor Swift or…playing the Sims. I’m also an aunt to seven kiddos who are six and under, as well as six dogs!
You can also find me on Twitter gabbing away about librarianship and pinning new storytime ideas on Pinterest. If you want to contact me by email, please feel free to at simplykatie [at] gmail [dot] com, though I have to warn you that I am potentially the worst person ever at responding to email. For a speedy answer, Twitter works best!
storytime katie 
Hi Katie! I’m a big fan/user of your blog and I’m working on convincing the powers that be to organize our picture books into “neighborhoods” like your library. Do you have a list of all your “neighborhoods/streets” that you are willing to share?
Thank you!
I’ve sent you the list in an email; I’ll be posting it on the blog in a few weeks, but wanted you to have it sooner!
A big thank you for the great rhymes I’ve used in my last two storytimes. The kids loved them as much as I did. You rock!
You’re welcome!
Hi Katie- I love your stuff! Do you sell any of it? I’m a mom of 4 and a pre-k teacher-very busy!
I do not sell any of my stuff, sorry! Right now I’m busy enough just doing my day-to-day job stuff.
Hi,
I recently recieved a grant and I am going to be doing something similiar to your Readers club. I wanted to ask you a few questions, would you mind? Thanks Lacey
Hi Lacey,
Apologies for missing this comment earlier! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me: simplykatie [at] gmail [dot] com.
Congrats on receiving your grant!
Hello Katie!
My name is Kati and I work as a children’s librarian also! I have used your blog before to help me extend some of my story time plans, but I recently started my own blog so I knew I had to follow you! This blog is a wonderful wonderful resource for librarians everywhere! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kati
Thank you for reading!
Katie, I love your website, thanks so much for all the resources. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Hi Katie, Thanks for sharing your ideas. I always think that if everyone had a good time during story time then I have been a success. I am glad to have found your blog. Your ideas will help make my story times more fun.
Thank you for reading!
I love “I’m not cute”. As a short, sometimes strongly opinionated but ridiculous person I have to defend my non-cuteness on a regular basis.
I’m 5’3″, so I completely understand!
Katie,
I would like to do the ouch flannel board. What goes with the animals?
I wrote about what I did with the Ouch flannelboard here: https://storytimekatie.com/2011/08/19/flannel-friday-ouch/. I would recommend picking up a copy of the book by Ragnhild Scamell to understand the story.
Hi there!
I just referred an ECE student to your blog, and she was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to share it with all her classmates. She was running out of ideas for circle time themes, and she was thrilled to see your extensive list! Just thought I’d let you know that you really made someone’s day.
Thank you. Comments like this really make MY day.
Hello Katie!
My name is Sarah Metts and I am starting my MLIS program this fall. I also work full time as a Bookmobile Assistant for the Outreach Department of the York County Library. (I also see that my peer mentor through the International Librarian Network also left a comment here! How cool!)
I have your website bookmarked in a folder called Morning Coffee and you are at the top. I have used your story time ideas to try new things with my story times and as jumping off points to make something that’s my own.
I had a questions about your posts and how you plan them out. How far ahead do you stay ahead of your posting schedule? In other words, do you write articles in groups to post throughout the week or even monthly?
Thank you so much for sharing your ideas. I always look forward to Flannel Friday. 🙂
All the best,
Sarah M.
I’m…really far ahead. I took a week’s vacation in May and scheduled posts through the summer. This is really the first time I’m checking in on the blog since then.
Thank you so much for reading! I love hearing that the blog is useful for other people.
I’d like to pose a question to the many followers of this fantabulous blog–is anyone aware of either a YouTube short, app or other electronic source for showing fireflies? This will be used as a very brief sharing during toddler storytime. Here in the Pacific Northwest where fireflies are never seen, I want to give kids a clear view of how terrific this insect is. I’ve searched, but just haven’t landed on anything worthy of a 2 year old audience. Many Thanks!
I don’t know of any, sorry!
Katie, I use your stuff ALL the time. When I am stumped for themes or craft ideas (I’m not by nature a crafty person), you are my go-to blog. I wish there was a way I could credit you every time I use your stuff in storytime, so just wanted to say THANK YOU for sharing your excellent ideas.
Thank you for reading!!
Hi Katie!
I am a library Storytimer for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well. I just love your website; it’s always my first stop when researching new ideas for a program.
I’m going to be starting a new read-aloud program for children ages 0 – 11 at a homeless shelter soon. I was wondering if you had any tips/resources that you could offer.
Thanks again for the wonderful work that you do!
Jessica
Plan a lot of materials so you can adjust for the age of the group. With that large of a range, you’ll probably have to plan on a four-year-old level. Have the big kids be helpers. Good luck!
Hello Katie,
I was wondering how long your Discovery Story time and Shake, Shimmy, and Dance Story Times are. Thank you,
Kathy Dejnowski
Discovery is scheduled for thirty minutes but can go up to an hour if the kids are still engaged and listening. Shake, Shimmy, and Dance is only thirty minutes.
Hey there Katie – I have been ‘borrowing’ ideas from you since I started doing story times at my library over two years ago. Your blog is so helpful, especially when I am in a hurry and don’t have time to put it all together myself. I say, “Wonder what Katie would do?” Then I can check out your ideas and see what worked for you. It is a wonderful thing you are doing and I really am grateful that you share your ideas. 😀 Kel
Thank you so much!
Hi Katie! I am a huge fan of your site, and have referred to it often since I started working in the children’s department of my library 2 years ago. You have wonderful ideas and I’m always inspired! I was recently given the go-ahead to put together 3 “parenting packs” inspired by your incredible ideas! I was wondering you would be willing to share your resource pages for parents that you include inside them? I am starting from scratch and am not really sure where to begin. I would give you complete credit. I would be soooo grateful! The packs that I chose to start with are…potty training for boys, potty training for girls and new baby in the house. I am so excited for patrons to get to start using these!
Thank you for everything you do!
The resource guides are specific to the library’s collection and our state’s resources. I did share an example of what a Resource Guide looks like for the Airplane Pack here: https://storytimekatie.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/ppresources_airplane.pdf
Thank you so much!
Do you/would you share your activity pages you created for your parenting packs?
There are examples of the activity pages on the introduction post, located here: https://storytimekatie.com/2016/05/16/book-bundles-parenting-packs-overview/
I won’t be uploading each one, as I created them specifically for my library and its patrons.
Hi, Katie
I’m an Editor at Scholastic, and I’d like to send you an email with some questions. Please send me an email if I can get in touch. Thanks.
I sent an email!
Hi Katie,
I am so happy I found this blog that you created. I am a Developmental Intervention Teacher working with children from birth to 3. Many of the developmental skills I work on are presented through songs, stories and back and forth play. Your blog is such an amazing inspiration. I love your creative themes and the awesome story titles to coincide with your themes.
P.S. My name is also Katie 😀
A most wonderful name!
Thanks so much for your comment and for stopping by!
Katie!
Looking for you and what library you work at! I’m the children’s librarian at a public library in Kalamazoo, MI. I’ve always admired your blog and have used a lot of your ideas! I’ve got some questions about your Bookgarteners program!
Hi Barb,
You can either send me questions here at the blog, or to my personal email simplykatie[at]gmail[dot]com. Happy to answer them!