[From my daycare storytime set last spring, I discovered a few that I had never transferred from write-ups to the blog. Previous entries in the Opposites series are here: Stop & Go and Up & Down.]
This was by far my favorite opposites pairing. The kids had a great time being extra noisy, but were also super attentive and very good at being quiet when I asked.
I started off storytime with “Noisy Nora” by Rosemary Wells.
This is a classic from my childhood, and from one of my favorite authors. The group laughed a lot during this one, especially given all the mischief that Nora gets into. Afterwards, I asked them if they were ever noisy at home and I had a lot of nods. But then I asked if we could be quiet mouses and taught them our next fingerplay:
Fingerplay: “Quiet Mouse”
Here’s a quiet little mouse
Living in a quiet little house (hold thumb in fist)
When all was quiet as could be
OUT! popped he! (pop out thumb)
Credit: Mel’s Desk
And that led up to another noisy book, “Katie Loves the Kittens” by John Himmelman.
This is a great book about a dog who is too loud and winds up scaring the new kittens at her house away. Katie (the dog…not me) learns to be quiet and the kittens become her friends. I really liked that this book had both loud/quiet moments. The kids really liked that the dog was named Katie (MISS KATIE, HER NAME IS YOUR NAME) and my “Arooooooooooooooooos!”
It was time to practice some jumping in our flannelboard for the day, “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.” I let the kids get up and jump while the monkeys were jumping, too.
To transition between activity and book, we had a discussion about bedtime and if you should be noisy at bedtime. Most of the kids told me that bedtime was quiet time. Then, I introduced them to “Stop Snoring, Bernard!” by Zachariah Ohora.
This book was a little gem that I found while looking at the shelves at my local bookstore. I absolutely fell in love with it and bought it for our downstairs storytime collection. It’s about an otter who has a bit of a snoring problem at the zoo and needs to find a new place to sleep. The kids and I are big fans of any books that require me to snore dramatically.
Since everyone was so pleased with themselves, we wound up singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” This is a very noisy song which led up to “The Noisy Counting Book” by Susan Schade and Jon Buller.
We have the giant board book version of “The Noisy Counting Book” and it was a big hit — the kids loved counting along with me. Then, we got up to stretch and do this action rhyme:
Action Rhyme: “Loud and Quiet”
Quietly, quietly not a sound
I’m listening and I’m listening
As I look around
No sounds as I nod (nod)
No sounds as I clap (clap)
No sounds as I tap my hands on my lap (tap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap (stamp and clap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap (stamp and clap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap (stamp and clap)
All that noise, well fancy that!
Credit: Preschool Storytime Outlines
And then it was time for our last book of the day: “Who Said Coo?” by Deborah Ruddell.
This is a funny book about a pig who cannot sleep because someone is saying “coo!” It was an excellent way to end storytime…except it wasn’t the end! I brought out our shakers and led everyone in this action rhyme before our craft:
Action Rhyme: “Shaking Your Shaker”
Shaking your shaker
Shaking it up high
Shaking it down low
Shake it side to side
Tap it on your foot
Tap it on your knee
Shaking your shaker
Very quietly // Very loudly
Credit: Preschool Storytime Outlines
And what noise storytime would be complete without a shaker craft?
This is the same craft that I did for “Shake Your Sillies Out” but instead I had the shakers pre-made and the kids just colored them. I didn’t want to be pouring beans into plates for thirty plus kids without parents to help me!
storytime katie 
Great story time plan. I want to try this theme out and include The Loud Book and The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood.
Great additions!
OMG Bernard! I saw this book the other week. Sooo cute, but I was very upset at the way the other animals ostracized Bernard! Clearly he has a deviated septum, or possibly sleep apnea, or at the very least allergies. His friends should have taken him to a doctor and then gone to the drugstore to buy ear plugs for themselves if it bothered them so much!
Another fun book I’ve used for “noisy storytime” — Punk Farm!
The kids said, \”MISS KATIE, HER NAME IS YOUR NAME\”. That reminds me of the song \”John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.\” That would be a good song for this storytime because each time you sing it more and more quietly, except for the ending \”Da Da Da Da Da Da Da!\” For anyone that doesn\’t know the words
\”John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, his name is my name too.
Whenever we go out, the people always shout,
There goes John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
DA-DA-DA DA-DA-DA-DA\”
You can probably find the tune online.
That’s a great idea! I’ll remember that for next time.
Thanks for the ideas! I was looking at the new book, Be Quiet, Mike! by Leslie Patricelli, and I knew I wanted to use it for storytime. My first thought for a theme was “Loud & Quiet,” and here’s a whole storytime just on that. I have a bunch of other projects coming up, so this will make it easy!
Glad I could help!