Everybody loves space aliens! …right?
This storytime was much more successful with the older kids (five- and six-year-olds) than the younger ones. A lot of the younger kids didn’t know what an alien was, and without that context, these stories do not make much sense. Also, the stretcher “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom” (from The Complete Book of Rhymes, Songs, Poems, Fingerplays, and Chants)Â is terrible – it was too hard for the kids to learn, the rhythm is off, the hand motions are really forced…yikes.
Books for Older Children
I Want to Be an Astronaut—Byron Barton
Beegu—Alexis Deacon
Papa, Get the Moon for Me—Eric Carle
Alistair in Outer Space—Matthew Sadler
Hedgie Blasts Off!—Jan Brett
Books for Younger Children
Sheep Blast Off—Nancy Shaw and Margot Apple
Hush Little Alien—Daniel Kirk
Kitten’s First Full Moon—Kevin Henkes
Moon Plane—Peter McCarty
Stretchers
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (with alien and robot puppets)
Star Light, Star Bright
Five Little Aliens (with flannel board)