Storytime Kits

Our Storytime Kits provide themed books, props, and suggested activities to support early literacy skills in a home or preschool setting.

 

Themed Kit Contents

  • A bag with 4–5 picture books
  • 1 over-sized "Big Book edition" of a picture book
  • Puppets
  • Foam magnetic letters
  • An activity card with suggested rhymes and strategies for using the contents

 

FAQ

  • Are these kits available to reserve online? Yes, storytime kits are available in our catalog.
     
  • Who can check these out? Anyone, but they are designed for early-childhood educators, including caregivers.
     
  • How long is the checkout period for each kit? Three weeks.
     
  • Are they renewable? No. Due to high demand and a smaller collection size, there are no renewals.
     
  • How many can you check out at once? Due to high demand and a smaller collection size, only one may be checked out per library card.
     
  • Where are the kits located? Next to the toys in the Downtown Library's Children’s Services space.

 

Kit Themes

Here is a sampling of themes available. You can find a complete list in our catalog.

 

  Animals on the Farm

This storytime kit is farming themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Activity card
  • Old MacDonald finger puppet set
  • Fingerplay mitt
  • Uppercase "F" and lowercase "f" foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
  • Community Helpers: Farmers by Dee Ready
  • Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
  • Millie Wants to Play by Janet Pederson
  • This is the Farmer by Nancy Tafuri
  • Too Much Noise by Ann McGovern

 

  Bake Me a Cake

This storytime kit is baking themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion Packet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • Chef puppet
  • Gingerbread Man storytelling puppets
    • 2 older adult puppets
    • Horse puppet
    • Dog puppet
    • Fox puppet
    • Cow puppet
  • Uppercase "B" and lowercase "b" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: The Little Red Hen by Byron Barton
  • Baby Cakes by Theo Heras
  • Bakers by Tami Deedrick
  • Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells
  • The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth

 

  Cats and Dogs

This storytime kit is cats and dogs themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion packet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • 1 glove and 5 finger puppets
  • Uppercase "C" and "D" and lowercase "c" and "d" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Hondo & Fabian by Peter McCarty
  • Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
  • Mama Cat has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming
  • Mr. Pusskins by Sam Lloyd
  • Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee
  • There are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz

 

  Community Helpers

This storytime kit is community helpers themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion packet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • Nurse, mail carrier, police, and firefighter finger puppets
  • Uppercase "H" and lowercase "h" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Hooray for Our Heros! by Sarah Albee
  • Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owen
  • Let's Meet a Police Officer by Gina Bellisario
  • Whose Hands Are These? by Dee Ready
  • Duck on a Bike by Miranda Paul
  • If I Were a Firefighter by Thomas Kingsley Troupe
  • Nurses by Christina Leaf

 

  Halloween

This storytime kit is Halloween themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion packet
  • Mini raven, spider & bat puppets
  • Uppercase "P" and lowercase "p" magnetic letters

Books

  • Big Book: The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston; illustrated by Tomie de Paola
  • The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! by Elaine Bickell
  • The Little Kitten by Nicola Killen
  • Monster Trouble! by Lane Frederickson and Michael Robertson; illustrated by Micael Robertson
  • Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht; illustrated by Jarvis
  • Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara

 

  Imagine That!

This storytime kit is fairytale and imagination themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Story card
  • Jack and the Beanstalk puppet set
  • Dragon puppet
  • Uppercase "J" and lowercase "j" foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Once Upon a Time by John Praeter
  • The Kiss That Missed by David Melling
  • Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  • George and the Dragon by Christopher Wormell
  • Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow

 

  Insects

This storytime kit is insect themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulative

  • Discussion packet
  • Butterfly/caterpiller puppet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • Uppercase "I" and lowercase "i" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • A Way with Wild Things by Larissa Theule
  • Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi
  • 100 Bugs by Kate Narita

 

  It's In the Mail

This storytime kit is mail and postal service themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Activity card
  • Mail carrier puppet
  • Uppercase "M" and lowercase "m" foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Mail Monkeys by Rhonda Gowler Greene
  • Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
  • Larabee by Kevin Luthardt
  • Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier
  • Mail Carriers by Dee Ready
  • Bunny Mail by Mary Wells

 

  Story Bears

This storytime kit is bear themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion packet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • 1 polar bear puppet
  • 1 Goldilocks and the Three Bears puppet set
  • Uppercase "B" and lowercase "b" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
  • Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris
  • The Best Kind of Bear by Greg Gormley
  • Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
  • Please Don't Eat Me by Liz Climo
  • We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

 

  Talking About Race

Manipulatives

  • Books that help build early literacy
  • Song card
  • ASL card
  • Letter card
  • Story sheet
  • Tips for talking about race
  • Uppercase “F” and lowercase “f” magnetic foam letters

Books

  • All the Colors We Are / Todos los Colores De Nuestra Piel by Katie Kissinger
  • I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët
  • Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard
  • Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev

The Advancing Racial Equity Collection's goal is to help Hoosier children think, read, and talk about racial injustice and systemic racism. It has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities with funds from Lilly Endowment Inc.

 

  Transportation

This storytime kit is transporation themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion packet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • Magnetic transportation vehicle pieces and town playboard
  • Uppercase "T" and lowercase "t" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: Freight Train by Donald Crews
  • Away We Go! by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
  • 100 First Things That Go by Dawn Sirett
  • Let's Go for a Drive by Mo Willems
  • The Cars and Trucks Book by Todd Parr
  • Go, Girls, Go! by Frances Gilbert

 

  Tricky Foxes and Wolves

This storytime kit is fox and wolf themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Activity card
  • Story card
  • Little Red Riding Hood puppet set
  • Uppercase "W" and lowercase "w" foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: n/a
  • Chicken Little by Rebecca and Ed Emberley
  • Mushroom in the Rain by Mirra Ginsburg
  • The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
  • Dance Away by George Shannon
  • Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox

 

  Winter Wonderland

This storytime kit is winter and snow themed and is suggested for ages 3-5 years old.

Manipulatives

  • Discussion packet
  • 12 picture and word flash cards
  • Uppercase "S" and lowercase "s" magnetic foam letters

Books

  • Big Book: The Mitten by Jan Brett
  • Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
  • Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
  • When it Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator
  • Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer 

What themes would you like to see? Suggest a purchase.