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
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Are these kits available to reserve online? Yes, storytime kits are available in our catalog.
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Who can check these out? Anyone, but they are designed for early-childhood educators, including caregivers.
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How long is the checkout period for each kit? Three weeks.
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Are they renewable? No. Due to high demand and a smaller collection size, there are no renewals.
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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
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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
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.
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.