It's time to party! Our storytime theme for the week is Fiesta and we'll have music, rhymes, and stories about celebrations, including Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Día de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico to honor our loved ones who have gone on before us. To learn more, join the Bowman Library for a Día de los Muertos Celebration this Saturday, November 2 at 11:00 am.
We have selected some wonderful books to highlight for this week and you can find them by typing in the tag: #letsparty into the Handley Regional Library website catalog search. We've also selected some festive songs and rhymes for storytimes and to enjoy at home. Music is a big part of many cultural celebrations and playing simple rhythm instruments is a great way to include young children in the festivities. It can be even more special when they have created their own instruments!
They can easily do this when they make their own maracas! Take a small water bottle, fill with colorful beads, buttons, or beans. Screw the lid back on tightly. Cut a toilet paper tube down the length. Parents can use a glue gun or other strong glue to wrap it around the bottle top. Reinforce with colorful tape and decorate it, then vamos de fiesta!
Play along with a few of these songs and rhymes:
Here Is our Piñata
Sung to: "Sing a song of sixpence"
Here is our piñata
What a sight to see,
Filled with treats & goodies
Just for you & me.
When it's time to break it,
We'll circle all around
Then we'll scramble for the treats
That fall down to the ground.
Mi Cuerpo (My Body)
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace musica
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace musica
Mis manos hacen (clap, clap, clap)
Mis pies hacen (stomp, stomp, stomp)
Mi boca hace la la la
Mi cuerpo hace cha, cha, cha
My body, my body makin’ music sing
My body, my body makin’ music sing
My hands say (clap clap clap)
My feet say (stomp stomp stomp)
My mouth says (la la la)
My body says (cha cha cha!)
Poema del Día de los Muertos
(Day of the Dead Poem)
Ahí viene el agua
Por la ladera,
Y se me moja
Mi calavera.
La muerte calaca,
Ni gorda, ni flaca.
La muerte casera,
Pegada con cera.
Here comes the water
Down the slope
And my skull
Is getting wet.
Death, a skeleton,
Neither fat, nor skinny.
A homemade skeleton,
Stuck together with wax.*
El Sol is de Oro
El sol es de oro
La luna es de plata
Y las estrellitas
Son de hoja de lata.
The sun’s a gold medallion. (large circle)
The moon’s a silver ball. (small circle)
The little stars are only tin; (flash fingers)
I love them best of all. (hug self)