READING ADVENTURE TREASURE CHEST KIT #27
LIFE IN THE WATER

This Reading Adventure Treasure Chest Kit has been assembled to provide a thematic list of storytime materials for use by enhanced members and their patrons.  The kit is geared toward the preschool age group yet is flexible enough to capture the interest of toddlers and early school age children.  The Activity Ideas are designed to be aids to use the materials listed in the kits.

If you would like more information concerning this project, contact SERLS via e-mail at dirserls@oplin.org.

Material Type	Title	Author
BOOK	All Night Near The Water	JIM ARNOSKY
BOOK	Baby Whales Drink Milk	BARBARA JUSTER ESBENSEN
BOOK	Big Al	ANDREW CLEMENTS
BOOK	Famous Seaweed Soup	ANTOINETTE TRUGLIO MARTIN
BOOK	Fish Eyes	LOIS EHLERT
BOOK	In The Sand	DAWN APPERLEY AND KATE BURNS
BOOK	In The Small, Small Pond	DENISE FLEMING
BOOK	Joe's Pool	CLAIRE HENLEY
BOOK	Let's Go Swimming With Mr. Sillypants	M.K. BROWN
BOOK	My River	SHARI HALPERN
BOOK	My Visit To The Aquarium	ALIKI
BOOK	The Rainbow Fish	MARCUS PFISTER
BOOK	Rainbow Fish To The Rescue	MARCUS PFISTER
BOOK	The Seashore Noisy Book	MARGARET WISE BROWN
BOOK	Something's Fishy	JOHN SCHINDEL
BOOK	Splash, Splash	JEFF SHEPPARD
BOOK	Swim For Cover!	SUE VYNER
BOOK	Where's That Fish?	BARBARA BRENNER
BOOK	Who's Hiding Here?	YOSHI
BOOK	Little Frogs Song	ALICE SCHERTLE
BOARD BOOK	Joshua By The Sea	ANGELA JOHNSON
BIG BOOK	The Tale Of Jemina Puddle-Duck	BEATRIX POTTER
RESOURCE BOOK	1-2-3 Art	JEAN WARREN
BOOK & TAPE	Baru Bay	BOB WEIR and WENDY WEIR
CASSETTE	I Wanna Tickle The Fish	LISA ATKINSON
VHS	Shamu And You: Exploring The World Of Fish

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ACTIVITY IDEAS AND FINGERPLAYS

Make aquariums out of boxes. Line the inside of the box with torn tissue paper. Use colors found in the ocean. Paint stones for fish. Hang the stones with fishing line. If possible glue shells and sand to the bottom of the box.

Share The Rainbow Fish. First have children draw rainbows. Use these rainbows to cut out fish shapes. Hang these fish from the ceiling or assemble in a group mobile.

Read Famous Seaweed Soup, then share a pot of seafood gumbo or other soup.

Day At the Beach
Ocean breeze blowing,
(Sway arms back and forth)
Feet kick and splash,
(Kick feet)
Ocean waves breaking
On rocks with a crash.
(Clap hands loudly)
Boys finding seashells,
(Pretend to pick up shell)
Girls sifting sand,
(Pretend to pick up sand - sift through fingers)
Friends building castles,
(Place one hand on top of other - continue going higher)
As high as they can.
I stretch my arms out
(Stretch arms out to sides)
Far as they'll reach.
Oh, my! What fun,
On this day at the beach.

I'm a Great Big Whale
I'm a great big whale,
Watch me swim.
Here is my blowhole,
(point to back of head)
Here are my fins.
(wave hands against body)
See me flip my tail as down I go,
(pretend to dive)
Then up I come and "Whoosh!" I blow.
(raise arms above head to form spout)

Catching a Fish
One, two, three, four, five
(Count out fingers on right hand)
Once I caught a fish alive
(Catch all fingers with left hand)
Why did you let it go?
(Release fingers suddenly)
Because it bit my finger so.
(Shake right hand)
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.
(Point to little finger on right hand)

Ask your local children's librarian about more fingerplays, activities and books such as these recommended titles:

• At the Beach by Anne Rockwell. With short simple text, this book explores the world of the seashore through the eyes of the very young.
• Fish Is Fish by Leo Lionni. A tadpole, who has seen the world, tells a fish all about the wonderful things he has seen. Outstanding illustrations show the outlandish things the fish thinks the frog is describing.
• Herman The Helper by Robert Kraus. Herman is a well-mannered octopus who helps everyone.
• One Morning In Maine by Robert McCloskey. Sal and her family live on the Maine seacoast.
• Ruth's Bake Shop by Kate Spohn. Ruth, an octopus, avoids housework by doing what truly makes her happy baking.
• Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones. Zoom the cat loved water. When he finds a map to the see he takes off.