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A special project of the Australian Library and Information Association
National simultaneous storytime
2:00pm AEST, Thursday 17 May 2001
Following the highly-successful state-wide Storytime in Victoria during ALW2000, ALIA is inviting all public library services and primary and pre-school libraries to participate in the first-ever National Simultaneous Storytime.
The National Simultaneous Storytime will take place at 2:00pm AEST on Thursday 17 May. The picture book, Edward the emu, will be read simultaneously in libraries throughout the country. Edward the emu is written by popular Australian author Sheena Knowles, illustrated by Rod Clement, and published by HarperCollins. ISBN 0207170517. I
The target audience for the storytime is children aged three to eight years - and their parents, grandparents, creches, teachers, day-carers, pre-schools, kindergartens and community groups. You may wish to invite some or all of these to participate in this national event.
The aim of the National Simultaneous Storytime is to give exposure to the services to children in libraries by celebrating one of the most popular activities: story time. By attracting and engaging young audiences, the event provides the opportunity to promote the value of reading and books, and the important role which libraries play in stimulating literacy. The National Simultaneous Storytime is being sponsored by HarperCollins publishers and Dymocks Booksellers. The sponsorship allows the production and distribution of promotional posters, bookmarks and certificates to participating libraries.
HarperCollins provides a 50 per cent discount on recommended retail price of $11.99 for participating libraries and organisations that place orders for the Edward the emu directly with the publisher. Send your order to: Amanda MacDonald, HarperCollins Publishers, PO Box 321, Pymble 2073, fax 02 9952 5599. (This offer is only valid to one-drop orders - libraries will not be able to top up their orders once they have been received by HarperCollins).
Dymocks stores throughout the country will be participating in the National Simultaneous Storytime. They will provide a ten per cent discount on the purchase Edward the emu to during the month of May on the presentation of the special promotional bookmark which will be forwarded to registered participants. ALIA National Office is co-ordinating the event, including registrations of interest and involvement, and distribution of posters, bookmarks and certificate.
A list of libraries participating in the National Simultaneous Storytime by state can be found here.
Co-ordinated promotion
The National Simultaneous Storytime will be promoted as a major LIW2001 event through inCite, on ALIAnet, through ALIAnet e-lists and through media releases publicising Library and Information Week.
Some states have identified regional co-ordinators of National Simultaneous Storytime, others are drawing on the state/territory LIW committee representative as the point of contact for regional promotion and publicity relating to Storytime. Make sure that you advise them of your activity.
The contacts are:
Ideas for activities
Gain exposure
Invite a local politician or celebrity to read Edward the emu at the storytime - and invite the local media to the event. This may help you obtain media coverage and help promote children's services and libraries. Promote your event to creches, pre-schools, kindergartens and community groups.
Encourage the kids to prepare themselves for the event - this will make it very special. For instance, suggests they dress-up in costumes, or bring their favourite toy emu or stuffed animal. Seek your local newspaper's support for promotion to the general public - it may help if you write up the details in such a form that it is ready for them to use, and provide an attractive illustration - for instance the Edward the emu bookmark.
Display the promotional poster prominently in your library. Clearly show the date, time, place for the National Simultaneous Storytime and details of any further activities you may have. On the day, have your forward program of activities for children ready to hand out to participants and to the media. Encourage your local newspaper to cover your activities. Biographical information about the author and illustrator are available here.
Set the stage
- Make the Storytime area cosy and attractive - if possible decorate it with zoo-related imagery, and use the Storytime promotional poster.
- Make sure that the Storytime area is easy to find - you could make a trail.
- Dress-up in costumes - and encourage the children to dress up too.
- Offer face-painting as an alternative to dressing up.
- Offer giveaways - Easter eggs may be an idea (you can always claim they are emu eggs), as are Storytime bookmarks, balloons, and prizes for drawings.
Read Edward the Emu
- Make sure that you read Edward the Emu at the exact time for the simultaneous reading - 2:00pm AEST.
- Make a big issue of it being read to children all over the country at the exact same time - show the kids a map of Australia and suss them out to where they may know somebody.
More stories!
You may wish to choose additional stories to read in conjunction with Edward the emu, - as long as you read Edward the emu at 2:00pm on Thursday 17 May. Here are some suggestions:
Fiction
A bush birthday by Eleanor Nilsson; After dusk by Ted Greenwood; Bush nativity by Jo Monie; Bush party by Tricia Oktober; Bush walk by Tricia Oktober; Bushfire by Tricia Oktober; Edwina the emu by Sheena Knowles; Goanna by Jenny Wagner; Green air by Jill Morris; Harry the hairy-nosed wombat by Jill Morris; Hello kangaroo by Nan Bodsworth; Jenny and the night of the storm by Andrew and Janet McLean; Little koala by Margaret Roc; Old MacDonald had an emu by Deborah Niland; Old man emu by John Williamson; Owl babies by Martin Waddell; Possum Creek's big flood by Dan Vallely; The best beak in Boonaroo Bay by Narelle Oliver; The bilby and the bunyip by Irena Sibley; The bunyip of Berkeley's Creek by Jenny Wagner; The drover's dream illustrated by David Van Asten; The old man who loved to sing by John Winch; The Rungawilla ranger by Dan Vallely; There's a wombat in my bed by Tony Harris
Timber cutter at Kangaroo Creek by Terry Watt; VIP - Very Important Plant by Ted Greenwood; Wombat stewby Marcia K Vaughan.
Non-fiction
Australian animal action by Steve Parish; Australia's wonderful water creatures by Doug Priestly; Australian animal homes by Steve Parish; Australian bats by Jill Morris and Lynne Tracey; Dangerous Australian marine animals by Terry Keyt; Dangerous creatures by Bay Books; Endangered species by Ron Thomas and Jan Hipgrave; Feathers fur and frills by Kilmeny Niland; Feral animals - foxes by Ron Thomas and Jan Stutchbury; Life in a rotten log by Kathie Atkinson; Say hello cockatoo by Steve Parish; Say hello koala by Steve Parish; The common ringtail possum by Harry Briedahl; The common wombat by Harry Briedahl; Who lives in the friendly bush? by Steve Parish; Who lives in the friendly rainforest? by Steve Parish; Zoos of Australia by Australia Post.
Activities and songs
- Sing We're all going to the zoo tomorrow; Jump, jump kangaroo brown; Kookaburra (sits in the old gum tree); Old MacDonald had a farm - with Australian animals.
- Play statues, when you call out stop or stop the music the children have to freeze in a pose of an animal from the story.
- Play charades and the children have to guess which animal Edward is trying to be.
- Make a large cardboard dice with one of each of the different animals on each face, then when the dice is rolled pretend to be that animal (do not forget the loud animal noises).
Craft activities
- Emu toy/puppet - two legs from a pair of tights stuffed with paper and fastened (stapled) to an egg shaped body, cut from two pieces of cardboard, a long neck which was formed from a concertina strip of cardboard or paper with an emu head pasted on top. To make it into a puppet attach strings to the body and tie to a wooden coat hanger.
- Emu craft - a light card emu body with feet attached via strips of paper, or concertina cardboard strips or use elastic bands (cut open) to make 'springy legs'.
- Draw a picture of the animal you would most like to be at the zoo.
- Make emu feet from cardboard and tie around ankles (to sit over shoes).
- Give each child a page with just eyes drawn on it and they can draw the animal of their choice (or one they can imagine).
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