more delightful dark humor

Sometimes adults forget how much kids love impending doom and disaster. One of my favorite things in life, in fact, is to hear little kids laughing out loud, even cackling, at something horrible or shocking. Not in a we-are-evil-and-want-to-see-people-hurt way, but in that I’m-safe-and-this-is-kind-of-awful-and-ridiculous.

Jon Klassen is really my go-to author for this. I once did a dark humor storytime while filling in for our youth librarian. She, perhaps unwisely, always lets me do whatever I want when I fill in. I tell her what I’m doing — really! — but no one expects me to do things the same way she does. Sometimes kids are already NOT happy that their personal librarian is not there, so I figure, what do we have to lose in this situation? Let’s have some fun! The added bonus is that parents looked up from their phones while they were checking work emails, and then found themselves joining in on “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Some big people think little ones should have happy and sugary little lives, but I’m telling you, life is super stressful for little kids, and books like this are a pressure release for them.

So I’m not even telling you what this book is about, though the title pretty much does that for me, because you really need to read this book and all other Jon Klassen masterpieces. Cackling is encouraged today.

The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen

Why I am a disaster in toddler storytime and also perfect for it

I love books.  I love reading with little kids.  (Also with big kids, but they’re less likely to want to gush on about Elephant and Piggie or Kadir Nelson’s amazing illustrations.  Stop fangirling, Book Lady!)

You might think that would help when I’m asked to fill in for storytimes at the library, even if I do not approach it with years of study or academic research on the topic.  I’ve certainly spent my share of time working with kids of all ages through volunteer work and at home.  I’m pretty clearly an introvert, although I have always worked in something of an extrovert uniform.  But what the heck – I’m willing to give a lot of things a whirl if it helps out a co-worker or friend.

Toddler storytime is one of those things that turns out to be completely different than what you might expect it to be.  Often I find that, no matter what label has been slapped on a library program – toddler, preschool, elementary – people just show up with whatever kids are on hand that day.  So toddler storytime can have actual toddlers, but there are often older kids there, too, as well as an infant or two and a bunch of adults who may or may not be engaged in this whole activity.

Older kids are sometimes less willing to enter into the goofier aspects of toddler storytime.  Will they dance and pretend to be moons?  Will they do the fingerplays?  Will the rhythm sticks turn into the 5 year old’s sword for attacking his sister?  You never know.  Just when I think I’m in the middle of a disaster, where no one gives a hoot about any of the books, doesn’t want to dance, and can’t be trusted with the shaky eggs, an older kid will decide that the Wee Willie Winkie fingerplay is the most awesome thing in the world.

Basically, what I have learned about doing toddler storytimes is that I don’t matter at all.  I’m the substitute for their beloved children’s librarian who probably does completely different (and better) songs and stories.  I’m not going to have her awesome crafts or regular expectations about behavior.  There will be a lot of Laurie Berkner songs, whether or not they really apply, because she is awesome, and everyone should know and love her music.  Once in a while, I’m not going to have books and magnet stories or flannel boards that work for whatever group of kids and parents show up.  (For a family storytime, I once did only stories with dark humor, paired with really perky songs.  A few of the parents seemed bewildered, but others laughed and actually listened to the stories, stopping to compliment me on the way out.)  But I don’t matter.

Storytime is the break for a mom or dad or grandma who needs a reason to get this kid out of the house and doing something different.  They don’t care what I do.  The kids like their routines, but if they can get past the fact that I am not Miss J or Miss M, they can at least gaze off into space and look at what’s on the walls around us or maybe sing along.  It’s a life skill to be able to cope with change and move on, right?

And for me, it’s a chance to share books and get outside my introvert skin for a little while, doing something outside my usual routine.  I might have an excuse to dance like an elephant or hop like a cow.  I can live with that.

Illustration from pixabay.com