This book has some good craft and snack ideas. And while it is great to have a base topic to follow for every week of the year - some of the suggested books are definitely not an option. My library weeds books often, so it is doubtful we would have many of these books from the nineties and early 2000s, except for the classics. ( )

The Storytime Handbook presents a great concept. Organized thematically with one subject per day for a whole year, the book offers ideas for games, songs, and snacks for young children. I loved the range of ideas the book delivers: from animals to weather, The Storytime Handbook is a great resource if you're brainstorming topics for a children's camp or afterschool program. But when it comes to the suggested activities themselves, the book is somewhat lacking.

But before getting into the problems with the book, I'll run through its positive features. Beyond the diverse range of topics, a notable strength of The Storytime Handbook is its booklist. Each theme has a very thorough list of relevant children's titles with descriptions, enabling the reader to easily gather useful reading material at the library. The book also offers a range of useful activities: snacks, songs, crafts, and games, all organized conveniently by topic.

Unfortunately, a closer look at the specific ideas offered within each section reveals a lack of creativity. The craft ideas described are overwhelmingly activities that require little input from the kids. They rely on a great deal of preparation by adults and then only involve quick assembly by kids. When it comes to snacks, the ideas author Nina Schatzkamer Miller presents get boring very quickly — it seems like almost all are some variation on decorated cupcakes. Not too interesting — or healthy.

Beyond its individual sections, a major flaw of the book is its design. From its dated cover to its awkward dimensions, it's clear not much energy was invested into giving the book a practical, pleasing design. With a limited number of black-and-white photos and an excess of text, the layout of the content could be much more appealing. See The Penny Whistle Birthday Party Book by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar for a great example of an attractive, engaging design. Even in terms of function, more photos would improve the book's usability. Alternative ideas for crafts and snacks lack illustrations, requiring lengthy description, whereas a clear photo or illustration would get the idea across without the need for all that text. In other areas, however, more text would have been more helpful. There's a good list of songs and poetry included in the book, but I didn't appreciate that in many cases full lyrics weren't included. Instead, the reader is instructed to find them online. Not only is looking up lyrics a hassle, it's unlikely those links will remain active for long. An appendix with all the lyrics included would have been much more practical.

Overall, The Storytime Handbook is a wonderful idea, and aspects of the book prove useful, such as its impressive lists of relevant literature. However, due to its weaknesses, the book is unlikely to serve as a standalone resource. Instead, it's best supplemented by other sources if you're looking to add creativity and diversity to your "storytime," themed camp or party, or afterschool activities. A new and improved second edition of the book, however, could prove to be an excellent resource.

Note: I received an advance readers copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. My mother, who works as a recreational leader for children K–3, also examined the book and provided very useful feedback that was incorporated into this review. ( )

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program. It's nice to have a fairly recent storytime resource - the majority of the books listed are still in print. There is a lengthy website resource list, although some of them listed are no longer updated or no longer exist - an angelfire.com webpage was listed!

I think this is best used by a novice or an organization with someone who needs training and guidance. I personally wouldn't use any of the snack ideas but perhaps a preschool or day care would. For large organizations with solid training and experience, this is an optional purchase at $39.95. ( )

The Storytime Handbook by Nina Schatzkamer Miller is a good investment for a public library. This book gives some great ideas for weekly themes. I loved the story time template in Appendix B as well as the index. I was somewhat disappointed that many of the featured “snack” ideas were sugary treats, although healthy alternatives were offered as well. ( )

This book is a great addition to any preschool or young elementary school librarian's collection. It is full of songs, poems, crafts, fingerplays, ideas and recommended books for each month of the year. Topics include holidays, animals, sports, colors, numbers, weather, etc. I only wish that the pictures in the book were in color. I know this is a resource that I will use with my students in my school library. Thanks for the great ideas! ( )