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You Hold Me Up - Storytime Online


Hello everyone! We hope you are all excited for You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith.


Michelle and I have put together a bunch of fun activities and crafts for the little ones. Starting on Thursday, June 1 (today!), the kits are available to pick up for our online storytime this month!


Enjoy a FREE copy of the book and more!


"You Hold Me Up" by Monique Gray Smith


Encourage children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their everyday actions. With vibrant illustrations from celebrated artist Danielle Daniel, this is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.



to watch the story read by the author for Orca Book Publishers. Then, enjoy the activities! Everything is yours to keep!


Kits include:

  • a FREE copy of You Hold Me Up

  • information page

  • colors game (5 colored hands)

  • 2 activity pages

  • 2 coloring pages

  • rhymes/song pages with weblinks (instrument included)

  • beach sticker scene craft

  • 3 magnets from the story

  • beach or flower stickers

*Here are the following pages that you will receive with your kit!*


HANDOUT GAMES – play with included hand handouts


Can You Show Me…?

(Tune: “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”)


Can you show me the purple hand?

Purple hand, purple hand?

Can you show me the purple hand?

And wave it in the air?

Green… blue… orange… pink



Hold It High – Choose one hand from handouts

Hold your hand high and stand

Now wave it around in gestures grand!

Hold your hand below your chin

Now hold it way up high again


Hold your hand against your nose

Now touch the hand to your toes

Touch your hand to the ground

Now wave that hand all around!


Hold your hand in front of you

Now turn around – one time, two!

Hold your hand and jump up high!

Now let your hand fly fly fly (throw it in the air)



SONGS & INSTRUMENT – use included instruments


Will You Be a Friend of Mine by The Kiboomers


Let’s Be Friends by London Rhymes


Best Friends by Patty Shukla Kids TV


A Family is a Family by Sweet Honey in the Rock



BOUNCE RHYME (bounce along with child in lap)


You Hold Me Up

You hold me up, up, up

You swing me down, down, down

We lean back, back, back

We rock around, round, round


We lean to the left, left, left

We lean to the right, right, right

We bounce fast, fast, fast

Like a bird in flight, flight, flight


We bounce slow, slow, slow

Then down low, low, low

You hold me up, up, up

Now we hug, hug, hug!



ACTION RHYMES


If You’re Friendly...

(Tune: "If You’re Happy and You Know It")


If you’re friendly and you know it,

clap your hands.

If you’re friendly and you know it,

clap your hands.


If you’re friendly and you know it,

and you really want to show it,

If you’re friendly and you know it,

clap your hands!


Stomp your feet…

Wave hello…



The More We Get Together

(Tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")


The more we get together, together, together

The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

For your friends are my friends,

And my friends are your friends,

The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

Let’s Be Friends With One Another

Let’s be friends with one another

Let’s be friends today!


You can sing with a friend

You can shout with a friend

You can hum with a friend

Let’s be friends today!


You can jump with a friend

You can clap with a friend

You can jump with a friend

Let’s be friends today


Let’s be friends with one another

Let’s be friends today!



Two Little Friends

One little friend came to school one day.

(hold up index finger)

He went to the blocks and began to play.

(bob hand to indicate movement)

A second little friend said, “Can I play, too?”

(hold up second index finger and wiggle it)

The first little friend said, “I’ll share with you!”

(wiggle the first index finger)

So they worked together and built a big town.

(wiggle both fingers)

And when they were finished, they knocked it down!

(clap hands together)



Friend of Mine

(Tune: "Mary had a Little Lamb")


Will you meet a friend of mine?

Friend of mine?

Friend of mine?

Will you meet a friend of mine?

This is my friend _____________. (Fill in Name)



EXTRA LINKS!


Monique Gray Smith’s site:


Danielle Daniel’s site:







Let us know what your little ones thought of You Hold Me Up! What did they think of the activities? Do you have any suggestions for us?

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