Storytime Week 3: Love

Monday was Valentine's Day so in honor of the day and the sentiment, our theme for this week's storytimes is LOVE

This Week's Books:
Mama, Do You Love Me, by Barbara Joose, ill. by Barbara Lavallee
Be Mine, Be Mine Sweet Valentine, by Sarah Weeks, ill. by Fumi Kosaka
Kiss Kiss! by Margaret Wild, ill. by Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, ill. by Anita Jeram
More, More More Said the Baby, by Vera Williams

This Week's Music:
Seasons of Love, by the Broadway Kids
All I Really Need, by Raffi
I Love You More Than Cheese, by Adam Bryant
Skinnamarink, by Sharon, Lois, and Bram

This Week's Action Rhymes:
Fly up, up, up in the sky like this
Fly down, down, down for a great big kiss
Crawl up the flower like a ladybug
Crawl, down, down, down, for a great big hug

This Weeks Art/Craft: Dapper Valentines with Hats and Mustaches!

This and That

- The children's play area and the book drop are still closed as we await sheet rock. Because of the regulations regarding the fire-proofing of the book drop, we require a qualified professional and therefore have had to wait a bit. Like you, we are all anxious for our library to be back to normal. Thanks to everyone who has been so patient.

- Just a reminder to enter the blog contest. From now until the end of February, read through January's blog book reviews and leave your child's first name and last initial in the comment section of any blog post. At the end of the month we will randomly draw a name from all who entered to receive one of the books we reviewed (book of your choice or you may choose a year's subscription to Family Fun magazine). No one has entered thus far (why not?!) so chances are good!

- Remember to come out to My Gym on Tuesday, February 15th, from 1:30-2:30. All the profits will benefit our library! This event is sponsored by the MOMS Club. This is a GREAT opportunity for all those kids with cabin fever to run and jump and horse around. By the way, My Gym is about a mile from my house and I am usually around on Tuesday afternoons so I think I may pop in and say hi!

- Another fund-raising event is the RML night at Chili's in Glastonbury. Come by the library for a coupon, eat at Chili's Tuesday, March 1st from 4-7 p.m, and 10% of your bill will go directly to the library. My husband and I will likely be there having fajitas and maybe even a margarita!

- Be sure to mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 22nd when the award-winning, hip, popular, buzz-worthy Bari Koral Family Rock Band comes to Marlborough! They will be performing at the Senior Center at 1 p.m. FREE!!!! We have 2 of their albums at the library soon ready for your listening pleasure.

- I hope everyone is enjoying their pancake playdough from this week's storytime with me and that Ms. Eileen's kids have sent off their loving "hugs". We'll see you all next week.
Ms. Patty

2011 CHET Dream Big! Competition

They may only be reading stories now, but it won't be long before they're planning for college! Get a little help via prize money in a CHET 529 Plan by having your child enter the CHET Dream Big! 2011 Competition. We have forms at the Library or check out www.chetdreambig.com for the rules. Children in K-3 can submit an original drawing answering the question, "What do I want to do after I go to college?", while students in Grades 4-5 write an essay responding to the question, "How will I change the world after I go to college?". Ninety-six county winners will each receive a $250 CHET direct-sold 529 account, while 48 merit winners will receive one for $50 each. Entries must be postmarked by April 4.

A Gymtastic Fund-Raiser (Fun-Raiser!)

The MOMS Club of Marlborough is hosting an open gym event at My Gym in Glastonbury. (Click here for information on My Gym.) It's being held on Tuesday February 15th from 1:30-2:30. The admission fee is $5.00 and ALL PROFITS DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE LIBRARY! How awesome is that?! Come play in a new way.

Winter Storytime: Week 2, Pancakes

Oh, hot pancakes on a cold morning, buttery and dripping with syrup. Yum!

This Week's Books:
Pancakes, Pancakes, Eric Carle
If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff, ill. by Felicia Bond
Poppleton in the Fall, by Cynthia Ryland, ill. by Mark Teague
Like Butter on Pancakes, by Jonathan London, ill. by G. Brian Karas
Pancakes for Supper! by Anne Issacs, ill. by Mark Teague

This Week's Music:
The Disappointing Pancake, by Lisa Loeb
Cooking Breakfast for the Ones I Love, by Maria Muldaur
Pancake Song, by the Funky Mamas

This Week's Action Rhymes:
Mix a pancake, stir a pancake
Pop it in the pan
Fry a pancake, flip a pancake
Catch it if you can

Tippety-tippety tin
Give me a pancake and I'll come in
Tippety-tippety toe
Give me a pancake and then I'll go.

This Week's Craft/Art: Maple-scented playdough.

Winter + Hot Cocoa = Storytime! And a Contest!!!

Hi folks!
Hope everyone is enjoying the sun today! In my recent 4's and 5's storytimes, we read stories about winter fun - sledding, playing in the snow, and of course, hot cocoa afterwards! If you're looking for a fun book to share with your kids, might I suggest The Twelve Days of Winter: A School Counting Book by Deborah Lee Rose. Set to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas, it's just a silly book with illustrations that will have you looking all over the pages! See if you can find in every picture: a penguin (he shows up on Day 3), a stuffed gorilla, various horse sculptures, worms, birds, squirrels, and the boy who picks his nose! (See, I said it was fun!)
Also, we have a little February "reward of love" for our blog readers. Book love that is. Before now and the end of the month, read back through our "Book-A-Day in January" posts. Leave a comment on whichever book post you would like - something that sounds good or something that you've read as a family. At the end of the month, we will choose one random winner who will get a new copy of whichever book in our list that you would like! Leave a comment, maybe win a free book = easy!!!! (Just leave your first name and last initial)
Ms. Eileen

Book A Day: The Last One

I hope you've enjoyed reading about some of the new books and materials at the library; I know Ms. Eileen and I have enjoying reviewing them for you. We'll continue to review new (and older) items as they strike us. Our final selection for our Book a Day blog event features a lot of books AND a librarian; just perfect!

"The Library Gingerbread Man", by Dotti Enderle with illustrations by Colleen Madden is a take on the classic tale. Here the gingerbread man escapes from his book as the librarian is placing it on the shelf. What follows is a chase through the library and the Dewey Decimal System as the gingerbread man runs from the wizard of the thesaurus at 423.1, past the robots from 629.892, right through to the biography section. As in the classic tale, the gingerbread man is tricked by a fox (in this case an arctic fox from 998) but is caught at the last moment by the clever librarian who returns him to his book where he'll await eager readers.

The Dewey system continues to confound many, but this book helps make it more accessible, and fun! Ms. Patty

Storytime Week 2: Polar Bears Redux

Since we didn't get to do "Polar Bears" with Thursday or Fridays storytimes, we'll try again this week. For the Monday group, so we don't get out of sync with the Thursday and Friday groups, we'll do some sponge painting and read a few favorites as I reshuffle the storytime agenda. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the library is able to open tomorrow!

Book A Day: Day 27

More snow on the way? See book title. Enough said.

Okay, sorry for the delay and the wisecracks. This weather and all the problems it has brought to the Library are taking it's toll! Luckily, most of our books were not damaged by the burst water pipe so we still have ones to blog about!

Who doesn't love Maisy and writer/illustrator Lucy Cousins? This is one of her 'Maisy First Experiences Books' and Maisy and Cyril are heading for the beach! Ms. Eileen has to love any book that includes postcards, the word 'seaside', and a mouse and squirrel hanging out in cool hats in what definitely could be Miami. (And don't worry Maisy fans, she did bring Panda along for the trip!)

Here's to hoping you all find a little 'vacation' spot this week - even if only in your mind! Ms. Eileen

Book A Day: Day 26

THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED TODAY DUE TO A BURST WATER PIPE! STORYTIMES WILL BE RESCHEDULED...

Today's pick is a picture book called Pobble's Way by Simon Van Booy. Pobble and her father set out for a walk in the winter woods and play a fun game along the way. Winter mushrooms on a tree must be 'frog umbrellas' decides Pobble, and a lost feather becomes a 'tickle stick'! Little do they know that when Pobble drops her fluffy pink mitten, the woodland animals play a game of their own. Owl decides the mitten is a 'wing warmer' while Duck is sure it is a 'fish coat'.

You would think the illustrations would include a lot of snowy white, but illustrator Wendy Edelson brings out the most vivid colors in the animals and scenery. This is a perfect book for this LONG winter we are having, and just may inspire you to take a winter walk of your own. Also a great choice for father's to read and enjoy with their own little Pobbles! Ms. Eileen