Just Breathe

I'm sure we're all running around with last minute errands but I hope you can take some time to breathe before Christmas is truly upon us. This morning a small group at storytime shared in some simple yoga moves and I believe they enjoyed it. Breathing like a lion (silent HAAA!) and blowing like the north wind (take a deep breathe and blow out) can provide your child with a soul-cleansing breath. Praciticing swinging low like a monkey into a downward-facing dog who wags his tail are also fun ways to encourage healthy yoga poses. Our library has few resources to help you introduce your child to the fun and healing practice of yoga including a DVD called "Yoga Kids", a toddler book "Little Yoga" found in the non-fiction section (JE 613.7 Whit), and a book for slightly older children called "My Daddy is a Pretzel", (J 613.704 Baptiste). Check them out and enjoy.

Drop and Shop!

Wow! Our first "Drop and Shop" event was a success. It was a busy afternoon at the library and I hope all our participants had fun.

Thank you to all the wonderful children for persevering and waiting their turns during the crafts, snacks, and games. And just for being so much fun. I hope you all slept really well that night!

Thanks to the patrons who dropped by the library on Friday and greeted the noisiest library in the state with good cheer.

Thank you to Sandy for covering the desk and running the library while happy, excited children swirled around her.

Thanks to Patrick for jumping into the fray, playing card games and chatting with some of the older boys, and cheerfully helping out in every way Ms. Eileen and I asked.

Thanks to Anna (my own wonderful, creative, extremely patient daughter) for all her help, especially teaching origami to so many children. Many children loved this activity and the library has several new origami books for children so please check them out and enjoy this calm, creative activity with your children.

Thanks to Nancy Mc., our own library page, for her loving, soothing, happy presence as she read to children, guided them through crafts, and tended to their every need. She is a true treasure of the library and everyone should give her a big thank you hug next time you see her.

And thank you to all the parents for your generous donations to the Food Bank and for entrusting your precious children with us for the afternoon.

We had a great time and may do this again. Unfortunately, a few of our teen helpers were no-shows, so next time we will definitely be sure to have more adults so that each child can have more of the individual attention she deserves.
Ms. Eileen and Ms. Patty

As a reminder, we have a "calm" drop-in storytime on Monday morning (Dec 21) at 10:00 for children ages 2-4. See you there.

Whew! We've Been Busy!

So much has been going on at the Richmond Library this holiday season! Our newest librarian's program for adults and teens, Homemade for the Holidays, was a huge success. It was a fun evening of meeting neighbors, sharing laughs, and making a fun and (relatively) easy craft. Cindi is planning several other programs in the future. Please stop by to let us know what you might be interested in.

We enjoyed meeting several school-age kids to talk series books last Friday. It was a fun, lively discussion. Thanks to all who came out and for sharing your favorites.

We had a wonderful musical storytime last Wednesday ("5 killer whales!") and, again, thanks to all who showed up. I hope you are all still enjoying your jingle bell bracelets. Our Family Night of Lights was wonderful. Sorry to say, our ice luminaries were merely containers filled with water, but the paper bag and tin can luminaries lining the benches beside the library were truly a sight to behold. And boy, wasn't that hot cocoa good.

Meanwhile, Ms. Eileen continues to meet on Wednesday morning with the littlest ones for Book Tots. And today, Thursday, I'll take a storytime break from the holiday-themed events to share some of the newest picture books in the library with the Mom's Club group.

Don't forget that Friday is Drop and Shop. We're fully registered with a wait list so please call if you have to cancel your registration so we can accommodate someone else.

Our final "Enjoy December at Your Library" event will be a quiet drop-in storytime for children ages 2-4 on Monday, December 21 at 10 a.m. I'll try to make this one relaxing.

And thank you for all the holiday cheer and the gifts. We love them. As a reminder, the library will be closed for Christmas from December 24 to the 27 (Thursday-Sunday). We'll be open again on December 28.

Merry Musical Holiday

If you are between the ages of 3 and 6, come join me, Ms. Patty, tomorrow (Thursday) at 1 pm for some musical holiday fun. We'll make jingle bracelets with lots of silver bells (parents: you can thank me later), play a spinning game, do some singing, dancing, and even read a few books. It should be fun. I've been practicing my ukulele for days and my fingers are sore, but hopefully I've mastered a few new chords. Hope to see you there!

Books for Holiday Giving

The Connecticut Library Consortium has put together its annual lists of books for holiday giving. The consortium compiles these lists with suggestions from librarians across the state.

Click here for a downloadable PDF file to see what is featured this year in for ages 0-3.

Click here for a downloadable PDF file for books for ages 3-8

I love so many of the books featured, including some I've already mentioned on this blog. Definitely check out the lists and look for many of the books in our library.

An Old Book

I came across an older book today (publication date 1963) that just "hit the spot", as it were. "The Quarreling Book", by Charlotte Zolotow with illustrations by Arnold Lobel, begins with Mr. James neglecting to kiss Mrs. James goodbye on his way to work. What follows will be familiar to any of us who have had a bad day and then had it turn itself around. Charlotte Zolotow is a master of emotionally powerful, yet age appropriate, picture books while Arnold Lobel's adorable illustrations will be familiar to all the "Toad and Frog" fans out there. Newer books along this line include the deceptively simple "A Good Day" by Kevin Henkes, and "Grumpy Bird" by Jeremy Tankard.

Take Me Home: Shameless Begging

Just a reminder that I am up for bid at our library's auction. You get four great classic childrens' books, heirloom worthy, AND a storytime visit from me, Ms. Patty. You can just have me come over to read to your child (I'll even do the bedtime book reading), or you can invite a few children over and I'll do a little storytime. I'll even bring my ukulele. If you'd rather, I can do a storytime for your child at the library instead.

The bid as of November 30 was 45.00 dollars. I know that's a lot of money for a family with young children BUT it is money for the library and the books alone are worth that much. Bidding ends Wednesday, December 9 at 6 p.m.

Thus ends my shameless begging and self-promotion for the day. Thank you.

Storytime Week 5: Favorites!

This week's storytimes are our last regular storytimes until late January or early February. So, for this week, I'll be bringing out some of my storytime favorites.

This Week's Music:
Twenty Great Kids Songs! by Music for Little People, including great songs such as "Choo Choo Boogaloo" by Buckwheat Zydeco, "All I Really Need" by Raffi, and "Swinging on a Star" by Maria Muldaur.

This Week's Books:
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood, ill. by Don Wood
Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
Will You Be My Friend, by Nancy Tafuri
A Hat for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke
A Boy and His Bunny, by Sean Bryan
The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
Today I Will Fly, by Mo Willems
The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog, by Mo Willems

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1. There was a little turtle, he lived in a box
He swam in the puddles, he climbed on the rocks
He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea
He snapped at a minnow, and he snapped at me
He caught the mosquito, he caught the flea
He caught the minnow, but he didn't catch me!

2. Zoom, zoom, zoom, I'm going to the moon
If you want to take the trip, climb aboard my rocket ship
Zoom, zoom, zoom, I'm going to the moon
Whooosh!

Plus "Two Little Blackbirds", a flannel board game, and marbelizing paper craft. See you there!

Traditions

Hopefully everyone has plans for Thanksgiving. I know I'm looking forward to it! I get together with my sisters and mother the day before Thanksgiving and we bake too many pies and casseroles and make bread. In between, as a break, we play lots of games. It's my favorite day of the year. On Thanksgiving day we have a potato peeling contest and, later, a football game where the winning team gets possession of the ceremonial stuffed gorilla (it sits proudly on my husband's dresser right now...ugh).

Traditions, however foolish they may be, are the glue that bind us together as a family and as a community. I believe that when everything else gets topsy-turvy, traditions can give a sense of stability and comfort, especially for children.

I'm sure you all have many fun and interesting holiday traditions and I would love to hear about them! If you are looking for some new ideas to incorporate into your family, check out the Family Fun website by clicking HERE. There you will find many fun crafts, games, and recipes.

Have a great holiday everyone. Remember that there will be no storytime sessions next week (11/23-11/27) , but Ms. Eileen and I will see you the following week (11/30-12/4) for one last storytime. See you then.

Some New Books

Ms. Eileen has been busy filling out our holiday book collection. We have several new books; a bit of everything from New Year's Day to Mother's Day to Christmas. Most are on the new shelf and will eventually make their way into the holiday book carts in the front of the library. I wanted to highlight a nice series of books by Karen Katz (the author of "Counting Kisses") including "My First Kwanzaa", "My First Ramadan", and "My First Chinese New Year". They are colorful, fun, personal introductions to these holidays. By the way, Kwanzaa, a non-religious holiday that focuses on the African values of family and community, takes place this year is on December 26, while Chinese New Year is on February 14, and Ramadan, a Muslim holiday and period of fasting and focus on spiritual growth takes place in the the late summer.

Storytime Week 4: Firefighters!

This Week's Books:
"Fire!Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire, by Bill Martin Jr. and Richard Eglieski
Firefighters A to Z, by Chris Demarest
Dot the Fire Dog, by Lisa Desimini
Fire Truck, by Peter Sis
Fire Fighter Piggy Wiggy, by Christyan and Diane Fox
The Firefighters, by Sue Whiting, ill. by Donna Rawlins
A Day with Firefighters, by Jan Kottke

This Week's Music:
Our Fire Fighters, by Mary Lambert
People in Your Neighborhood, from Sesame Street, by the Hit Crew
Firefighter, by Sally's Music Circle

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1. Three brave firefighters standing in a row Ding, dong goes the bell, down the pole they go Jump on the firetruck, ready to aim the hose Climb up the ladder, Whoosh! Out the fire goes

2. This little firefighter is going to bed On the pillow she lays her head Wraps herself in her blanket tight Closes her eyes and says "good night". The fire alarm rings! She opens her eyes She quickly gets dressed and down the pole she slides. Hop on the truck, now don't be slow Off to the fire, let's go, go, go!

This Week's Craft: Our own firefighter helmets
See you there.

The Big Storm

Ms. Eileen took advantage of the change in weather today and read stories about the cold weather including "The Big Storm" by Nancy Tafuri. If you don't know about Nancy Tafuri yet, you should check out some of her books at the library. All are very beautifully illustrated with clear, gentle story lines. In "The Big Storm" forest animals search for a safe place when a big storm blows in. When they find out their safe haven isn't so safe they make a hasty retreat giving the reader the opportunity for counting up and back. Other Nancy Tafuri favorites include "The Very Busy Squirrel", "Will You Be My Friend?", and "Snowy, Flowy, Blowy". They are perfect books for babies to preschool age. Here's hoping you stay warm and dry during out weekend Nor'easter.

Enjoy December at Your Library

As promised, here's a rundown of all the great activities happening in December at the Richmond Memorial Library. Note that some events require registration and some do not:

December 2, 9, 16, Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Book Tots for ages 6-24 months with caregiver. Join Ms. Eileen for this popular storytime series sharing books and crafts. Registration Required.

December 7, Monday at 6:30 p.m. Homemade for the Holidays for adults and teens. Join our newest librarian, Cindy, for a fun evening of make-it-yourself gifts. Registration Required

December 10, Thursday at 1 p.m. Join Ms. Patty for a Merry Musical Holiday for ages 3-6. We'll listen to music, make music, and play musical games. No Registration Required

December 11, Friday at 3:30. p.m. Are You Series-ous? Ms. Eileen and Ms. Patty present great series and books for the avid and reluctant readers in grades 2nd-5th. Tell us about your favorites and learn about some of our new favorites. No Registration Required

December 14, Monday at 6 p.m.; Family Night of Lights. A fun event for whole family as we create luminaries of all types including ice luminaries and tin-can luminaries (in which you use nails and hammers!) All sorts of age-appropriate crafting for kids and families (not appropriate for children under 3). Dress warmly as we will admire our creations outside. No Registration Required.

December 18, Friday 3-6 p.m.: Drop and Shop! For ages 4-10. The Richmond elves (at least 3 adults and several teens will be on hand) will help entertain your children while you attend to last minute errands. We'll watch a movie, hear stories, make a craft and have a snack. Your child(ren) may stay for part or all of the three hours. No cost for this program, but we ask you bring a donation for the Marlborough Food Bank please. Registration Required.

December 21, Monday, 10:00 a.m.: A Quiet Storytime. For ages 2-4 (parents of 2s should plan to stay in the room for the program, other parents may stay if they wish). Your littlest ones can enjoy a quiet moment amidst the holiday hustle and bustle. No Registration Required.

Going once, going twice...

Our library is having an auction! From now until December 9 at 6:00 when bids close you have a chance to make an offer on 28 great items and packages. All proceeds benefit your library. Go to the library's main page HERE to find a link to the list of all the great things. A few highlights:

- A Kindle
- An assortment of toys for a boy or girl
- Movie Tickets
- Hair salon gift certificates
- A personal tour of the Consumer Reports testing lab
- Wine
- A fishing trip
And lots more including a package of four classic picture books and a personal storytime visit (at your home, if you choose) by me, Ms. Patty.

So come on in and bid!

Storytime Week 3: Talking a Walk

Who doesn't love taking a walk? In our part of Connecticut we are lucky to have an incredible natural resource known as the Airline Trail, a wonderful place to take a walk. (Do you know the name comes from a railroad known as the Air Line and has nothing to do with airplanes?) Click here for a map of the trail.

This Week's Music:
These Boots are Made For Walking, by the Sugar Beats
Walk of Life, by the Dire Straits
Walking on Sunshine, by Katrina and the Waves

This Week's Books:
Grumpy Bird, by Jeremy Tankard
Rosie's Walk, by Pat Hutchins
Oliver Finds His Way, by Phyllis Root, ill. by Christopher Dennis
Little One Step, by Simon James
I Went Walking, by Sue Williams, ill. by Julie Vivas
Tiny's Big Adventure, by Martin Waddell, ill. by John Lawrence
Let's Go Home, Little Bear, by Martin Waddell, ill. by Barbara Firth

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 The Itsy Bitsy Spider (you know how this one goes!)

2 Here is our world, our big round world
Here are the mountains high
Here are the fish that swim in the sea
And here are the birds that fly
Here is the sun, the bright warm sun
And here are the leaves that fall
All in our world, our big round world
Go explore and see it all!

Plus we'll do some painting with odd looking brushes. See you there.

Thanksgiving Books

The Thanksgiving books are up for display in the library. We have many fun and lovely books for all ages, but I wanted to highlight this unique book: "Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving", by Laurie Halse Anderson with illustrations by Matt Faulkner. Sarah is a real-life, heroine who uses the powers of persistence and persuasive writing to petition president after president (over 38 years!) to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. As you know, she succeeded. So, when you are enjoying a day of turkey, football, and family togetherness say "Thanks" to Sarah.

Enjoy December at Your Library

Oh my goodness, we have some wonderful events planned for December with something for everyone: a craft program for adults and teens, a family night making different kinds of luminaries together, an event for the "series-ous" readers in your house, free babysitting (yeah, that's right!), and more.

Click HERE to go to Richmond Memorial Library's calendar page to learn more. We'll have more details on this blog and at the library as events get closer. Or call 295-6210.
Come enjoy December at your library!

Storytime Week 2: Squirrels

Did you know that we had squirrels in the library last winter? Well we did! And this week during storytime we'll have squirrels again, only this time they'll be made of felt for a squirrel and acorn game we'll play. Here's what else is coming up.

This Week's Music:
Peep Squirrel, traditional, sung by Pete Seeger and Family
Hop Old Squirrel, by MyTunes
Donguri/Rolling Acorn, by Lisa Loeb

This Week's Books:
The Busy Little Squirrel, by Nancy Tafuri
Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert
A Good Day, by Kevin Henkes
Moon Glowing, by Elizabeth Partridge, ill. by Joan Paley
Squirrels by Brian Wildsmith
Scaredy Squirrel, by Melanie Watt
Pumpkin Soup, by Helen Cooper

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Swish your bushy tail
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Swish your bushy tail
Wrinkle up your little nose
Hold a nut between your toes
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Swish your bushy tail

2 These are the brown leaves fluttering down, And this is the tall tree, bare and brown. This is the squirrel with eyes so bright, hunting for nuts day and night

3 Whisky, frisky, hippity-hop, up he goes to the tippity top
Whirly, twirly, round and round, down he scampers to the ground
Furly, curly, what a tail, tall as a feather, broad as a sail
Where's his supper? In a shell, Snappity, crackety, out it fell

Plus, painting with acorns! See you there.

10/30 Storytime

At Ms. Eileen's storytimes today you'll enjoy a very cool spider craft, fun games, and other special treats to mark the day before Halloween. Ms. Eileen also shares some of her favorite books of the holiday including "Very Scary" by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Douglas Florian, and "Big Pumpkin" by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S.D. Schindler. One thing you'll notice about Ms. Eileen's favorite books; they are all beautifully illustrated!

Also, don't forget to come by the library on Saturday to show us your costumes and to get a treat.

Two Great Parenting Classics

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, & Listen So Kids Will Talk", and "Siblings Without Rivalry", both by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish are, in my opinion, two of the most helpful, easy to read, and practical parenting books ever written. The other day I was talking to a patron about a parenting issue and I was once again reminded how essential these two books have been to me as a mother, as well as a former child therapist. We have both books in the library waiting for you. (Although, I'm thinking the copies are looking a little worn...maybe we can get some new copies in soon.) Are there parenting books that you find helpful and that you would recommend? We'd love to hear about them. Thanks.

Storytime Session II, Week One: Monsters!

Yay! Storytime session II is about to start. I'm looking forward to seeing all my old friends and making new storytime friends. This week's theme is Not-So-Scary-Monsters. Halloween can be a tricky time for your preschoolers: on one hand it's fun to dress up and it's exciting and there's free candy. On the other hand your child is likely still not able to separate real from fantasy so seeing people behind masks of any sort and scary costumes can cause fear and trepidation. With that in mind, I will make our "Monster" storytime low-key.

This Week's Books:
Up Pop the Monsters, 1,2,3, by Carla Dijs
Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
Go Away Big Green Monster, by Ed Emberley
Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty
Leonardo, The Terrible Monster, by Mo Willems
Glad Monster, Sad Monster, by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda
Go To Bed, Monster, by Natasha Wing, ill. by Sylvie Kantorovitz
My Friend, the Monster, by Eleanor Taylor
When a Monster is Born, by Sean Taylor and Nick Sharratt
Under the Bed, by David Wood and Richard Fowler

This Week's Music
Monster Mash, by Andrew Gold and Linda Ronstandt
Monster Boogie, by Laurie Berkner
Monster Lullaby, by The Family Arts Theater

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 Monster, monster, turn around. Monster, monster, touch the ground. Monster, monster, reach up high. Monster, monster, squint your eyes. Monster, monster, show your teeth. Monster, monster, stamp your feet.

2 Monster, monster, under the bed, You should go somewhere else instead! Go, Monster, go! Go, Monster, go! Go, Monster, go, go, go!

Plus a dotted monster craft and a game. See you there!

Fall Storytime Session II

You can sign up now for Fall Storytime Session II. We have openings on all days for all ages. As a reminder, we'll meet for five classes with no storytimes the week of Thanksgiving. Some upcoming themes for Session II storytimes include not-very-scary-monsters, squirrels, and firefighters.

Ms. Eileen and I are also planning some unique drop-in events for December. Please let us know if you have any particular interests or suggestions for programming going forward. We are more than happy to try to accomodate your requests. We'd love to hear your suggestions here on the blog or in person.

This morning I leave you with another musical discovery from the very excellent jitterbug.tv website. Here's "Do You Like To Dance?" by Uncle Brothers. My favorite line: "My mom likes to sing when she drives, when the music's playing she comes alive. She sings at the red light in the driver's seat. My mom's really old, but she's really neat."

Someone New Here at the Library

You may be seeing a new face around Richmond Memorial Library lately. We have a new reference librarian, Cindy, who will be here on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Come in and say hi and ask her a question. (Reference librarians LIVE for answering questions!)

Cindy tells us that one of her favorite children's book is "Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type", by Doreen Cronin with silly pictures by Betsy Lewin. All sorts of funny and confounding things start to happen to Farmer Brown when the cows (and other barnyard animals) learn to type. A modern classic.

Ghosts!

Someone's getting ready for Halloween! Ms. Eileen's storytime kids made very cool haunted houses today and read books about ghosts, including "Three Little Ghosties" by Pippa Goodhart, and "We're Going on a Ghost Hunt" by Marcia Vaughan. Check out our collection of Halloween books and music on display in the library now.

The First Snow

Today as storytime ended at 1:45, the kids and I emerged from the storytime room to see falling SNOW! Of all things! In October! To mark the occasion, I present two books. In "The First Snow, written and beautifully illustrated by David Christiana, Mother Nature is a little girl who loves summer, but is soon charmed by Winter with the first snowfall. The similarly named "First Snow" by Bernette Ford has charming soft illustrations by Sebastien Braun and features adorable bunnies as they explore the first snowy night of winter.

It's fun to have a first snow, but let's hope our second snow doesn't come til after Thanksgiving.

Owls! Storytime Week 5

This Week's Music:
Owl Song, by The Bossy Frog Band
How an Owl Says Howdidoo, by Jim Stolz
Return to Pooh Corner, by Kenny Loggins

This Week's Books:
Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell
I'm Not Cute, by Jonathan Allen
Owliver, by Robert Kraus, ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Good Night Owl! by Pat Hutchins
Olivia Owl, by Maurice Pledger
Whoo-oo Is It? by Megan McDonald, ill. by S.D. Schindler
Who Hoots? by Katie Davis
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, by Jill Tomlinson, ill. Paul Howard

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 There's a wide eyed owl with a pointed nose,
Two pointed ears, and claws for toes.
He lives in a tree and when he looks at you
He flaps his wings and he says "Whoo Whoo!"

2 To whit, to whoo, he stares right through
whatever he looks at, maybe YOU!
And so whatever else you do
Don't, ever, ever, be a mouse
Or if you are, stay in your house!

3 Whooo, said the owl in the dark old tree
Whee, said the wind with a howl, wheeee
Whoo-hoo, whee-whee
They didn't scare each other,
But they sure scared ME!

This Week's Art: A Paper Plate Owl
This is the last storytime for this session. Don't forget to sign-up for Session II.

New Stuff

The Sally books are here! I mentioned Stephen Huneck's "Sally" books a bit earlier on this blog and, happily, we now have a full compliment of Sally books, including "Sally Goes to the Vet", and "Sally Goes to the Farm". They all have the wonderfully beautiful wood-cut illustrations along with a sweet, funny story of Sally the Labrador Retriever's adventures.

Also new in the library, several Halloween themed items including a Kidz Bop CD of Halloween tunes, the creative Lois Ehlert's collage-illustrated "Boo to You!" picture book, and the newest monster book by Ed Emberly, creator of the classic "Go Away Big, Green, Monster". The new one is called "There Was an Old Monster". As always, if these items are currently out to another patron, you can put a "Hold" on them and we'll call you when they come in.

Mittens, we need Mittens

It's getting chilly and we here at the library have been thinking about mittens. We have an idea and you can help us.

First, we need your SINGLE mittens, y'know, ones that have lost their pairs. We will be putting up a bulletin board display with them at the beginning of November.

Second, if you have mittens or gloves that are too small we will happily collect them and donate them to a local charity.

So as you get out your cold weather gear keep us in mind. (There will be two boxes in Ms. Eileen's office where you can put PAIRS and SINGLES.) Thanks.

Whoo Whoo Who Whoo!

Both Ms. Eileen and Ms. Patty are talking about owls these days. Today Ms. Eileen's storytime kids made very beautiful owls out of just circles, ovals, and triangles and read books such as "I'm Not Cute" by Jonathan Allen, and "Owliver" by Robert Krauss. Ms. Patty's kids will be up to some owl-y fun next Thursday and the following Monday. So, in honor of our feathered friends, we thought you might appreciate this link to the Owlcam which highlights several seasons in the life of a pair of Barred Owls and their family in Eastern Massachusetts. It's fascinating.

Pie! Storytime Week 4

Today's Music:
Making Pie, by Kira Willey
Peggy's Pie Parlor Polka, by Ralph's World
Shoo Fly Pie, traditional, by Andrew and Polly

This Week's Books:
The Apple Pie Tree, by Zoe Hall, ill. by Shari Halpern
Pie in the Sky, by Lois Ehlert
All for Pie and Pie for All, by David Martin, ill. by Valeri Gorbachev
The Apple Pie that Papa Baked, by Lauren Thompson, ill. by Jonathan Bean
A Apple Pie, by Kate Greenway
Blueberry Mouse, by Alice Low
Where is the Apple Pie, by Valeri Gorbachev

Today's Action Rhymes:
I see an apple, big and round
It falls from the tree onto the ground
I pick up and wash it and cut it in two
Half for me, and half for you.

Five little pumpkins sitting on the ground The first one said, "I'm big, orange and round!" The second one said, "I'm fresh off the vine!" The third one said, "I taste divine!" The fourth one said, "I'm ready to be tasted!" The fifth one said, "Bake my seeds so they're not wasted!" Someone from the kitchen picked them up and we know why.... The five little pumpkins all became Pumpkin Pie.

Blueberry, blueberry, blueberry pie
If I don't get some, I think I'm going to cry
You can take away the grass
You can take the sky
But don't take away my blueberry pie!

Today's Craft: Pie Playdough!

Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes is one of those rare childrens book authors whose picture books can take your child from diapers to first grade. From Kitten's First Full Moon to Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, his books are beautifully illustrated, and often poignant. The books for older kids have lovely stories of being brave, and being yourself and his books for younger kids are sweet and beautiful. We have 29 items by Kevin Henkes in the library, so check one out today.

Snakes! Storytime Week 3

This Week's Music:
Don't Ever Step On a Snake, by Don Spencer
Sammy the Snake, by Sesame Street
Spiders and Snakes, by Jim Stafford

This Week's Books:
Hide and Snake, by Keith Baker
Mouse Count, by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Help! by Holly Keller
I Need a Snake, by Lynne Jonell, ill. by Petra Mathers
Crictor, by Tomi Ungerer
Slithery Jake, by Rose-Marie Provencher, ill. by Abby Carter

This Week's Action Rhymes:
I'm going to slither like a rattlesnake Over the rocks and under the tree I'm going to slither like a rattlesnake And see what a rattlesnake sees! (Cha-cha-cha!)

Here comes a bright green garden snake Making the grass shiver and shake He raises his head, and looks around Then slithers away to his hole in the ground.

Plus a beaded snake craft and a rattlesnake sing-a-long. Ssssssssssee you there!

Orange Pear Apple Bear

Ms. Eileen's storytimers had a fun morning talking about apples and, taking a cue from Emily Gravett's "Orange Pear Apple Bear", the kids made their own Blue Cat Apple Hat stories. She provided cut outs of cats, apples, and hats, plus colors, and asked the kids to make a collage and tell their own story based on the words. Ms. Eileen tells us that this fun (and educational) activity will work seasonally using words such as: Ghost Leaf Orange Pumpkin White Witch Black Cat Spider Newt, combined with rhyming words like Cat and Hat, or Bear and Pear. Have fun. And check out "Orange Pear Apple Bear". Beautifully illustrated and destined to become a classic.

Stephen Huneck's "Sally"

I grew up with Labrador Retrievers and love them, so imagine my delight when I happened upon Stephen Huneck's "Sally" books. In this series of brilliantly illustrated books, Sally the lab takes us through her day and adventures. I shared "Sally Goes to the Beach" at storytime this week and we all loved it. Sadly, that is the only Sally book in our collection...but hopefully not for long.

Boats, Storytime Week 2

This week's music:
Sloop John B., by The Beach Boys
Row, Row Medley, by Ella Jenkins
I Love to Sail, by Willy Welch

This week's fingerplay:
A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
To see what he could see, see, see
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea

This week's books:
The Boat in the Tree, by Tim Wynne-Jones, ill. by John Shelley
Boats, by Patricia Hubbell, ill, by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy
Mr. Gumpy's Outing, by John Burningham
Sally Goes to the Beach, by Stephen Huneck
I Love Boats, by Flora McDonnell
Harbor, and Sail Away, by Donald Crews

Plus, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, a soap boat craft, and a game
See you soon!

Jitterbug!

I just came across the best website, it's called jitterbug.tv (clickable link) and it's where you can listen to all sorts of great independent kids music. I'm getting all sorts of ideas for CDs to add to our collection just by listening at this great site. It's also enjoyable to just have some nice music playing in the background while doing other computer stuff.

Have a listen and let me know your favorites so we can add their CDs to our library collection. So far, I'm liking Dog on Fleas, The Dreyer Family Band, and Dennis Caraher. (I just started listening in the "D"s.)

A Note from Ms. Eileen!

"Hi Patty!
Just thought I would pop in to say first,what a great job you are doing with this blog, and also to let my storytime 4s & 5s know that I look forward to seeing them this Friday! We will be doing stories and other fun stuff related to "All About You" or Me, or actually, THEM!!!

Lastly, I wanted to pass on this fun event for families - unfortunately I cannot go, but if I could, I would! There is going to be a PIGEON PARTY! on Oct, 25 at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, CT. BIG WOODEN HORSE Theatre Company is putting on a musical based on author Mo Willems books (LOVE HIM!)

And wait, there's more! Tickets are FREEEEEE!!!
For further information contact the Childrens Room at Clinton's Library at 860-669-2342.
Ms. Eileen"