This week in the library, Pre-K students learned about Earth Day. We talked about why it is important to keep the earth healthy, and in what ways we can make a difference. We also shared Shel Silverstein’s classic story, The Giving Tree. Students each designed an Earth Day necklace to remind them of the fragility of the earth. We concluded with book browsing and checkout.

Today in the library, Preschool welcomed spring by sharing a group of animal stories: Dear Bear by Joanna Harrison, Big Wolf Little Wolf by Sharon Phillips Denslow, A Bed full of Cats by Holly Keller, and Meeow and the Big Box by Sebastien Braun. Each story was accompanied by a corresponding animal call.

We concluded with Book Browsing and Checkout. Many of the preschoolers have overdue books; please check your shelves at home and return any overdue books you may find! Thank you!

This week in the library, the Preschool celebrated Dr. Suess’ birthday by sharing my favorite Suess story, The Lorax.

Though it was written 40 years ago, The Lorax is a gentle reminder of the fragility of the earth and our responsibility as stewards of the planet. As the Once-ler builds his empire of thneeds, not only the fate of the truffula trees is put in jeopardy, but also of the creatures that depend on the fruit of the truffulas, and clean air and water. With its vibrant illustrations and sincerity of voice, the The Lorax is one those books to read and keep forever!

We concluded with bookbrowsing and checkout. Happy Reading!

Today in the library, we marked the birthday of famed folklorist and fairy-tale collector, Wilhelm Grimm (of the Brothers Grimm fame). We learned about the life of the Grimm brothers, Jakob and Wilhelm, who were by training, linguists. The Grimm brothers embarked on a huge folkloric endeavor, collecting hundreds of folk and fairy tales by interviewing people in their homes during the beginning of the 19th century. Later the tales were published and many are still widely read today including version of Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and Rumplestiltskin. We also discussed how oral tales are distinct from written ones in that each storyteller makes the story his own. This yields different variants of the same tale. We looked at over 10 different versions of Cinderella right here in the library and we read together the Egyptian Cinderella and a unique version of Rumpletstiltskin, comparing and contrasting them with what we know to be our Americanized versions.

It’s frigid outside, but this week it was cozy with the Pre-K in the library. We chose books this week all with a snowy theme. Our first selection was Caldecott-Award classic, The Snowy Day, by Jack Ezra Keats. We all practiced crunching our snow by turning our feet in and out as we marched around the library. Next, we shared Audrey Wood’s Little Penguin’s Tale, a light and playful romp across the polar cap, and lastly, we enjoyed Snow by Uri Shulevitz. This story celebrates how the first snowfall of the season can transform a whole village.

Please make sure to return your library books so that the students may check out new ones. Happy Reading!

Today in the library, preschoolers learned about arachnids the family that spiders and scorpions belong to. We looked at pictures of these fascinating creatures (including a REAL DEAD scorpion encased in plastic) and noticed both scorpions and spiders have eight legs. We then enjoyed three stories, Itsy Bitsy, the Smart Spider by Charise Mericle Harper; Aaaargghhh Spider! by Lydia Monks and The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks Out by Troy Cummings. Each student also decorated a wooden spider or scorpion to take home. We concluded with bookbrowsing and checkout. Happy Reading!

This week in the library, Preschool shared some wild adventures with the chickens. In Mary Amato’s book, The Chicken in the Family, Henrietta is tired of being called a chicken by her older siblings. She turns the tables on her mean-spirited siblings by running off the farm and joining the chickens. When her sisters come to retrieve her (after getting scolded by their parents), Henrietta refuses, and cheerfully espouses the values of chickenhood in such a compelling way that one of her sisters also decides to be a chicken. With its whimsical illustrations and themes of acceptance and diversity, The Chicken in the Family, is a fun read for all ages. Our second book, Interrupting Chicken, captivates readers with vivid pictures and humor. We’ve all heard our children say, “Just one more story PLEASE and then I PROMISE I’ll go to bed!” and this creative approach to bedtime was one that resonated with all of us. David Ezra Stein uses fairy tales as a background to weave the story of an exuberant little chicken’s attempt to avoid The Sandman. A Caldecott Honor Award book for 2011!

We concluded with book browsing and checkout. Happy Reading!

Pre-K enjoyed several stories today including Julia Donaldson’s rhyming and rollicking, The Gruffalo. With illustrations by German artist, Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo is packed with humor, adventure and the vivid imagination of one very clever mouse.

Good Enough to eat? Oh my, oh no!
That’s when Mouse invents
the Gruffalo!
But will this creature with terrible claws
And terrible tusks in its terrible jaws,
Allow quick-witted Mouse
To outsmart his foe?
After all, there’s no such thing as…
A Gruffalo!

(from The Gruffalo)

We concluded with book browsing and checkout. Happy Reading!