Book Review: The Christmas Parade- Sandra Boynton

 

Boom Biddy Boom Biddy Boom Boom Boom!!!


What's that noise filling the room? It's the Christmas Parade. There's 10 chicken with silver bassoons, tons of drumming hippos ( and a drumming cat), even a little bird with the Loudest tuba one ever has heard. There's even holly confetti and a rhino dressed as Santa Claus!!!  Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

I used this book a few weeks ago toward the end of  my 2 and 3 Thanksgiving program to kick off the holiday season. Very cute artwork (and cute ending, too).  A very easy holiday  read for  the little ones.

The Christmas Parade  by Sandra Boynton
Age Range: 2-4
***** ( 5 stars)

Bookworm List: The Holiday Books are Here!

I'm looking across from the front desk of the Children Dept. and guess what? The holiday books are out!! ( Yes, the green, red, white, and sometimes blue books of the holiday season are now available for checking out. Before the move, they took up the most room in our workroom, five shelves and counting. I think now it's many, many boxes, so be patient as we slowly  put them out as books leave the shelves.

Here are some recommended titles:

•  Together at Christmas by Eileen Spinelli- Ten little mice, huddled together in Christmas snow, go off one by one to find warm places to sleep, but soon decide they would rather be together celebrating the special night.    NEW!!
•  Christmas at the Top of the World by Tim Coffey-: On Christmas Eve, a young reindeer travels through the woods leading a procession of animals to the top of the earth, where a special old man awaits.    
• I Want  A Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox- An illustrated version of the popular 1950's Christmas song about a child who wants a hippopotamus for Christmas.
•  The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg- A boy takes a magical train ride to the North Pole to get a special gift from Santa. A Christmas classic.  ( Great to read on Christmas Eve.)  
• Christmas at the Toy Museum by David Lucas-One very special Christmas Eve, Bunting the stuffed cat and the rest of the toys in the museum  gather around the tree and give themselves at presents. NEW!!
•    On Christmas Eve by Margaret Wise Brown-Unable to sleep on Christmas Eve, four children creep downstairs to see the tree, their stockings, their wrapped gifts, and to hear the singing of the carolers. 
• Christmas Lights by Ann Fearington- On Christmas night the Merriweather family drives into town to see all the displays of lights. 
• Clear Moon, Snow Soon by Tony Johnston- On Christmas Eve, a child anticipates the arrival of Santa Claus.
• Puppy's First Christmas by Steve Smallman- A warm and fuzzy look at a puppy's introduction to the magic of Christmas.NEW!!!
• Noel by Tony Johnston- The sounds of Christmas bells call people young, old, and very cold to come together and celebrate a very peaceful holiday.

Want more? Suggested keywords to use with "juvenile fiction", " juvenile literature", and " fiction" include:

• Christmas
• Christmas trees
• Santa Claus
• Kwanza
• Hanukkah
• Snowmen
• Jesus Christ--Nativity
• Christmas stories

Happy Holidays and keep reading!!

Happy Holiday 2012 Programs

Here are our last programs of 2012 that will happening next month in the Children's Dept at the Central Library. Please visit Library Events for information and register.

Note- All programs will now be held in the NEW Children's programing room, located in the NEW Children's Department on the lower level.

Story Time for 2 and 3 yr olds- Monday, Dec. 3 at 10 am- Audience: 2 and 3 year olds and caregivers.

Mother Goose on the Loose-Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 10 am-Audience: Infants Birth to
23 months and caregiver (s).

 Lego Club- Monday, Dec 10 at 4 pm- Audience: Grades 2-6

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday,  Dec 11 at 10 am - Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.

Gaming Night- Wednesday, Dec 12 at 6 pm- Audience: 12 to 17 years old.

Crafts, Cookies, and Cocoa-Thursday, Dec 20 at 4 pm- Audience: K-5

Stay tuned for our January-February programs of 2013.


Happy Holidays and see ya soon!!!

Happy Thanksgiving... and a gift to my readers

Hi boys and girls. I know it's early but just felt like wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and keep reading!


glitter-graphics.com

I also felt like posting a little treat to all my readers ( besides the dancing turkey).

So five years when I first got hired by the library, I did a holiday Mother Goose on the Loose program. But the next year, I did the holiday program for the preschoolers. One book that I did for the kids  is an illustrated version of the John Rox song, " I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."  ( Note- When Santa came in to visit the kids that day, one little girl asked for a Christmas hippo.) I still do the book for the 2 and 3 yr-old holiday program ( like this year, coming up Monday, Dec. 3 at 10 am) and do  a Christmas hippo ornament, which uses the child's name tag as the base ( because what else can they use the name tag for after Fall/Winter 2 and 3 program is over?)


Here is a lovely video featuring the original recording, enjoy!

Storytime for 2 and 3-yr olds: Thanksgiving is Here!

Today's Thanksgiving program  for 2 and 3 yr-olds took place in our NEW programming room ( which everyone loved!!!). Our group of 13 ( 6 kids, 2 babies, and 5 parents) heard three stories for Turkey Day ( Thanksgiving is Here by Diane Goode, Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray, and Christmas Parade by Sandra Boynton.) We also rang bells to " Over the River", " We Eat Turkey", and Jingle Bells ( fact I found out by way of Wiki,  James Lord Pierpont wrote this tune for Thanksgiving) and made a turkey picture using our hand print and decorated with fall leaves.

Here are a few of the songs we did-

Over the River
Over the river and thru the woods,
to Grandmother's house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
thru the white and drifting snow, oh.

Over the river and thru the woods,
o how the wind does blow.
It stings the nose and bites the toes
as over the ground we go.

We Eat Turkey ( sung to tune of " Are You Sleeping?")

We eat tur-key, we eat tur-key.
Oh, so good, Oh so good.
Al-ways on Thanks-giv-ing, al-ways on Thanks-giv-ing
Yum - yum - yum! Yum - yum - yum!

( Other food verses can be added, like pie or stuffing)


Our last  2 and 3 program of 2012 is Monday, December 3rd at 10 am.  It's our holiday program, featuring the illustrated version of  John Rox's " I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". 

Stay tuned for our  programs of 2013.

Happy Thanksgiving and see you soon!

Book Review: Creepy Carrots- Aaron Reynolds

 

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots. He picks them every morning, noon, and night from Crackenhopper Field. Until one day.... the carrots start following him!!! (Dun, Dun, Dun.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!)

This is a really funny book. The story is presented like an old horror movie of the 40s/50s, told in black and white illustrations ( and orange, for the carrots.) There is even dramatic shadows to enhance the creepy-quality of the tale and a cool cover, done up like an old horror-movie poster. The ending is really cute, had me in giggles. I don't think even the littlest kid will be scared ( unless they actually find carrots creepy). A definite must-read ( and who knows, I may be using it sometime in the future, whether for Halloween or not. I may even had sound effects and music. Dun, Dun, Dun....Crunch!)

Creepy Carrots-Aaron Reynolds
Age Range:  4 and up
Lexile: 410
***** ( 5 stars)

Here is the book trailer/interview with illustrator Peter Brown ( There is also one available at  Vimeo that spoofs The Twilight Zone. Watch them both if you dare!!!)

Surprise... We Moved!!

To anyone that rides the elevator downstairs today.... you're in for a big surprise. We moved!! Yes, now when you go downstairs, the first thing you'll see is children's. The move started actually started last week ( and the big move yesterday) and there's still  more to come. Programs are still happening ( where? you're guess is good as mine.)

Right now... I'm  mixed. While I like that this was done well before the holidays ( and before my Disney vacation in December) and that we are in a bigger, brighter area ( with windows!!!), I'm a little sad. I practically grew up in the old spot, first as a patron, and 5 years later as an  employee. So it's going to take me awhile to adjust ( even as I look over my new desk). I'm sure I'll grow to like the new spot ( maybe when I figure out when everything is, get my new desk in order,  and when the giraffes return. Yes, the giraffes will be back sometime in the future.)

So stop by the new Children's Department. We're still downstairs,in a new location ( but please use the elevator).
 Keep reading!

Storytime for 2 and 3-yr olds: Down on the Farm

Today our 14 participants ( 7 kids, 6 parents, one baby) went on a imaginary trip to  the farm for the final weeks of harvest season. I read  Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm by Joy Cowly and Harvest Song  by Frank Fiorello and  we made a farm-related craft ( Mrs. Wishy-Washy's cow, which consisted of a cow coloring page, a tub from brown construction paper, and fluff for "Bubbles". We also learned about  shapes, went Looby-loo, and did some songs with scarves.

Here are two of the songs we did with scarves ( Note- This comes from our infant program, Mother Goose on the Loose):

Wind O Wind ( wave scarf over your head, gracefully)
O Wind o Wind o Wind I say,
What are you blowing away today?
Scarves o Scarves o Scarves I say
I am blowing the scarves away.

Peekaboo (Shake out scarf, have in full form)
Peekaboo, Peekaboo
I see hiding there.
Peekaboo, Peekaboo
I seeing hiding there.

( We also did  a song called "The Washing Song" which goes to the tune of " This is the Way" and has the kids "wash" different parts of their body.)

Our next program for 2 and 3's is Monday, November 19th at 10 am. We'll be getting ready for Thanksgiving.
See you soon!

Bookworm List: Give Thanks for Reading

The ghosts and goblins have gone back  to storage till next Halloween. Welcome to November, where we take time to give thanks by way of our Thanksgiving Day books, now available for your check out pleasure.

Here are some titles you might enjoy:

• The Story of Thanksgiving- Robert M. Barlett
• A Turkey for Thanksgiving-Eve Bunting
• Thanksgiving at the Tappletons'- Eileen Spinelli
• The Little Engine that Could: Saves the Thanksgiving Day Parade!-Watty Piper
• The Memory Cupboard: A Thanksgiving Story- Charlotte Herman*
• Turkey Ball-David Steingburg*
• In November-Cynthia Rylant* 

* means my favorites

We also  have displays of teddy bears books ( for National American Teddy Bear Day, Nov 14), cookbooks, and Marc Brown ( his birthday is November 25).

Happy Thanksgiving and keep reading!