Storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds: Louie's Bookworm Bash

Today's story time for  2 and 3 celebrated National Library Week. We listened to My Book Box by Will Hillanbrand and Rainy Day Slug by Mary P. Colborn. We also learned about big and small, danced with Walter the Waltzing Worm, and make a bookmark with Louie the Bookworm.


Here is a video for Hap Palmer's song, "Walter the Waltzing Worm". To make  your  very own Walter, all you need is a piece of yarn. Enjoy!

Our last Storytime for 2 and 3 yr old for Spring 2013 is Monday, May 6 at 10 am. We'll start up again Monday,June 3 for Dig into Reading, our Summer Reading Program for this year. More details to come.

See You Soon!

National Library Week is Coming ( Plus Reminder about Tomorrow)

Next week is National Library Week ( April 14-20).This year's celebration is extra special because.... remodeling is done!!! Yes, for the past two years, we have remained open while changes were going on, inside and out! Now, except for some reorganization on the middle and upper levels ( yes the upper floor IS OPEN!!!), the changes are complete. We have new furniture ( including some cozy chairs),  a busy box for the little ones by the NEW Children's Programming Room,  a new area to rent movies and music ( middle level, to the left and all the way in the back). Even the website is being updated. Yes, it may all be confusing, but don't worry we are here to help.

So in children's, here is what we are doing-

 Celebrate National Library Week!- April 15-20 ( All Day)
To celebrate National Library Week, April 14-20, and the new Children's Services Department, special activities have been planned for children and their families.  During the week, children may pick up a passport at the desk in the department, search for Louie the Bookworm, and have their passports stamped with an image of Louie.  Children may enter the 'Name the Bear' and 'What I Like About the Library' contests.  Winners will be notified the following week.

Celebrate Your Library- Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 pm
  A Family Story Time will be presented in our new Children's Programming Room on Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30 pm.  Please register.

So come check out all the changes (and a book or two!)

Happy Library Week! Keep Reading!!

Quick reminder about tomorrow-
Due the library's private gala, we( the Merrillville Branch) will Closing at 5pm. All other branch will be remain open til 6pm.
 

Storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds: D is for Duck!

Hello, hope everyone had fun with Elmo on Friday and a very good Easter yesterday.


Today's storytime for 2 and 3 yr olds featured the letter D and the number 5 (yes, was in a bit of a Sesame Street mood), so we had stories and songs featuring "D", "5" ( or both.)  We listened to Five Little Ducks  by Ivan Bates, My "d" Sound Box by Jane B. Moncure, and Quack! by Arthur Yorinks. We also made a "D" duck ( letter D decorated like a duck) and pretend to go to the farm and firehouse thanks to Barney the purple dinosaur.

Here are some of the songs we did:

Five Little Dinosaurs

Five little dinosaurs, stomping on the floor
One went away and now there's four
Four little dinosaurs, playing by a tree
One went away and now's there three
Three little dinosaurs, playing by some goo
One went away and now there's two
Two little dinosaurs that weigh a ton
One went away and now there's one
One little dinosaur, under the sun
He went away and now there's none


Can You Show me One ( tune of Can You Kick with 2 Feet?) 

Can you show me one,
One, one
Can you Show me one right now
( Repeat with additional numbers)

 Here is a version of the Peanut Butter and Jelly song.

We have two more storytimes for Spring 2013. They are Monday, April 15 and Monday, May 6 at 10 am in the NEW Children's Programming Room.

See You Soon 

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Hippity Hoppity, Easter's (and Elmo) are on the way

Hello, hope everyone has a good time with Elmo this Friday at 10 am  and a good Easter this Sunday. Enjoy the egg hunting, the chocolate bunnies, and the Peeps!!



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Guess Who's Coming Next Week???

Hello, hope everyone is having a good Friday.

We just added a program for next week, please register at Library Events-

Storytime with Elmo- Friday, March 29 at 10 am in Meeting Room A
All Ages

Children of all ages are invited to attend a special story time with Sesame Street's Elmo at the Merrillville Branch on Friday, March 29 at 10:00 am. Elmo is excited about seeing the children and the new Children's Department.  He is also excited about his upcoming show, 'Elmo Makes Music' on May 8 thru 12 at the Star Plaza.

Please register for this program.

See You Soon!!

Upcoming Programs in April

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

Story Time for 2 and 3 yr olds- Monday, April 1 and 15 at 10 am- Audience: 2 and 3 year olds and caregivers.

Mother Goose on the Loose-Tuesday, April  2 and 16 at 10 am-Audience: Infants Birth to
23 months and caregiver (s).

Story Time for 4 and 5 yr olds- Tuesday,April  9 and 23 at 10 am - Audience: 4 and 5 year olds.


Lego Club-Monday, April 8 at 4 pm-Audience: Grades 2-6

Gaming Night- Wednesday, April 24 at 6 pm- Audience: 12 to 17 years old.

Board Game Fun!-Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 pm-Audience: Grades 2-6


Multicultural Tales and Treats-Thursday, April 25 at 4 pm-Audience: Grades K-5



Also in April-


Celebrate National Library Week!- April 15-20 ( All Day)
To celebrate National Library Week, April 14-20, and the new Children's Services Department, special activities have been planned for children and their families.  During the week, children may pick up a passport at the desk in the department, search for Louie the Bookworm, and have their passports stamped with an image of Louie.  Children may enter the 'Name the Bear' and 'What I Like About the Library' contests.  Winners will be notified the following week.

Celebrate Your Library- Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 pm
  A Family Story Time will be presented in our new Children's Programming Room on Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30 pm.  Please register.

Homeschoolers' Ideas Meeting- Wednesday, April 10 at 2 pm
We would like to design monthly programming especially for you.  Please attend this brainstorming meeting to discuss topic ideas.  Your children are welcome to attend and fun activities will be provided for them.

Just for 'Tweens- Tuesday, April 30 at 4 pm
 Tweens are children between the ages of 10 and 12 years old and this program is just for you.  Join us for stories about Spring Fever and use your hands and your feet to make a Little White Duck craft to take home.

See You Soon!!!

Storytime for 2 and 3 Year Olds: A Very Lucky Easter!

Hello, hope everyone had a good St. Patrick's Day yesterday.

Well, the leprechauns decided to stick around for today's two and three story time, so we had a very lucky Easter. The children heard three stories today ( The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever! by Teddy Slater, Chester's Colorful Easter Eggs by Theresa Smythe, and Easter Hop by Jacqueline East.) Once again, we shook some eggs to " I Know a Chicken" by Laurie Berkner, practice our colors with the Color Birds, and made a St. Patty-inspired Easter egg mosaic.

Here are some of the songs we did:



Bunny Pokey added 3-18-01 Original Author Unknown
Sung to: "Hokey Pokey"

You put your bunny ears in
(Place hands on head to make ears)
You put your bunny ears out.
You put your bunny ears in.
And you shake them all about.
You do the Bunny Pokey
And hop yourself around,
That's what it's all about!

Additional verses: "You put your bunny nose in, You put your bunny tail in, You put your bunny paws in"





I'm a little Daisy added 3-15-02 Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot"

I'm a little daisy
Tall and slim (Stand on tiptoes)
Here are my petals (Place hands on side of head & wiggle fingers)
Here is my stem (Hold arms down at sides of legs)
When the sun comes up (Make sun with arms)
And the rain comes down (Flutter hands to floor like rain-end in crouching position)
I grow, grow, grow- up from the ground! (slowly raise up bring hand over head)




Our next Storytime for 2 and 3 year olds in April 1 and 15 at 10 am in the NEW Children's Programming room.

Happy Easter and see you soon! 

 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hello, hope everyone has a good St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!


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Storytime for 2 and 3 yr old: March into Spring

For today's program, the toddlers and caregivers celebrated the coming spring ( and a little of St. Patrick's Day). We listened to Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie DePaolo and Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox ( plus learned about opposites in Kipper's Book of Opposites by Mick Inkpen). We also shook some eggs, counted some speckled frogs, and made a Irish potato craft ( potato shape with a St. Patrick's hat pattern for the kids to color and glue on the craft.)

Here are a few songs we did today:

This Little Leprechaun added 8-7-97 Original Author Unknown

This little leprechaun slid down the rainbow, (Point to thumb.)
This little leprechaun stayed home. (Point to index finger.)
This little leprechaun picked a shamrock, (Point to middle finger.)
This little leprechaun found some gold. (Point to ring finger.)
This little leprechaun cried, "See if you can catch me," (Point to little finger.)
As he ran home. (Wiggle little finger.)




I'm a little Daisy added 3-15-02 Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot"

I'm a little daisy
Tall and slim (Stand on tiptoes)
Here are my petals (Place hands on side of head & wiggle fingers)
Here is my stem (Hold arms down at sides of legs)
When the sun comes up (Make sun with arms)
And the rain comes down (Flutter hands to floor like rain-end in crouching position)
I grow, grow, grow- up from the ground! (slowly raise up bring hand over head)




Our next Storytime for 2 and 3 is Monday, March 18 at 10 am. We'll still see some leprechauns, but also some bunnies, chicks and eggs.

See You Soon!!

 

Bookworm List: Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

This Saturday is the 109th birth anniversary of Thedor Geisel ( aka Dr. Seuss).  Here are some facts about the author ( courtesy of http://thefw.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-dr-seuss/):

1. He actually was not a doctor of anything ( only added the Dr. to his pen name because his father wanted him to go into the medical field).

2. His first book, And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 27 publishers! He finally did find a publisher in 1937.

3. He and wife Audrey never had children ( and actually, he did not like them.)

4. He coined the term " nerd" ( which apprears in If I Ran the Zoo, published in 1950.)

5. He helped animater Chuck Jones with the How the Grinch Stole Christmas cartoon , now a holiday classic ( even though it bombed when it premiered in 1966.)


We have lots of Seuess's books ( and a few bios, which can be found under JUV B SEU. All his books are listed as JUV P SEUS). A few recommended titles:

• The Cat in the Hat
• What Was I Scared of?
• Hop on Pop
• There's A Wocket in My Pocket
• The Bippolo Seed and other Lost Stories

We also have a lot of the films ( including the most recent film, The Lorax) and cartoons. Most are feature, seven day rentals, a few are educational, 14 day rentals. Check the library catalog for more details.

For a little treat, here is the 1972 Lorax cartoon. Enjoy!

Keep Reading!