New Picture Books

Here are some of my favorites from the ones that just arrived.

Aviary Wonders Inc. by Samworth

This book is just beautiful and fun.Since 2031, Aviary Wonders Inc. has offered bird lovers a unique opportunity: Assemble your own bird from stunningly beautiful and carefully hand-crafted parts. The birds can even be taught to fly and to sing!

Flip Flap Farm by Scheffler

    

What do you get when you cross a goat with a turkey? Why, a gurkey, of course! What about a pig with a sheep? Well, that would be a peep, naturally!
There are 121 possible combinations, silly names and animal noises to make you giggle, this hilarious rhyming flip-flap book in a fun format is perfect for pre-schoolers. See what crazy creatures you can create – and to find out what strange noises they make too!

The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Willems

The Pigeon needs a bath! Except, the Pigeon's not so sure about that. Besides, he took a bath last month! Maybe. It's going to take some serious convincing to get the Pigeon to take the plunge.                    

We love you, Hugless Douglas by Melling

When Douglas goes on a best friend hunt with Flossie the sheep, everyone seems to have a best friend except him! Perhaps what Douglas is looking for is right under his nose...

Motor Dog by Cyrus

   

A robot dog seems like the ideal pet until it gets one look at a neighborhood cat. Then its special features kick in of their own accord, and the dumbfounded owner, a redheaded boy named Flip, finds himself airborne. At the other end of the leash, Motor Dog pursues its prey down the street and into the trees: “ ‘Hold your horses! Shift your gears!’/ Motor Dog switched off his ears./ Then he lit his booster rocket./ Flip’s right shoulder left its socket.”

I Hatched! by Esbaum

A baby chick bursts from his egg and into the world with hilarious enthusiasm, awe, and I-can't-help-myself energy, capturing babies' delight in new discovery and parents' joy in this amazing new person. Rompy, rhyming text evokes the zeal of a toddler who's eager for everything.

Some Bugs by DiTerlizzi 

Featuring insects including butterflies and moths, crickets and cicadas, bumblebees and beetles, this zippy rhyming exploration of backyard-bug behavior is sure to have insect enthusiasts of all ages bugging out with excitement!

    

When the Wind Blew by Jackson

A variety of nursery rhyme characters are blown together into one whimsical tale.We all know the story of the old woman who lived in a shoe with her many children. But not everyone knows about the day when the wind blew very hard, and an unexpected guest arrived (cradle and all), setting off a chain of events that involves the three little kittens, Jack and Jill, Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, and many other beloved nursery characters. 

Cathy

Mother Goose Day: Celebrate with a Book!

Mother Goose Day was founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar in tandem with the publication of her book, Mother Goose; From Nursery to Literature (MFarland Pub.). The day is now listed in many calendars of events and celebrated throughout the United States. It has been noted by municipalities, a cereal producer, banks, etc. and has a particular appeal to Kindergarten-Primary grades, libraries, and nursing homes. "Either alone or in sharing, read childhood nursery favorites and feel the warmth of Mother Goose's embrace."   -Expert from the Official Home of the Mother Goose Society.


Click here to visit the Mother Goose Society's official website to learn more about ways to celebrate this special day. Visit the library and celebrate by checking out a book!





My Very First Mother Goose Edited by Iona Archibald Opie
Summary from Catalog: A collection of more than sixty nursery rhymes including "Hey Diddle, Diddle," "Pat-a-Cake," "Little Jack Horner," and "Pussycat, Pussycat."







Mother Goose Picture Puzzles by Will Hillenbrand
Summary from Catalog: Familiar Mother Goose rhymes use pictures in place of words to entertain as they teach.







You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman
Summary from Catalog: Join the fun as 17 familiar nursery rhyme characters take starring roles in this latest addition to the New York Times bestselling series You Read to Me, I'll Read to You. Designed with budding readers in mind, each of the tales is set in three columns with color-coded type as a script for two voices to read separately and together. Whether it's Humpty Dumpty negotiating with a doctor to fix his cracked shell, Little Miss Muffet inviting the spider to share her curds and whey, or Old King Cole enjoying a feline fiddle recital, these tales with a twist will delight and amuse young readers.


Karen

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Webcast Wednesday, April 28th @ 9 a.m.

Is anyone as excited as we are for the new Wimpy Kid book due out in November?  If so check out this event  a webcast all about book 9. {You must be 13 or older to sign up- parents you can register for children under 13.}

 Sounds like there will lots of fun things happening. Let me know if you participated. 

Cathy

New J Non-Fiction

A Baby Elephant in the Wild by O'Connell

Last summer, the Sibert Honor–winning duo Caitlin O'Connell and Timothy Rodwell witnessed the birth—and growth—of a baby elephant. They wanted to find answers to questions such as: What do newborn elephants look like? How big are they? What threatens them in the wild? Do they bully each other? Are they stalked by lions? What happens if they don't get enough food or water? Are they at risk of extinction?

Bedtime Math 2 by Overdeck

We all know it's wonderful to read bedtime stories to kids, but what about doing math? Many generations of Americans are uncomfortable with math and numbers, and too often we hear the phrase, "I'm just not good at math!" For decades, this attitude has trickled down from parents to their kids, and we now have a culture that finds math dry, intimidating, and just not cool. Bedtime Math wants to change all that.And with three different levels of challenge (Wee ones, Little kids, and Big kids), there's something for everyone.

Muppets Character Encyclopedia

From Kermit the Frog, to Animal and Fozzie Bear, the gang's all here in The Muppets Character Encyclopedia, the perfect introduction to the Muppets. Each page of this fun and friendly guide features a different Muppet profile packed with tons of interesting facts about these beloved characters. 

Poem Depot by Florian 

This is a kid-friendly, rhyming poetry collection that totally delivers on its subtitle -- it's virtually guaranteed to give smiles and in some cases belly laughs. Each of the 170 clever, often absurdist nonsense poems is illustrated by an inviting, kid-like line drawing. This entertaining collection's great for hooking reluctant readers or anyone with a sense of humor!

Maps and Geography by Jennings 

I am always skeptical of celebrity authors. Ken Jennings won 74 games of Jeopardy back in 2004. But I loved this book.  The book is packed with fun facts, stories and trivia. For instance, did you know that the biggest desert in the world is very cold and is covered with snow and not sand? Bet you didn’t know the Earth consists of a total of 57 million square miles of land and water!

Everything Mythology by Hoena 

National Geographic Everything Mythology is jam packed with fascinating facts and awe-inspiring imagery that brings your favorite fierce mythological heroes to life, introducing kids to gods of ancient worlds, including Greek, Norse, Chinese, America Indian, African cultures, and more. Packed with facts, colorful illustrations, and infused with humor, this fun journey through ancient lore will keep kids fascinated with every turn of the page.

Cathy 

Spring Break Fun @ the Library

Monday, April 14th was our Easter Hat Craft & Parade:

Musical Madness- Tuesday, April 15th:

Miss Nina's 'Sha Doo Be Doop' Sing Along- Wednesday,April 16th

Thanks to everyone who came to the library this week. We enjoyed seeing you! Happy Spring! 

Cathy

New Music CD's

Frozen Soundtrack

Fun Food Song by Raffi 

Kidz Bop 25

Rock and Roll Garden

Ella Jenkins 123s and ABCs

Math, Music & Motion by Russ-Ayon

Use these activities with this CD.

Check out these and more. 

Cathy

New Chapter Books

The new material has started to arrive.... 

Battle of Beasts by Columbus

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, House of Secrets--hailed by J. K. Rowling as "a breakneck, jam-packed roller coaster of an adventure"--this second installment is full of even more explosive twists and turns. Fans of Harry Potter and Rick Riordan books will enjoy.

Amelia Bedelia Goes Wild! 

Amelia Bedelia has moved from Easy Readers to Chapter Books. In this illustrated chapter book adventure, just right for fans of Judy Moody and Ivy + Bean, young Amelia Bedelia and her friends build a zoo in the backyard (complete with stuffed animals and attractions) and offer safari adventures to the entire neighborhood.

By the Grace of Todd by Galveston

Perfect for fans of Andrew Clements and "The Borrowers," "By the Grace of Todd" is the laugh-out-loud answer to what happens if you leave dirty laundry on the floor . . . and don't follow your mother's instructions to clean your room. 

Captain Awesome and the Missing Elephants by Kirby 

Captain Awesome and his superhero pals must foil dastardly distractions at the zoo in this animal adventure. 

Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab by Pflugfelder

Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they're sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It's not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own--engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.

We also own Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage. 

Operation Bunny by Gardner

When Emily Vole inherits an abandoned shop, she discovers a magical world she never knew existed. And a fairy-hating witch, a mischievous set of golden keys, and a train full of brightly colored bunnies are just a few of the surprises that come with it. With the help of a talking cat called Fidget and a grumpy fairy detective called Buster, it is up to Emily to save the fairies and get to the bottom of Operation Bunny.

Just a few to get you interested. Stop by the new book area in the children's room to see more. 

Cathy

App of the Month: April

App Name: Hickory Dickory Dock

Age Group: 2 & up

Description: This app will help your child learn how to tell time. Also included are twelve different games involving the mouse. Make sure you have your volume up on your device! Different versions of the nursery rhyme plays while your child learns and plays.

Features:
· Based on the classic nursery rhyme
· Fully interactive learning experience aided by games and puzzles
· Entertaining and engaging narration, artwork and animation

Karen

 

New Program - Tablet Time for Families

In May and June, there will a family iPad program, called Tablet Time for Families with children ages 3-6. {If it goes well I will consider doing a program for older kids} 

Join us in exploring an app, a book and a literacy craft that you can take home! At each session we will explore a new app. There will be time for each family to explore our iPads, hone their tablet skills, ask questions and discover new learning apps at the end of each session. 

The program is being offered Monday, May 19th, 9:30-10:00 a.m., Monday, June 2nd, 9:30-10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 7th, 9:30-10:00 a.m. and Monday, June 9th, 6:00-6:30 p.m. You can register for the programs using our online calendar or calling the library. 

I will provide a list of apps that we use in each session, along with other apps on our iPads. I will also be asking what your favorite apps are! 

Registration is limited as I only have 5 iPads to use for the program. 

I hope to see you there.

Cathy

New Picture Books

New books are finally beginning to arrive at the library. We were held up in purchasing new materials due to the book vendors contracts expiring and waiting for NYS to renew or extend their contracts. So you will start to see more new material. 

Some of my new favorite Picture Books are:

Superworm by Donaldson

The world's newest super hero! Check out a video of the author singing the Superworm song. 

   

Dream Dog by Berger 

For every child who wants a dog but mom and dad say no.  David Catrow one of my favorite illustrators does the pictures for this book. 

Maple by Nicholas

Cathy

Maple's parents planted a tree for her before she was born. She lovers her tree, but it isn't the best playmate. 

STEAM in our programming

STEAM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.  Art was recently added, you may have heard the term STEM.  STEM is based on skills generally using the left half of the brain and thus is logic driven. Much research and data shows that activities like Arts, which uses the right side of the brain supports and fosters creativity, which is essential to innovation. Clearly the combination of superior STEM education combined with Arts education (STEAM) should provide us with the education system that offers us the best chance for regaining the innovation leadership essential to the new economy. {http://steam-notstem.com/about/ accessed 4/4/14}

We love STEAM at the library.  Here are some ways we offer STEAM at the Library and how you can follow-up at home. 

Science- We offer Story Time Science programs where there is a topic like Dinosaurs, we read books about Dinosaurs, do an experiment about Dinosaurs and then make a craft. There will be a family Story Time Science program in June. Our theme for this years Summer Reading is Fizz, Boom, Read!. We will have a lot of science activities for kids this summer. 

Technology- A new program we are offering, Tablet Time (May and June see the calendar for details) will show families how to use books, apps and technology together and interactively. We have used some apps in our story times, our favorite has been Animal Sounds. We will have Apple TV in the near future and that will allow our story times to have technology that is interactive. Technology will only be a bigger part of our children's lives and we want to show you how to use it so you and your child get the most out of the experience. We also have children's e-books available. 

Engineering- Lego Club is a perfect example. Our next session is April 23rd. We provide the Lego's and kids provide the creativity. We love to see families come and build together. Kids using the Duplo blocks, the foam blocks and foam shapes at the library is another way to engineer. 

Arts- Paint me a story, Art Club, and Preschool Story time are just a few examples of how we love art and crafts around here!  

Math- Math crafts, story times, anything involving music (Reading, Rhythm and Rhyme) and dancing (Bop til you Drop and Movin' and Groovin) all involve math. Think about the skills involved in singing a song such as "This Old Man". This simple song incorporates many basic math skills, including matching and comparing (through changes in pitch, volume, and rhythm); patterning and sequencing (through repetitions of melodies, rhythms, and lyrics); and counting and addition (identifying cardinal numbers and adding one more with each verse). When you add moving to the beat, you have created an entire mind/body package of learning rolled into one song!

You can do STEAM activities with your kids at home? Cooking and Baking involve Science and Math.  We have lots of fun cookbooks aimed at children and families (j 641.5 call number.)
Craft projects at home from the simple to the elaborate cover the Art portion. Our craft books are located at j 745.5.   Play some engineering games with your child online at PBS Kids. This covers Engineering and Technology. Try and expose your child to a variety of ideas and any interests they have. 

Cathy 

   

Easter: Book Suggestions

Here are a few of my favorite books about Easter. Happy reading!




Here Comes the Easter Cat! by Deborah Underwood

I love cats so I knew I would love this picture book. This is a story about Cat. Cat tries to act like the Easter Bunny.

Summary from the catalog: When Cat tries to replace the Easter Bunny, he soon learns that the job is much harder than he expected--and does not allow time for naps.




The Easter Egg by Jan Brett

One of my favorite stories to read in preparation for Easter. It is a story about rabbits decorating eggs for the Easter Rabbit. The main character, Hoppi wants to decorate a fantastic egg so he could help the Easter Rabbit.

Summary from the catalog: Jan Brett’s lovable bunny hero, Hoppi, and her remarkable Easter Rabbit will enchant readers as they pore over illustrations filled with dazzling eggs made by Flora Bunny, Aunt Sassyfrass and others. If Hoppi can make the best Easter egg, he will get to help the Easter Rabbit deliver the eggs on Easter morning. But it is not so easy. Discouraged, he goes into the woods to think when a blue robin’s egg tumbles out of its nest. Hoppi keeps it safe and warm until the baby bird hatches, and when the Easter Rabbit arrives, he chooses the empty blue eggshell to reward Hoppi for his kindness. Spring is everywhere in gorgeous illustrations framed with pussy willows, flowering vines and flowers. Side borders feature busy rabbits making their unusual eggs and, in a border above, the Robin’s family drama unfolds. A gatefold surprise reveals the Easter Rabbit.




Mr. Hen's Big Surprise by Christel Desmoinaux

Mrs. Hen finds a very large egg in her garden that is three times her size.

Summary from the catalog: Mrs. Hen has found a very strange looking egg in her garden. It's yellow with blue polka dots and it's three times her size! But an egg is an egg, so Mrs. Hen sits on it sure that it will hatch into the baby chick of her dreams. Is Mrs. Hen in for a big surprise!




Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes

This is a board book. I always enjoy any story by Kevin Henkes. Owen really likes his marshmallow chick!

Summary from catalog:  "My favorite," said Owen when he saw the marshmallow chick. "My favorite," you will say when you read this book.




Happy Easter, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff

In this story, Mouse just loves Easter! Read the book to find out what he likes about Easter.

Summary from catalog: Mouse tries to figure out who's leaving coloured Easter eggs all over his house!


Miss Karen

April Displays

We have the following Book displays for April:

Poetry Tree- National Poetry Month.  Stop by and make some poetry using our magnetic board.

Caribbean Fun- Fun in the Sun! 

Author Spotlight  for April is Jane Yolen. 

Miss Jacki's Drawing Spotlight is Bunnies. 

Big Display Case contains Balls. 

Enjoy.

Cathy