There are many books in the library that contain rich language. One you might want to try is “Z is for Moose” by Kelly Bingham and cleverly illustrated by Paul Zelinsky. It is an alphabet book that      starts very calmly with A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cat — and the D is for Moose (Moose says). No, moose does not start with a D. Zebra is making this alphabet book and his friend Moose wants to fit in SOMEWHERE! At letter H, Moose asks if it is his turn yet. No! Surely at letter M, it will be Moose — but no it is Mouse. Then the book gets a bit VIOLENT! Moose starts trying to fit into each letter — he knocks over the Queen for Q; he tries to put antlers on the Snake for S to turn him into a Moose. Moose starts crying as the book nears an end and he is still not in the book — but on the last page, Zebra puts him in finally as “Z is for Zebra’s friend, Moose”. So, even though preschool children would not know all of the words of this story, it can be read to them and because of the exciting story hold their interest and attention.

Attendees ages 3 – 10 are invited to get up close and personal with all kinds of fun and interesting creatures! Participants can build a toy bug, play hide-and-seek with a very hungry frog and meet some ofss the museum’s other live insects friends!

Sign Up Now! Space is limited, so please reserve your spot by visiting the branch, calling 734-2619, or registering online. This program is for ages 3 – 10.

Children’s books about bugs.

Celebrate at the Amelia Branch. Stop in anytime during regular library hours Monday-Saturday, May 13-18 to find a craft featuring characters from some of your favorite children’s books!

Children’s Book Week originated in the belief that children’s books and literacy are life-changers. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children’s books. He proposed creating a Children’s Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mathiews enlisted two important allies: Frederic G. Melcher, the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, the Superintendent of Children’s Works at the New York Public Library and a major figure in the library world. With the help of Melcher and Moore, in 1916, the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association sponsored a Good Book Week with the Boy Scouts of America.

Children’s Book Week is administered by Every Child A Reader, a 501(c)(3) literacy organization dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children.

The real fun is then reading the story and finding out if your predictions were correct. Below are some titles that are good for taking a “Picture Walk”.

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Snow Rabbit Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons [board book] by Il Sung Na

Sign Up Now! Space is limited, so please reserve your spot by visiting the branch, calling 732-2128, or registering online. This program is for ages 5-12.

Collections of nursery rhymes.

Read poetry together and write down interesting or new words, rhyming pairs, or all the words that start with the same letter.

After reading some poetry, try writing a poem with your child: think of rhyming words or write about an object or their favorite topic. If your child is older, help him or her spell out the words. You could also try writing down what your child says and pointing out each word as you write it, then let him or her trace over your letters or copy the words onto his or her own sheet.

Some picture books have text that could be considered poetry. You can also find poetry books in the nonfiction section of the library, in the Dewey Decimal section of 811. Here are some great poetry books:

The Lucy Cousins Book of Nursery Rhymes by Lucy Cousins
Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: Americas’ Sproutings by Pat Mora
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Dr. Seuss
Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman
Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein
Follow, Follow and Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer
Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry by Jane Yolen
This Little Piggy: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games, and Pantomime Rhymes by Jane Yolen

Thursday, April 18, 2013 is national Poem in Your Pocket Day. Help your child write down his or her favorite poem to keep in his or her pocket and share with friends throughout the day.

There are many ways to enjoy poetry with your child. Try some of these suggestions, or come up with your own ways to explore poetry. Happy National Poetry Month!

My sons are not a big fan of my singing, I don’t blame them.  But we do enjoy reading books together.  When I read them a book that is also a song, like Old MacDonald Had a Farm, they sing along.  They may not be able to read the words, but using the picture clues on each page helps them sing along to the story.

Some of our favorite songs to sing and read are:

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Baby Beluga
• Row, Row, Row your Boat
• If Your Happy and You Know It
• The Itsy Bitsy Spider
• The Seals on the Bus

For more great tips about singing and reading books together, check out the Music Together Website at www.musictogether.com/singmonth.

Next time you come into the library, don’t forget to check out our great selection of CDs for kids.  Some of my favorite artists are Raffi, Jim Gill, and Choo Choo Soul (Disney Channel).  For more great ideas about songs to sing to your children, stop by one of our branches and ask the librarian about the songs played during story time.  There is also some information on our Ready to Read link on the website.

Whether you sing, play instruments, or dance, have fun making music together!

For me, I loved playing school with my sisters. We’d grab whatever notebooks, papers, markers and envelopes we could find [and after losing a bill or two, our mom made sure blank envelopes were on hand]. Half the fun would just be setting up our classroom; we’d use small fold out tables or footstools as our desks. And probably the best part was using the corner of our living room as a locker: our piano sidled up close to the wall, but still left an extra foot of space between it and the wall. The nearby door to our dining room had swing-out panels [like extra-long shutters actually], and once you pushed back just one side, voila! Your own little space to store your mock school items [whenever it was your turn to use, of course – I will admit, it was my turn a lot].

When I think back to those days of early elementary school [I was about eight or nine], playing with my sisters who were two and five years younger than me, I realize how our favorite game didn’t require anything more than what we already had. Kids can be satisfied with playing with regular household items, especially if they are playing with family.

Getting kids ready to read does not have to be expensive or difficult. In fact, there are five simple things you can do each day with your little one to encourage early literacy. These include talking, singing, reading, writing, and last but definitely not least, playing!

Playing varies from age to age. What you do with your baby will look completely different from what your toddler or preschooler can do, but all of these activities can double as meaningful quality time and great pre-reading exercises. The Kent District Library [in Kent Co., Michigan] has a webpage listing several handouts which offer all sorts of ideas to make the most of these important years of your child’s life. These ideas fall easily into daily routines like bedtime, mealtime, and bathtime. Check out this brief sampling:

For Babies: Fill small plastic containers with cereal or uncooked rice and use a tight lid. This makes a fun rattle for baby to shake. Show your baby how to play, and say, “Shake, shake” each time your baby shakes the container.

For Toddlers: When out taking a walk, show your child how to listen to and copy sounds around you.

For Preschoolers: Play “I Spy a Letter” by finding objects that start with the first letter of your child’s name.

Here at Clermont County Public Library, we have spaces in each of our ten branches for you to play with your child. And of course, we have plenty of books to encourage playing games and using your imaginations. Here are just a few of my favorites:

For Babies: Peek-a-Who by Nina Laden, Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz

For Toddlers: From Head to Toe by Eric Carle, Sailor Boy Jig by Margaret Wise Brown

For Preschoolers: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Children learn in so many different ways, and playing is definitely one of them! Have fun!

Reading books also provides opportunities to talk with your child. Before you begin to read a book to your child, take a “picture walk”. Look at the cover and have your child try to guess what the book will be about. Talk about the author and illustrator of the book. Open the book and look at just the pictures. Allow your child to tell you what she thinks is happening in the story. Ask open ended questions like:  “How do you think the bear feels right now?” Be sure to give your child plenty of time to respond and accept all responses. Now read the story and see if she was right!

If you are not sure what books are appropriate for the age of your child, come into your local library and we can point you in the right direction. Below are a few titles to get you started.

Splendid Friend, Indeed

Little Cloud

Bear Wants More