We need diverse books

...and we need Diverse Flannels

Just in case you missed Miranda Paul's #WeNeedDiverseBooks, I have attached it here.  Please click the link.  You don't have to go any further on our blog today...just watch this Youtube slideshow.  
WeNeedDiverseBooks Slideshow by Miranda Paul on Youtube

Thank you...You liked it, didn't you?  I  know.  And I also know that we all read books with wonderful diversity in our story times.  Thou shalt not preach to the choir!  But the other day I thought: hmm,I should look at my flannel sets from the perspective of diversity.  I had the thought, (yay, me), but for those of us working public libraries in the midst of Summer Reading...thoughts don't automatically turn into actions with any immediacy.  All in good time.

My library community, where Piper and I work, is extremely diverse - culturally, ethnically, racially...we are the United Nations!  Our families represent more than 60 languages - truly something wonderful.  It is the library's job to be sure our families know the value of literacy and shared reading.  We embrace our neighbors and each unique culture. We make sure to build our town's collection with an eye always on diversity.  It is our hope that each child sees himself or herself in our diverse books and in our creative story times.   

Our SRP kids made this on Wednesday:

(inspired by Pinterest)

Today I'm making a kid for the Flannel Boad...a kid of color.  He'll interact with lots of my flannels.  I look forward to using him with Piper's bandaids and allowing both Tanika and Isabella well deserved breaks from having to "do everything!"  

Here's the template on the stiff felt backing, (he's almost 16" tall!). Need to tape him down and cut around the entire template.  Think I'll lengthen and beef up those skinny legs a tad.  

Skin color, hmm...check these felt colors!  I often use the caramel color to show diversity...but today I am selecting the dark brown.  And I'll use black for the hair.  Thinking of changing the hair style to something that spikes up!  

I really want to make a tie-dye T-shirt but possibly Batman would be better?  Or a shirt with a dinosaur or bugs or what?  Advice, anyone?

Okay, you'll need to come back next week because I'm short on supplies.  Blaming the Summer Reading Program again, this girl's too tired to shop.  

P.S. (Piper Script): We're going to miss these S.R.P. kids, I may have to visit them at school.  

If you like diversity in flannels, you may also like this one...looks like I drew the same kid.  wow!  Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.  Please comment, we love to hear from you.  

We love Flannel Friday!  Story Time with Miss Tara and Friends is hosting this week's round-up.  Come visit us...click here!

Update to this post, already!  I changed up the kid drawing!  Look at the new template:

How to Shark-Week your Library!

Our Royal Sharks-ness!

Shark Week has come to a close but honestly there is an abundance of "sharkness" out there and we have to address it here on Piper Loves the Library...even if Piper is not a fan of sharks.

We have a fantastic Summer Reading Program this year...if I do say so myself!  Students show up faithfully for Maker Monday, Tech Tuesday and Wild Card Wednesday.  Along with our daily theme we have 20-30 minutes of book buddy reading and an art project each day.  We have one more week to go!

We "sharked out" the library.  Take a look!

We had these all around the front of the Circulation Desk

These were on the glass behind the Circulation Desk

Needless to say..the Circulation staff were SHARK BAIT all week!

They were very good sports!

Our library sharks made their mark...

Bookmarks!  for our patrons.  Everyone needs a little shark!

Library sharks don't bite...they pinch!  

(thank you Pinterest, we love this!)

Then there's our video, you don't want to miss it! Click here.

Here are a couple of popular shark books

Everyone wanted this Fly Guy!

And then, my friends, there's this...which is why Piper still isn't shark friendly.  Can't say I blame her. 

Yikes  Land sharks!  Run!!

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.  You can find more shark-goodness here and here.   My Flannel Friday friends celebrated Shark Week as well...and you know...it's always good to have a friend during shark week.  Check out the Round-up!

Counting With Your Preschoolers!

This Old Man is still counting!

This song is truly a classic, finding it's way to the forefront of popularity every decade or so.  It often reminds me of "The Ants go marching" and "London Bridge," songs from my youth.  We can march with the ants, lock people in the tower bridge and do the knick knack, paddywack motions to this great counting song without even thinking.  Second nature!

I published a blog ...Once upon a time... about this book, the flannel board pieces, the song and promised to get the motions on line asap.  The promise was long ago forgotten, til now.  We did this song in Tunes for Tots recently and I realized that many of the mom/tot pairings did not know the motions - so now is the time for all good children's librarians  to review!

Here's a video!  Just published it.  I am a beginner at these Youtube videos.  I think this will help.   Keep singing!

Here'a the link.  Have fun!  Come back soon.  ~ jane

P.S.(Piper Scipt): Here's our previous post on this book

Flannel Shark meet Flannel Friday

Flannel Shark Attack

Two hungry sharks

Swimming on a wave

One named Dorothy, one named Dave

Chomp, chomp, Dorothy

Chomp, chomp, Dave

Swim away Dorothy

Swim away Dave!

Here they are swimming...oh, so sweet!

But of course...there are little fish in the sea, ut-oh

Chomp, chomp attack!

Good bye! And don't come back until I say so.

Here are the fish.  We made them with pipe cleaners. Everyone had fish to take

 home in their pockets because everyone chomped!  Yes, they did!

Here's a video we've been working on...please let us know what you think!

Click here for our Youtube experiment!

I've hardly seen Piper this week.  

Too many sharks in the Library and FYI: Piper is afraid of sharks!!!

Flannel Friday rocks our world!  

Click for even more sharks.

P.S. (Piper Script): Please let me know when it's safe - when the sharks leave the library.  thanks!

Transform Your Library's Summer Reading List!

Summer Reading Lists - Always and Forever!

This is hopefully a quick "care and share"!  My library was in dire need of updating the summer reading lists.  You know those Summer Reading Lists...I know you know!  Our families are glued to "the list"...we must have "that book and that book and that book."  We get it.  We spend hours each year updating titles, authors, series, etc.  We totally appreciate that our list is important...yet it is a suggested reading list but who reads the fine print?  Our k-5 students may read whatever they want for 15 minutes a day for 40 days!  There is no backslide in my town...not on my watch!

The task of updating the summer lists falls to Mrs W and me.  We do our bests and we make sure that the Head of Media Services for our school system and her team approve the lists before the library has them printed. 

This year I inquired about adding graphics..something new to our ancient format.  It's a glitzy world out there and we needed to make that list inviting.  My boss, Mrs W, liked the idea.  When our newly designed flashy-catch-your-eye summer reading lists went to the school for approval, so did a request for printing.  And the school said yes!  Miracle moment. 

So the good news is we partnered with the school and the whole town benefited.  My design work went to the school's graphic designer and it received a professional edge, upgrade...*cough*...a giant improvement!  So cool.  Collaborating with the designer was fun. Take a look for yourself...what do you think?  Old list on the left, new on the right!

 Amazing, right?  I know.  

This is the inside...lovin' it.   

More new lists! 

Things I want to share with other librarians because I care:

Don't let your reading lists get really dated and dull

Ask for a financial partner if your budget can't afford graphic and color or whatever it is that you want to change.(remember: the whole town wants the kids reading...you know, "it takes a village") 

Have everything ready to go early if you have a partner.

Smile, smile more!  keep smiling!  Stay positive.  

Accept professional help when it's free! 

Show your joy when the lists are delivered, be grateful.  

Let those in Admin know you did something good.  AKA toot your own horn.

And recognize that no one reads the fine print...Suggested reading lists?  Noooooo, we must have this book, this one right here and this one too.  Yep.  Same old, same old...but not quite as often.  These lists are worth their weight in gold! And some things never change.  Our reading lists are available on line, in the cloud, in your little cell phone and printed copies in your local library...it really is ah-maze-ing!  

You can do it too!  Ask a question, leave a comment, send cookies...it's all good!

P.S. Piper Script:  Mrs W always brings support to our projects.  And we all love projects that help our kids.  

Thanks for visiting Piper loves the library.  

Common Ground - Art Smart

Introducing "our very own original idea" 

Colorizing a Caldecott 

Written and illustrated by the very talented Kevin Henkes

Common Ground Art Smart is a program designed to inspire adult and child creativity, side-by-side.   We intentionally use the language and the books from the Common Core State Standards. We feel that the town library shares common ground with our schools and our families in many areas and in this case, we share and support literacy and the arts.

 If you follow Piper Loves The Library you know we've used this book before in Common Ground Art Smart.  It's a favorite!   Mr Henkes might like to know that his book was the #1 most circulated children's book in our little branch in 2013.  Pretty cool, don't you think?

We moved the program from one of our branches to our Main Library children's room this summer.  Nice program room with kid-size and adult-size sinks!   This is the sort of thing that makes my day...details of the sinks!   We invited 4-6 yr olds with an adult.

The program met once a week for three weeks.  Each time we created something colorful from Kitten's First Full Moon.  I had  10 copies of the book.  Following a brief introduction of the story and the author/illustrator's style - each parent/child pairing could browse the book and decide how they wanted to approach their work.  Communication is key.

Week #1  Flowers

Just look - so many different styles!  We all talked about color combinations.  After drawing with sharpies & coloring with oil pastels they cut out their pieces for a new layout, a new and cleaner composition.

Week #2 The Kitten 

(I passed around some of Laurel Birch's designs to inspire COLOR!)

Made with oil pastels and sharpies

Week # 3  The Full Moon

(if you follow our blog you've seen this before - in giant size!)

We created these with sharpie and colored chalk and triple matted! 

 That's it.  I adore doing this program.  Watching parent and child talk about their artwork, think about it, plan the colors and layout, make a sketch - it inspires me.   Introducing oil pastels to a whole room - it's a rush.  Letting everyone discover the sparkle that metallic sharpies bring to their creation  - very very exciting!  I mean it.  Discovery, creativity, collaboration, inspiration - these are my words people.  Amen!

P.S. Piper Script: Lucky for me, someone wanted to draw "puppy's first full moon." Hmmm.  I wonder...maybe we should contact Mr Henkes!

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.

She loves your comments too.  

Not a flannel Firefly

Firefly July

At the beginning  of time of the month I saw fireflies in North Carolina and knew I wanted to create a community art project with fireflies back in my Connecticut library.   I was looking at Kevin Henke's award winning book - Kitten's First Full Moon for a different library program, when  suddenly I knew. Here's the firefly idea!    It's wonderful when the moon aligns with Jupiter and Mars and the idea is just there.  There!  Here!

I started with a large piece of gorgeous blue paper from the fantastic Jerry's Art-orama, the neighborhood art store.  I recycled, (and who doesn't love some free-re-cycle?) a piece of black foam board for the backing.  I had a big fat black sharpie on hand and some great colored chalk pastels.  I drew the moon, the fireflies and some flowers with the black sharpie and placed the piece on display.  

Our patrons, old and young alike, were invited to color one firefly.  And they did.  On the first day we had lots of bright yellow fireflies and a couple of yellow flowers.  We titled the piece "Be a Reading Bug and Light The Night"  In one week's time the mural was done.  Look at all the colors!  And all the fireflies!  It's magical...and our community loved being invited into the artwork.

Are you a reading bug?

P.S.(Piper Script): Enjoy your summer reading...and watch for fireflies!  We'll be looking to the heavens for inspiration for the next community art project.  

Gossie & Friends

.....it's time to meet Ollie...

Olivier Dunrea's characters in the Gossie & Gertie series are just too darling.  They lend themselves perfectly to being created in felt.  And for almost a year they've been whispering my name...they've wanted to be on my flannel board!

Alas, on Wednesday of this week - Gossie & Friends debuted at 1,2,3 Read with Me. (outreach) A perfect story including math and nature and everyone loved the little baby!  They"ewed and awed" when Ollie appeared, as if on cue!  Some moments are truly priceless.  

Gossie jumped up onto the flannel board, I introduced her to the kids and then we checked the big book, Gossie & Friends, to see what Olivier Dunrea, the author and illustrator, wrote about this character.  The traits of each character are cutely tucked behind flaps.  And really, who doesn't love a lift-the-flap book?

Next was Gertie...how many goslings now?

Followed by Boo Boo...what color???  How many goslings?

Then Peedie, he wears what??  what color?

Let's check the big book and learn about Peedie!

How many goslings are marching? And what did they find?

Can we get that egg to open?  Honk your beak!  Stamp your feet!

We did it!  Meet Ollie!

4 goslings plus one more equals ?

Let's count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

There's more about Gossie & Friends on last week's post. 

 Click here to take a look and link to Olivier Dunrea, the very talented author and illustrator.  

P.S. (Piper Script): We're taking the Goslings with us for another outreach visit today.  I hope they behave in the car!  Michele, would you like to come along? We know you love them.  

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.  

We love Flannel Friday too. 

The More We Get Together the Happier We'll Be.

New friends: Piper & Daniel!

Recently, Piper heard that she had a "fan" in North Carolina.  And she was all ...wimper wimper, jump, jump, and kiss, kiss, kiss!  This is her way to let me know she's happy.  Honestly, we both love our fans but you don't see me wagging and jumping and wimpering! (fist bump here!)

While packing and planning my trip to visit my grandchildren in NC a request came from my daughter, "will you please bring Piper too?"  You can only imagine how excited Piper was to hear that she was coming along on the airplane to visit her family and meet her new "fan" friend.  Now she was all... "If you're happy and you know it wag your tail...stomp your feet, jump in the seat..." I think you get the picture.  Oh my!

 Piper is an excellent traveler.  She loves airplane rides as long as she gets the window seat!  She'll always fall asleep on a train.  She rides in the car everyday with me.  Like I said, excellent traveler.  And a very speedy packer!  Everything in the top picture travels with us: two books, one Twinkle fairy and an orange ball.  Piper is ready to roll all the time!

Here's Twinkle up close!

 We always sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with her.

While staying in North Carolina, Daniel and his Dad came across the Friendship bridge  (Yes,  It's a real bridge...now, don't you want to live in NC?)  I know... it sounds like it's right out of a story book.  Anyway they came across the bridge to meet Piper.  Alison, Cole and Brie were there to introduce us.   Piper was very gentle...and so was Daniel and so was Daniel's daddy.  We all sang "Where is Piper?" and she played her tricks and games to the delight of the children.  

Of course Twinkle made an appearance and we sang for her.  We shared both books - David A Carter's If You're Happy and You Know It as well as A.Delaney's The Gunnywolf.  We love reading together.  Piper got a little silly after that.  She threw her ball around and found a stinky, smelly sock *yuck* which made everyone laugh.

Daniel went home for a nap after he patted Piper goodbye.  Sooo sweet.   Daniel and his Dad planned to be up late for fireworks.  Piper doesn't like fireworks, too loud for her. 

  

This is what Daniel and his Daddy look like.

We all know that Piper loves the library ...so, here are some suggestions for picture books to find in your library and read together.  We say, "Read with a friend and the fun never ends".  Try these titles:

                           Be Gentle by Virginia Miller

                           Sammy and the Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow

                           Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman

                            Maisy Goes to the Museum by Lucy Cousins

                            Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming

                            In the Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming

                            The Underwear Book by Todd Parr

                            This is My Hair by Todd Parr

                            Gossie & Friends by Olivier Dunrea

P.S. (Piper Script): Here's a song for all my friends...click it and sing along!  Thinking about my new friend Daniel and his mom and dad and brother and sisters.  xo 

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.  She loves comments too!

The Friendship Bridge