It’s not quite here yet, but we’re only 17 days away from the summer solstice—the longest day of the year, and the first day of the most fun and lazy season of them all! Swimming pools, picnics, float trips, family vacations, long bike rides, campfire singalongs, afternoons spent with a good book, a welcome break from the daily grind of schoolwork—these are just some of the many pleasures of summer for kids and their parents. Here are some great books, songs, videos and a cool craft project to complement your summer activities or give you some new ideas for how to have fun in the coming months. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Summer”
It’s vacation season! You may or may not be doing much traveling right now, but a good story or song will have you imagining yourself on a train, a bus, an airplane or a boat. Get your mind moving with these resources, then get your body moving with the songs and activity ideas.Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Transportation”
Nothing says summer like fresh fruits and vegetables! So, why not start a family garden? A healthy, outdoor activity, gardening allows children to see something through from beginning to end, while also learning responsibility, cooperation and patience. And at harvest, their efforts are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Continue reading “Kids Dig Gardening!”
This month I decided to highlight not one, not two, but THREE illustrators! Earlier this year, Grace Lin, Oge Mora and Yuyi Morales did a webinar about diversity in children’s books for the organization EmbraceRace. EmbraceRace collects resources for parents to help young children celebrate and learn about diversity in the world. Grownups, you can watch the full webinar here (1 hour 17 min) or you can watch the shorter one with your kids (20 min).
In the videos, the three women speak about their artistic journeys and how they approach drawing different characters for their books. As an artistic exercise, they then draw each other and talk about the wonderfully unique and loving experience it is to draw someone else.
EmbraceRace also included an action guide to help parents support their young artists as they learn to draw people and the world around them.
Just for fun, I decided to draw my husband since he is the person I see the most! He has a favorite red t-shirt, so I made sure to draw him in it. Who can you draw?
If you want to see more of their artistic flair, you can check out their books from your favorite library or the bookmobile!
Yep, it’s time for another “Brianna’s Books.” There are so many good books coming out right now, it was hard to pick my favorites. But I did it, just for you! Check out my recommended reads below.
Have you ever read something so silly that it makes no sense, and yet it makes perfect sense? Toasty wants to be a dog, to bark and play and roll in puddles. Unfortunately, as a piece of toast, he’s made of bread. Puddles make him soggy, and cats don’t run when he chases them, but he is undeterred and heads to the dog park anyway. The dogs don’t exactly welcome him into their ranks, but he does make a new friend. I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but reviews called this one delightfully absurd and said it has “the meandering joy of a small child’s storytelling logic.” Also just look at Toasty’s face! He’s so cute! Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: May Favorites 2021”
Summer is almost here! We understand that getting to the library and checking out materials can be hard if you don’t live near our Columbia, Fulton, Ashland or Holts Summit library branches.
For 14 summers, the Daniel Boone Regional Library has provided a service for rural students where we mail books to kids and teens all for free! This program is called Books by Snail.
Getting started with Books by Snail is easy. First, sign up for the program. Just tell us what books your kids would like to begin with (or we can choose some for them). The more information, the better! With return postage already paid, we mail the books to your home. When your kids are done reading, send us the books back along with your request for more. Continue reading “Books by Snail 2021”
Beautiful weather is here, and there are so many fun things to do outside! One of the best ways to explore the wonders of spring and summer as a family in Columbia is on bicycles. May is National Bike Month, which was established in 1956 to showcase the many benefits of cycling and to encourage newcomers to give bikes a try. Biking is a great form of transportation and exercise – it’s good for cardiovascular health, helps your joints retain mobility, increases strength and flexibility and is a great stress reliever.
Here are some great books, videos and a DVD about biking that will help give little ones the courage and enthusiasm to ride for the first time and that will hopefully complement your family’s outdoor adventures:
Riding a bike for the first time without training wheels can be quite a challenge, and it often takes a bit of time to get used to. In “Froggy Rides a Bike” and “Off We Go!,” Froggy and Mole each need a little help taking off for the first time and maintaining their balance. Luckily, they have friends and family to cheer them on and help them up when they fall. The children’s show/Youtube channel Cocomelon also has a cute video and song that follows YoYo as she bravely learns how to ride so that she can join her friends as they cruise down the street. Continue reading “Get On Your Bikes and Ride!”
Death is a hard thing to talk about. However, death is a part of life. It comes fast or slow, whether we welcome it or not. To help ease the burden of difficult conversations with young children, here are some picture book titles that focus on loss, the process of death, dying and the aftereffects on individuals and communities.
Written by Candy Wellins, illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan
Saturdays are for George’s Grandma Stella. Together, George and Grandma Stella go on amazing adventures, and it becomes a day of the week dedicated solely to George. However, one day, their Saturday doesn’t happen. George’s parents tell him the terrible news: there will be no more Saturdays with Grandma Stella.
Grandma Stella has passed away. Emotions begin to run high. George’s parents are upset. George is upset. George’s parents try to make things better, but it’s hard. A new member of their family is on the way, and, sometimes, George feels left out. However, once the new member arrives, George is introduced to a new Stella. Not a replacement, but a new member to love. Once again, Saturdays become dedicated to Stella. This is a story of both life and death, as a family loses their precious Grandma Stella but welcomes Baby Stella. Continue reading “Death, Dying and Grieving Picture Books”
Did you know the Missouri flag features two grizzly bears on the seal but black bears are the only species of bear found in Missouri?
I’ve got a paw-some list of books and movies all about these super-sniffing, honey-scarfing ursines along with a beary simple snack recipe at the end of this activity bundle that your cubs at home will love. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Bears”
Have you heard the word? Our library offers kits you can check out for four weeks, packed full of all sorts of goodness! Play as Learning (PAL) Kits help parents and children explore learning in a play-like atmosphere. There are twelve different themes to pick from, and these kits have books, toys and music or a video for young children ages birth-2 years. Continue reading “Boost Your Little One’s Creativity”
It’s not quite here yet, but we’re only 17 days away from the summer solstice—the longest day of the year, and the first day of the most fun and lazy season of them all! Swimming pools, picnics, float trips, family vacations, long bike rides, campfire singalongs, afternoons spent with a good book, a welcome break from the daily grind of schoolwork—these are just some of the many pleasures of summer for kids and their parents. Here are some great books, songs, videos and a cool craft project to complement your summer activities or give you some new ideas for how to have fun in the coming months. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Summer”
Summer is almost here! We understand that getting to the library and checking out materials can be hard if you don’t live near our Columbia, Fulton, Ashland or Holts Summit library branches.
