Posted on Monday, December 6, 2021 by Tess
2021, it’s been fun, but we’re ready for the new 2022!
Celebrate the new year by printing off a handy-dandy handprint calendar (on cardstock) to decorate with the little ones in your life. These calendars make great gifts for family or special keepsakes to record milestones and accomplishments in 2022. Continue reading “Handprint Calendar 2022”
Posted on Thursday, December 2, 2021 by Adam
Brrr! Can you feel the chill in the air? It’s almost wintertime again! Time to pull out our wool socks, heavy coats and gloves. Time to turn up the heat in our homes and maybe dust off our sleds and inner tubes in preparation for the first snow day of the school year! And time to perhaps prepare gifts and/or decorations for the upcoming holidays. Whatever your favorite part of the season, these wonderful books, catchy songs, informative videos and fun craft projects can hopefully serve as a complement to your winter fun.
“Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter” by Kenard Pak
A brother and sister take a walk through their town on a late autumn afternoon, greeting the signs of the coming winter and wake the next morning to a beautiful snowfall. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Winter”
Posted on Monday, November 29, 2021 by Kristy
Listed below are the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees for 2021! These books encourage reading aloud to children and are selected annually by a group of librarians from Missouri.
Read to your child at least five of the books from the following list of 10 titles, and then vote for your favorite. If you want to check out all of the books at once, pick up a Missouri Building Block Kit.
Voting is open to children in kindergarten and younger and goes through December. The winner will be announced in February.
Posted on Monday, November 22, 2021 by Amy
Thanksgiving is just a few short days away! Below are some fun last minute ideas to make the kids’ table extra special this year.
Posted on Friday, November 5, 2021 by Laura
A crisp chill in the air, crunchy leaves underfoot, chattering squirrels gathering nuts for the long winter ahead…
There’s no better time to enjoy a hike or a nature walk than fall! Months of blistering hot Missouri summer kept me inside with a good book and a cold drink, but this cooler weather beckons me back to the great outdoors.
My partner and I have been exploring all of the amazing green spaces and hiking trails the Columbia area has to offer. On this particular hiking trip, we explored the Shooting Star Trail at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Even a visit to your local playground, a stroll around the neighborhood or a quiet afternoon in the backyard can provide great ways to share the joys of autumn with your child.
Having a mission in mind before you venture out can help keep reluctant kiddos engaged in your outdoor excursion. Look high in the trees and low on the ground to appreciate even the smallest members of the ecosystem. Slowing down and taking in the world around you is an easy way to practice mindfulness, too! Continue reading “Autumn Scavenger Hunt”
Posted on Monday, November 1, 2021 by Aimee
This fun and easy project encourages small children to use their fine motor skills and creativity to make a small hanging to celebrate autumn. Small children can sort the leaves by color, shape or texture before attaching them to the paper wreath form. You may enjoy adding colorful leaves you find on a nature walk or tracing your child’s hand onto a piece of paper and adding it to your wreath. Finish your wreath off with a bow and enjoy the results!
Posted on Monday, October 18, 2021 by Jessica S
Ahhh, fall!
The best time of the year for:
Maybe it’s a bad case of the sniffles, a runny nose, a scratchy throat or a dreaded short-term fairytale curse? Either way, we’ve got some great reads to help your young ones navigate their sick day woes.
“A Bad Case of Stripes” written and illustrated by David Shannon
In this fun sick day classic from David Shannon, poor Camilla Cream is worried about pleasing everybody. Camilla loves lima beans, but she decides not to eat lima beans at school in case the other kids make fun of her. Once she makes this decision, Camilla suddenly comes down with a bad case of stripes. No one knows where it came from or how to cure it. As the case of stripes gets worse, Camilla is changing at every person’s suggestion. It cannot be stopped until Camilla decides to just be herself. Continue reading “Sick Day Picture Books”
Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2021 by Tess
I’m just horn over hooves for all of the fabulous new unicorn books that are magically appearing at the library every day! Unicorns are one of the hot new trends in kids lit right now, and they are soaring off the shelves. Today, I want to take a moment to highlight some of my favorite unicorn books for fantasy lovers of all ages.
“Uni Paints a Rainbow” written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager
On a dreary, rainy day, Uni brightens things up with her magic horn. Littles can name the colors of the rainbow with Uni and then celebrate the rain disappearing with a big rainbow. Continue reading “Unicorn Magic!”
Posted on Thursday, August 12, 2021 by Brianna
So you know I always write about books that are coming out this month right? Well, publishers like to be ahead of things, so if you’re grumpy about my autumn books and 9/11 pick, blame the publishers! Just kidding, you don’t actually have to blame anyone, just enjoy being extra prepared with your new book options!
“Bartholomew and the Morning Monsters” written by Sophie Berger and illustrated by Ruan Van Vliet
Mornings can be hard, but they become even harder when mischievous monsters disrupt your routine. Bartholomew loves his nightly wild rumpus with his monster friends, but they all had so much fun that they decide to stay instead of leaving in the morning. From swallowed alarm clocks to tiny monsters hiding in his toothpaste tube, Bartholomew is confronted by chaos at every turn. As his morning breaks down and leaves him in tears, Dad is quick to step in with calm words and love. Little ones have big emotions that may seem to come out of nowhere, and I love the explanation of silly monsters. This book is a wonderful example of how to move forward after a bad morning, without ever becoming didactic. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: August Favorites 2021”
Posted on Thursday, August 5, 2021 by Adam
YAAWWNN! Time for a nap! The hot weather, frequent rain and longer days that we’ve been having this summer have made many, including myself, long for some relaxing time in bed, on the couch or in a hammock dozing off or letting your mind wander. The month of August features two special days to celebrate taking a break and getting some shut-eye: National Lazy Day on August 10th and National Relaxation Day on August 15th. Here are some books focused on the world of sleep, naps, dreaming and lazy days.
Have you ever noticed that babies can fall asleep just about anytime and anywhere? In the aptly titled, “Babies Can Sleep Anywhere,” author Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Carolina Buzio compare the ways in which various animals get to sleep with all of the places in which babies can easily doze off. In Phyllis Gershator’s “Time for a Nap,” with illustrations by David Walker, a young bunny goes on various errands and adventures with his mother each day but knows that after all that excitement it’s always time for a nap! For more books about all the strange and cute ways that animals nap, check out “Snooze-o-Rama” by Maria Birmingham, illustrated by Kyle Reed, and “Animal Naps” by Catherine Ham. Continue reading “It’s Naptime!”