Let’s be honest, parent to parent – getting your little ones out of the house during the winter is difficult, stressful and all-around inconvenient. The taking off and on of all the coats, hats, scarves and everything else is a pain. Do you almost wish there was a way to bring the library home with you?
You’re in luck! At DBRL, you can check out Play As Learning (PAL) kits and Little Red Reading Bag (LRRB) kits that come with books, DVDs, puppets, toys and much more. Each bag is equipped with everything your family needs for hours of fun and learning. All the kits center around themes such as family reading, language development or creativity. And with over twenty bags to choose from, ranging from ages 0-
5, your family will have plenty to do. You can even place them on hold to pick up at your library or bookmobile. Continue reading “Play As Learning Bags”
As 2017 comes to an end, the children’s staff at DBRL have been reminiscing about the fabulous new books that arrived on our shelves this year. While it’s hard to pick a favorite, there are some books that stood apart from the rest. Here are our favorite 20 favorite books for kids published in 2017.
“Around the World in a Bathtub: Bathing All Over the Globe” written by Wade Bradford and illustrated by Micha Archer
This book shows how everywhere in the world, parents have to coax children into the bath. In many different languages you hear “no, no” from children and “yes, yes” from parents, until it’s time to get out and the words reverse.
~Jerilyn
“Assassin’s Curse” by Kevin Sands
“Assassin’s Curse” is the third in the Blackthorn Key series and is just as compelling as the first two! Young Christopher Rowe travels to Paris with his friends Tom and Sally to crack the curse on the royal family and find the treasure of the Knights Templar. The book is very well written historical fiction with lots of puzzles, mystery, poison, ciphers and action. And the best part–it looks like there will be a number four!
~Mark
“Big Cat, Little Cat” by Elisha Cooper
Big Cat learns to live with new Little Cat, who doesn’t stay little forever. It’s a sweet story of friendship, life and death (without being sad).
~Katie Continue reading “Top 20 Children’s Books of 2017”
When it comes to road trips, summer may be number one, but winter is a close second. It seems like everyone is either driving to the snow or driving away from it! But while you may be thinking, “Getting there is half the fun!” your kids may not agree. Car seats and wiggles go together about as well as fire and ice. Those initial giggles of excitement all too rapidly evaporate into, “Are we there yet?!”
While modern technology offers a plethora of entertainments, from video games to movies, there’s something to be said for “old-fashioned” options that many of us remember when we were knee-high to grasshoppers. A favorite of mine was when my mother would sing silly rhymes with us while Dad tried to navigate with little more than an atlas and a prayer.
To help make your winter journeys a bit less stressful, so everyone can truly enjoy the ride, here are a few sing-songs to add to your repertoire.
Chubby Little Snowman
The chubby little snowman had a carrot nose.
Along came a bunny and what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny looking for some lunch,
Ate the carrot nose…nibble, nibble CRUNCH!
Source: homemade-gifts-made-easy.com Continue reading “Winter Rhymes for Road Trip Times!”
The library offers wonderful resources for all seasons of life. As I prepare for my own maternity leave, I want to highlight some amazing resources for expecting and new parents. All of the Library’s programs and services are always FREE!
Parent Packs
For expecting or brand-new parents, these Parent Pack kits include books about pregnancy and parenting, a yoga DVD and a set of pamphlets and free book for you to keep.
SOAR Workshops
SOAR (System Offering Actions for Resilience in Early Childhood) is a local coalition committed to developing programs to promote the social-emotional wellness of children age 0-8 and their families in Boone County. Continue reading “Resources for Expecting and New Parents”
Little ones like figuring out the answers to problems, especially if there is a reward at the end. (For example: How do you escape the playpen? Where did mom hide the cookies?) You can encourage problem solving by creating situations where your child gets to explore and work out their own solution in a safe and stress-free environment. One way to do this is to make a sensory basket. If you have a basket (laundry baskets of any size or shape work well) and string or yarn, then you can create an activity that will encourage little hands to work out how to retrieve their toys.
Discovery basket instructions:
- Place some toys in the bottom of your basket.
- Tie the end of your string or yarn to one side the basket and cross to the opposite side.
- Loop the string through and around a hole, and then it pull taunt. Keep doing this over and over, forming a spider web-like structure through out the basket, with the toys ‘trapped’ in the bottom.
- When you’re done, tie off your string and let your child play! Their goal is to work the toys through the string and out of the basket. Continue reading “DIY Discovery Basket”
‘Tis the season for lots of traveling. And when you’ve heard the same children’s songs over and over and over again, going on a long car ride may not seem enjoyable. That’s where the library comes in! We have over a thousand different music titles just for kids alone. We have music for all ears–instrumental, Kidz Bop, Laurie Berkner, soundtracks from children’s movies and so much more.
Did you know you can also check out magazines? You may check up to 5 of back issues at a time, and they check out for 3 weeks just like books! We have all the classics such as Highlights and Ranger Rick plus new titles such as Kazoo.
To see a list of all children’s magazines at our branches and bookmobiles, click here.
Want to see the library carry a specific magazine or music CD? Click here to suggest a purchase!
“10 Little Ninjas” takes the classic “5 Little Monkeys” formula and completely flips it on its head. Books like this are loads of fun; they feature just enough familiarity for kids to easily catch on, yet there is so much new content to discover. Sing along as Miranda Paul’s original rhymes flow across Nate Wragg’s playful illustrations!
As the book counts down, it displays unique themes that kids have always loved to role-play. Number eight in the countdown features kids in race cars: “8 rapid racers revving out the gate–one left late and couldn’t drive straight!” Flipping through the remaining pages reveals prowling tigers, rowdy cowboys and so many other children’s favorites. Kids will absolutely love to race, growl and lasso their way through the pages with you!
Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees, help your child vote for their favorite.
Meet Evie (EE-vee) the fox–our new Baby, Oh, Baby and Toddler Time mascot at the Columbia Public Library.
Evie loves to scurry and sprint near Webster’s pond. She saw how much fun he had during story time, so she decided to join us! Webster the duck will be passing the torch to Evie at the end of December and will be collecting his retirement package. (He’s taking a lump sum–largely in bills.)
Starting Thursday, January 4, Evie will be working full-time at the library, and she even has a new song! Below are the lyrics. Feel free to practice them with your little one at home.
Continue reading “Introducing Evie!”
Today, I get to head out of the library to entertain some preschoolers with a short story time about soup! It’s the perfect time of year for this warm and cozy theme, so I thought I would my favorite book and song about soup with you too.
So, whip up some soup, snuggle up with your little one and give these a try!
First, read “Mean Soup” by Betsy Everitt. It follows a young boy named Horace who has had a bad day. Luckily, his mom knows just what to do when he gets home–make soup! Together, they yell into the soup and stick their tongues, venting their frustrations into the boiling pot. Will Horace’s day turn around? Check out the book to find out.
Next, sing this call and repeat song adapted from Jbrary’s “I Am Hungry”
I am hungry.
What should I eat?
I think I’ll have pizza soup.
Without any meat!
I am hungry.
What should I eat?
I think I’ll have tomato soup.
With lots of heat!
I am hungry.
What should I eat?
I think I’ll have chocolate soup
Cold and sweet!
Feel free to swap in other soups you enjoy.
Have you ever experienced an identity crisis, desiring to be someone else? In the Missouri Building Block nominee “Sill a Gorilla!” author Kim Norman and illustrator Chad Geran share just such a tale about a charismatic gorilla that desires to be a different zoo animal.
As Gorilla tries out being a lion, walrus, goat, alligator and kangaroo, readers will find lots of opportunities to make silly animal noises and sound effects, adding to the delight of the story. This laughter-packed book has simple text with bold full-page illustrations, leaving you eager to turn the pages for more.
Extend the fun of this story by hiding pictures of different zoo animals around the room, and then let your kids hunt for them. Come back together as a group and act out each animal’s behavior.
Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees, help your child vote for their favorite.
