We do lots of cool things at our library branches for kids, parents and caregivers. DBRL hosts hundreds of programs for kids every year — from story times to magic shows. We also continuously get new books and other new library materials for our youngest patrons.
To get the word out about the fun things we do and have here at the library, we have created a bimonthly Kids & Parents email newsletter. If you sign up, you’ll be the first to know about our library programs, resources and maybe even a few library secrets!
As a parent to three little ones, I’m always searching for new resources to pull out at a moment’s notice. There are times that play dough and building blocks don’t excite enough, and I resort to media. When I do, I want to make sure that what I’m putting in front of my kids is safe and quality entertainment.
Valentine’s day can be a tricky day to explain to kids. My favorite way to find descriptions of love is through books!
“Love” by Emma Dodd is a beautiful picture book that explains that love is so much more than hugs and presents. In her book, Dodd says that “Sometimes love is quiet and it needs no words at all.” After reading the book, can you think about ways your family shows love to each other?
Another great discussion starter is “Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Love” by Kimberly and James Dean. What makes this picture book unique? It’s filled with quotes, and Pete then applies all the quotes to himself. Can you create a quote about love that describes your family? Which one is your favorite and why?
Hoopla has always offered eBooks at the picture book level, but now they have added another awesome feature: read-along eBooks! With this new feature, kids can now follow along as a narrator enthusiastically reads each individually highlighted word. This is perfect for kids who are learning a new language or for kids who can’t quite finish a book on their own. Hoopla has a lot of up-to-date content, including favorites like Star Wars, Pete the Cat, Finding Nemo and Disney princesses. With over 100 books to choose from, there won’t be a shortage of awesome content to entertain your child while they learn how to read.
You can log into Hoopla using your library card. Simply type “read-along” into the search bar to access the read-along picture books. You get 10 checkouts a month completely free, so take advantage!
There is something magical about being read to, which is why I absolutely love listening to audiobooks. The library offers many ways to listen to your favorite audiobooks, including audio CDs, downloadables on the Hoopla or Libby app and Playaways. Playaways are easy to use, preloaded audiobooks, and they are great for kids! They are durable and come with a lanyard, so kids can listen to them on the go. Playaways can be used with standard headphones or they can be plugged into external speakers and car adapters. I enjoy using Playaways when walking to class or completing chores.
We have a wide variety for every reader. Check out one of our newer playaways, “Short” by Holly Goldberg Sloan, or listen to a classic like “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams Bianco.
For a complete list of children’s Playaways available at our branches, click here.
How do you make a friend feel better when you accidentally eat their lollipop? You jump up and down, make silly faces and yell a funny phrase to make them laugh! Little Penguin needs our help doing just that. He accidentally ate Kenneth the seagull’s razzle dazzle seaweed lollipop and Kenneth is mad at him. What will it take for the seagull to forgive Little Penguin?
“Little Penguin and the Lollipop” by Tadgh Bentley is a delightful companion to “Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups.” Bentley’s simple and creative illustrations and quirky humor make this book a perfect read-aloud. The characters display many facial expressions, which can lead to great discussions with your kids about different emotions. Benltey’s book is also a gentle reminder to kids that everyone makes mistakes. Do you think penguin fixed his mistake? What would you do differently?
Everyone in my house (even my cats) enjoyed the “Little Penguin and the Lollipop.” I hope you do too!
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”
The children of Missouri have spoken, selecting “10 Little Ninjas,”written by Miranda Paul and illustratedby Nate Wragg, as the winner of the 2017 Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award. Over 18,000 preschoolers and kindergartners participated this year, and “10 Little Ninjas” snuck past “Still a Gorilla!” and “Frog on a Log,” the second and third place winners, to claim ninja victory.
Want to read more potential Missouri Building Block Award books? The 2018 Missouri Building Block Award nominees have just been announced. The nominees are:
“The Giant Jumperee” written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
A passage in “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams Bianco never fails to bring tears to my eyes: “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.” Even as an adult, I relate to Skin Horse at that moment because he is experiencing human emotions.
For most of us, childhood is when we learn to master feelings and emotions. And this can be challenging to say the least. Just ask any adult who has carried a screaming child out of a store.
According to an article in Psychology Today, reading to your child is one of the best ways to help them develop their emotional skill sets. Children realize they are not alone when they see fictional characters struggle to make sense of their emotions. They learn that it’s okay tohave feelings that you don’t always understand and that working through them is just a part of growing up. Continue reading “Feelings Are Universal”
This past fall, theColumbia Public Library hosted its sixth season of the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Awards program. Youth in grades 4-8 were invited to join us twice per month to discuss possible Newbery Medalcontenders for 2018. At these interactive sessions, we discussed six Newbery contender books, and participants were able to defend the book that they felt deserved the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Award.
5, your family will have plenty to do. You can even place them on hold to pick up at your library or bookmobile. 
