If you’ve come to story times at the Columbia Public Library, then you’ve probably heard one of our favorite songs: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom. Usually we blast off to the moon in our rocket ships after this rhyme, but my awesome coworker has created new lyrics for our patrons who celebrate Halloween. Broom, Broom, Broom — Happy…
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Recently, I have been sifting through the children’s nonfiction books, searching for damaged and outdated materials. This has led me to discover some great yet overlooked books hidden on bottom shelves. Some of my new favorite books from these low-lying shelves are about songs, and they are located in the E782.4216 section. The books in…
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Spring is officially here! It’s time to put your winter mittens in storage and replace them with your gardening gloves. As you start stretching your green thumb after the winter season, take some time for you and your child to learn more about plants and gardening. Check out some library books on the subject, plant something together…
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All the animals are mixed up on the farm, and it’s delightful bedtime confusion. In the Missouri Building Block nominee “Go Sleep in Your Own Bed!” each animal heads to their bed only to find it already occupied! As each is kicked out and goes to their own bed, the cycle continues. The illustrations are…
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The holiday season is quickly approaching, and this time of year is all about spreading warm, fuzzy feelings like kindness, gratefulness and generosity. There’s no better time to emphasize these year-round virtues, as the holidays offer a multitude of tangible ways to point out and practice kindness with our children. As Dr. Patty O’Grady, an…
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The magic of visual art lies in its ability to communicate in ways not possible through words. Much like music, art is a universal language that can rise above cultural barriers. African-American art, specifically, is full of examples of this transcendence. Art in the black community has been used to exorcise pain, to rejoice and…
Continue reading "In Appreciation of African-American Artists" Adults
In case you didn’t already know, Mother’s Day is May 8! Since 1908, when it was created by Anna Jarvis, this has been a day to celebrate the mothers in our lives and all that they have done for us (this could also include grandmothers, aunts, godmothers and any other mother figures). Here are some…
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It’s not secret that I love making book lists. I love a good challenge, I love looking at different types of books and I love highlighting some of our lesser known titles so they can be loved and appreciated in the homes of others. That’s why, when I received this request, I knew it was…
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Spring has sprung and I’m getting itchy! Yes, I do have allergies, but that’s not what I mean. I’m feeling drawn to the woods. I want to be hiking. I want to smell the trees. I want to hug a tree! I have poetry in my heart! I think that I shall never see A…
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Jazz Appreciation Month is not until April, but let’s start early, especially since February is Black History Month, which should include jazz history, too. The very first jazz recording ever made was “Livery Stable Blues” by the Original Dixieland Jass Band on February 26, 1917. The entire band was white, led by coronet player Nick…
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