Picks of the Week: Prehistoric Reads!

Mammoth and Me by Algy Craig Hall (Boxer Books, 2012)

When a BIG (but oh-so-cuddly) mammoth knocks on the door of one small boy, it's the beginning of a beautiful--and funny--friendship. Though the boy loves his new pet immediately, the mammoth is just too huge for his home, the park, and the town. But the friendly creature will soon prove to everyone that he is about to become the town's hero. A heartwarming and gentle tale of learning to be friends no matter what differences there may be.

Kali's Song by Jeanette Winter (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012)

Renowned picture book author and illustrator Jeanette Winter brings us the enchanting story of a boy named Kali who lived thousands and thousands of years ago. Kali must learn to hunt, like the rest of the men in his tribe. But when Kali plucks the string on his bow, he forgets about shooting arrows, and makes music long into the night. Even the stars come close to listen.

This lovely story, celebrating the uniqueness in all of us, the beauty of the natural world, and showing the power of music and art over violence, will be cherished by children everywhere.

Caveman: A B.C. Story by Janee Trasler (Sterling Children's Books, 2011)

This clever picture book utilizes only 26 words, all in alphabetical order, to tell the story of a caveman and his prehistoric friends.

Meet Mammoth (an Ogg and Bob book) by Ian Fraser (Marshall Cavendish, 2010)

Two cavemen, Ogg and Bob, capture a mammoth and then try to train him as a pet. (A fun beginning chapter book read-aloud!)

Summaries from Syndetics, Inc.

Meet the Early Literacy Coordinator!

Early Literacy Coordinator

Meet Peik-Kuan Lim, the Early Literacy Coordinator for the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. She brings Storytime to them! The Corvallis-Benton County Library offers Storytime at the library for infants, toddlers, wobblers and preschool children. As the Early Literacy Coordinator for the Library, Peik-Kuan brings Storytime to preschools and to day care facilties and providers. She provides these outreach activities to children who cannot get to the library for Storytime. If you are picturing Peik-Kuan standing in front of a group of children sitting quietly in neat rows, you do not have a clear picture of what she does. When Peik-Kuan brings Storytime to preschool children, she brings props, crafts and an ability to lead a group of children based on their age, mood and developmental needs. She uses her knowledge of early brain development to structure her programs and sometimes even re-structure them on the fly to meet the needs of the day. Oftentimes they spend more time singing and dancing about letters and concepts than sitting down in one spot and listening to her read a book. She says that working with special needs children requires many of the same tools. It can require some additional flexibility, but she goes through the same process to create those programs as well.

Early literacy is much more than introducing letters and words on the page. Peik-Kuan's early literacy programs create context and exposure that will help turn children into active readers. She coordinates programs that include music, art and dance, and she looks for ways to engage all of their senses. She says early literacy is about getting children comfortable with and interested in written language in any number of ways. Peik-Kuan also says children exposed reading from a young age will learn very early on how to sit and hold a book, and that is the beginning of a reader!

Peik-Kuan enjoys collaborating with her colleagues in selecting materials and assisting them in program creation. She says her colleagues are as much a resource to her as she is to them. They bounce ideas off one another and work well as a team. She also provides guidance to volunteers, parents and teachers. She has spent time developing and maintaining relationships with many agencies in the area. In this way, she can help them serve the community, and they can provide resources for our library programs. For example, she has worked with the Oregon State University Head Start program and given them advice on what age-appropriate items will encourage reading.

Peik-Kuan says she finds the most important part of her job is the ability connect with children. It is this ability that allows her to get their attention and open them up to learning. She also says she feels lucky to have one of those few jobs where she gets hugs wherever she goes.

--Interview from "Read and Recycle: City of Corvallis Employee Newsletter," Volume 21, No. 10, September 30, 2011

Pick of the Week: Bea at Ballet

Bea at Ballet by Rachel Isadora (Penguin Young Readers, 2012)

Young Bea learns everything about ballet class - from the clothing she and her friends wear to what the studio looks like to beginning positions. Toddlers and preschool ballet lovers will enjoy this book!

Author and illustrator Rachel Isadora knows what she's talking about to - as a young girl she dreamed of becoming a ballerina and she did! For more information about Rachel Isadora, head here.

Get Ready for Kindergarten Program

Kindergarten Diary by Antoinette Portis (Harper, 2010)Annalina's diary entries reflect her feelings and experiences as she goes from being afraid to go to kindergarten to loving it during her first month of school.

Get Ready for Kindergarten!

Come join us on Thursday, May 17th, at 10:30 a.m. after Preschool Storytime, to learn simple games and helpful tips to build the foundation your child needs to get ready for kindergarten. Meets in the Main Meeting Room at the Corvallis Library. Presented by Louise Johnson. More information...

Mother Goose Asks "Why?" Science for Preschoolers this Thursday

 Mother Goose Asks "Why?": Investigating Plants
Join us at the Corvallis Library on Thursday, May 10th, at 10:00 a.m. for this fun preschool program that links reading to science and math by using picture books and family projects that make science learning fun! Questions? Contact Youth Services: 541-766-6794.