Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Bunny Time

With the rainy weather we're having, perhaps your family is looking for some indoor fun for a change. Here's one idea on the theme of one of our favorite springtime animals - the bunny.

Don't forget - the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library and Burst's Candies are presenting the annual Chocolate Bunny Program and Contest on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Corvallis Library's Main Meeting Room. This special program will feature stories, songs, and a giant chocolate bunny from Burst's Candies! 

In the meantime, share a bunny story:

Some young rabbits would rather play than sleep, much to their parents' chagrin.

When eight bunnies set out to make some stew, an accident forces a change of plans.

Millie the lop-eared rabbit is tired of living in a small, cramped hutch and when she decides to explore the world, she meets a wild rabbit who helps her escape danger.

A family of rabbits moves into a cozy bungalow which they decorate and make into a perfect bunny home.

Old Mother Rabbit's twenty-six children, each named for a letter of the alphabet, are lovingly put to bed.

Then Share a Few Bunny Rhymes:
Little Bunny
There was a little bunny who lived in the wood,
He wiggled his ears as a good bunny should.
He hopped by a squirrel, He hopped by a tree.
He hopped by a duck, And he hopped by me.
He stared at the squirrel. He stared at the tree.
He stared at the duck. But he made faces at me!
(rhyme from: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/readbunny/fingerplays.html)

A Bunny
A traditional fingerplay Once there was a bunny.
  Double left fist and extend two fingers for ears.
And a green, green cabbage head,
    Double fist on the right hand.
"I think I'll have some breakfast," the little bunny said.
     Move bunny toward cabbage head.
So he nibbled and he nibbled.
     Move fingers on the left hand.
Then he turned around to say,
"I think this is the time I should be hopping on my way!"
    Make hopping movements with the left hand.

Make a bunny puppet:
Print and color or paint the bunny using this template: 

Cut out the bunny pattern and glue on a cotton ball for the tail. Glue or tape to a craft stick and enjoy your bunny puppet! 

Monday, March 29, 2010

Pick of the Week: Have You Ever Seen a Sneep?


Spark your imagination with this book! The rhymes ask the reader if strange creatures, like the sneep, live close by. This is reminiscent of the whimsical creatures in Dr. Seuss books and will likely lead into conversations about made-up fantastical beasts - strange, naughty, or silly!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Early Reader and Beginning Chapter Book Read-Alouds

There is a wealth of good books to discover in the E-R (Early Reader) and J Fiction (Juvenile Fiction) sections of the library. You don't have to wait until your child is reading on their own to share these books with him or her either! We've created a booklist featuring suggested books to read aloud to younger listeners (roughly 7 years and younger). You can check it out here: http://www.thebestlibrary.net/joomla/images/pdfs/great_read_alouds_younger_listeners.pdf. Below are a few enjoyable early reader and beginning chapter books to share with preschoolers and kindergartners:

Mouse and his downstairs neighbor, Mole, discover that when they help each other, housecleaning and other daily tasks are much easier.


Dodsworth in New York by Tim Egan

Before you read Dodsworth in New York (and the sequels: Dodsworth in Paris and Dodsworth in London), share the story of how Dodsworth's travels begin in the picture book The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan. In Dodsworth in New York, Dodsworth sets out on a trip to the grand city of New York. Unbeknownst  to Dodsworth, a crazy duck stows away in his suitcase and creates adventures for Dodsworth along the way.




Pearl and Wagner, a rabbit and a mouse, work together to build a robot for their science project. Follow their further adventures with Pearl and Wagner: Three Secrets and Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day.


Contains: My father's dragon -- Elmer and the dragon -- The dragons of Blueland.

A compilation of three tales which relate the fantastic adventures of Elmer Elevator and a baby flying dragon named Boris.






It's dawn and time for bats to go to bed, but Fang's brother Fink can't sleep. Soon the whole family tries different bedtime stories to lull Fink to sleep.


One day when Daisy is late for school, an encounter with a butterfly leaves her suddenly able to communicate with animals, and when Boom, a stray dog, is caught by the pound, she enlists the help of a host of other animals to rescue him.


At the first annual meeting of WOOF--Words of Our Friends--assorted dogs preserve their heritage by sharing tales of canines throughout history, including Abu, who ruled all of Egypt except for one pesky cat, and Zippy, who simply must find the squeaky toy.

What starts out as a perfectly ordinary day in the Small house turns into Stiches Saturday when Cleo gets a cut on the head after her twin brother, Jack, accidentally pulls down their "Toy House."


Because he suffers from asthma, six-year-old Monty is nervous about starting first grade but he soon learns to cope with his illness and use his special talents to make friends.











Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Pick of the Week: Martha Doesn't Say Sorry!


Young Martha learns that she must apologize for her bad behavior if she wants people to cooperate with her.
This is one to share with a child who is learning the value of apologizing for one's actions and the benefits that can be gained from the experience!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Lego Blocks Wanted!

Do you have Lego or Duplo blocks you no longer use? 
The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library will be hosting a Lego program this summer for kids and is looking for donations!

Donations are being accepted at the Youth Services Desk in the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at 541-766-6794. Thank you!

Pick of the Week: Mom and Me


Mom and Me is filled with photographs of mothers and their children from all over the world. The photographs depict their everyday activities and most importantly, the love they have for one another. Presents photographs of mothers with their children from around the world, detailing their activities, interactions, and beautifully expresses the love they share together.

Reading Rockets: Reading & Brain Awareness

Are you curious about why some children struggle to learn to read, while others pick it up so easily? Henry Winkler (who suffered from his own difficulty learning to read) hosts the "Reading and the Brain Series" from Reading Rockets and PBS, which discusses how brain scientists are exploring this very issue. Watch the introduction to the program below, then head to: http://www.readingrockets.org/shows/launching/brain to watch the rest of the program.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Spring Early Literacy Newsletter

Over the weekend, we welcomed Daylight Savings time. The weather is supposed to be warmer today and the Spring Early Literacy Newsletter is here! This issue contains information on brain development, spring rhymes, music selections, poetry picks, the new parenting collection, staff favorites, TV Turn-Off Week and more. Take a look inside here.

Family Events this Week at the Corvallis Public Library

Bedtime Storytime: Monday, March 15, 7:00 p.m. All ages.

Toddler Storytime: Tuesday, March 16, 10:00 a.m. Ages 24-36 months.

Infant Storytime: Wednesday, March 17, 10:00 a.m. Ages 0-12 months.

Preschool Storytime: Thursday, March 18, 10:00 a.m. Ages 3-5 years old.

Wobbler Storytime: Friday, March 19, 10:00 a.m. Ages 12-24 months.
Corvallis Youth Theatre Presents "Cinderella": Friday, March 19, 4:00 p.m. Bring your family to a locally produced presentation of "Cinderella." Community children are actors in this fun adaptation. 

Fiesta de su biblioteca (Bilingual Family Storytime & Craft): Saturday, March 20, 11:00 a.m. Bilingual Spanish/English language children's program featuring fun for the whole family with stories, songs, crafts, and refreshments. All ages welcome!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Train Show this Weekend!!

 *image credit below.
Calling all train enthusiasts! Stop by the Corvallis Public Library on Saturday, March 13th from 10:00 - 6:00 and on Sunday, March 14th from 12:00 - 5:00 to check out trains and model railroads in the Main Meeting Room.

This annual, free event is presented by the Oregon O-Gaugers Train Club. The O-Gaugers will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items for the Linn Benton Food Share.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Pick of the Week: It's Me, Parsnip

 
Somebody has left a muddy puddle, who could it be? Follow along the trail of footprints in this gentle, lift-the-flap story that's perfect for sharing with toddlers.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

45 million people are expected to participate in the NEA's Read Across America program in 2010. The National Education Association promotes an annual Read Across America program in celebration of children's literacy on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Many schools hold "read-ins" or pajama storytimes to promote literacy. In honor of Dr. Seuss and Read Across America, I'm sharing two of my favorite Dr. Seuss books:

 
Tells, in verse, what happens when all ninety-nine zillion nine trillion and three creatures in the world go to sleep.

A boy imagines the rare and wonderful fish he might catch in McElligot's pool.

Great Read-Aloud

 

This is a wonderful read-aloud for older preschoolers and early elementary-aged kids. For independent readers, I'd recommend it to readers in grades 2 and up. This is a delightful story of Janetta and her relationship and visits with her grandfather - who has a knack for storytelling. This is a charming, humorous family read-aloud!