Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates -- 11/25/25

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl B. Klein
The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
Cows in the Kitchen by June Crebbin

Books:
A Cat Like That by Lester Laminack
Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion by Stephen W. Martin
I Am Wriggly by Michael Rosen
Short Dog, Long Dog: A Book of Opposites by Anna Hrachovec
Sterling, Best Dog Ever by Aidan Cassie

Craft: Cat Necklace

- Print template (left) onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out cat

- Punch hole at end of tail

- Color cat

- String cat onto a piece of curling ribbon

- Optional: String beads onto curling ribbon

- Tie ends of curling ribbon so can wear as necklace

Extension Activities:

- Discuss pet responsibility.  What all do you need to take care of a pet?  What types of food would your pet eat? 

- Extend the song book Cows in the Kitchen by adding more animals into the house (ex - goats in the garbage, bats in the bathroom, ants in the attic, etc).

Leaves -- 10/17/23

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Fall Leaves Fall by Zoe Hall
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

Books:
If You Find a Leaf by Amiee Sicuro
A Leaf Can Be by Laura Salas
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
Leaves by David Ezra Stein
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
Lucky Leaf by Kevin O'Malley
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro
A Very Big Fall by Emmy Kastner

Craft: Leaf Necklace
- Print template (at left) onto cardstock or heavy paper.  (You should be able to fit two sets of the template onto one regular letter size paper.)

- Cut out leaves  (We used three leaves per necklace.)

- Color leaves

- String leaves onto a 30" piece of curling ribbon along with pony beads

- Tie string into necklace

Extension Activities:

- Go on a leaf hunt.  See how many different types of leaves you can find.  Can you name what kind of leaves they are?  If not, the library has books on leaf identification.

- Grab some fallen leaves from outside and see what you can make out of them (i.e. Leaf Man).

Green Story Time: March 16-17, 2020

Books:
The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
Good Luck Bear by Greg Foley
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal *
Snip Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman *
Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox *

Craft: Shamrock Necklace
The kids colored a shamrock cutout which was then strung onto a length of curling ribbon along with beads to make into a necklace.

Extension Activities --
- Where Is the Green Sheep is a great lead in to going on a scavenger hunt.  Ask your child to find items of different colors throughout your house.
- Learn about St. Patrick's Day.  There are several books at the library that can be checked out or search online for kid friendly websites and videos.

Leaves Story Time: October 23-24. 2017

Books:
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley *
Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert *
Leaves by David Ezra Stein
Little Tree by Loren Long
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

Craft: Leaf Necklace
The children colored a leaf and two acorns before stringing them onto curling ribbon with pony beads to make into a necklace.

Literacy Extensions:
- Go on a nature walk or drive to look at the different color leaves.
- Encourage creativity by having your child create pictures out of leaves.


Template --

Tip: Use curling ribbon when making necklaces with smaller children.  The ribbon is stiffer making it easier for children to hold it when putting on the beads.  It is also thick enough that the beads will not fall off the ribbon.

Mommy Story Time: May 8-9, 2017

Books:
It's Snowing! by Olivier Dunrea
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney *
Mama's Coming Home by Kate Banks
My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck *
Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein *
Upside Down Babies by Jeanne Willis

Craft: MOM Heart Necklace
Children colored three small hearts that spelled out "MOM".  They then strung the hearts onto curling ribbon along with pony beads to make a necklace.

Literacy Extensions:
- You can use the books Llama Llama Red Pajama or Mama's Coming Home to start a discussion with your child about patience.  Talk about how it is difficult to be patient at times and maybe come up with some strategies to help be more patient.
- After reading My Monster Mama Loves Me So, have your child point out similarities and differences between the monster mama and their mom.


Template --

Happy & Sad Story Time: February 6-7, 2017

Books:
Happiness is a Watermelon on Your Head by Stella Dreis
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss *
If You're Happy and You Know It! by Anna McQuinn *
My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems *
Snow Happy! by Patricia Hubbell

Craft: Smiley Face Necklace
The children were given a cardstock smiley face cutout to color.  It was then strung onto curling ribbon along with pony beads to make into a necklace.


Literacy Extensions:
- After reading My Friend Is Sad, have your child come up with ways they would cheer up a sad friend.
- Extend the song If You're Happy and You Know It by coming up with more actions for more verses.  Or change up the song by making verses for different emotions (ex - If you sad and you know cry a tear).


Notes:
I love using curling ribbon for necklaces.  The ribbon is thick enough that the beads will not fall off of the ribbon so you don't have to worry about tying a knot at the end.  It also doesn't unravel like yarn does.  The curling ribbon is also stiff which makes it easier for kids to string on the items.  Making necklaces like this is a great way to practice hand-eye coordination with children.

Template:

Halloween Story Time: July 11-12, 2016

Books:
Click, Clack, Boo! A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin *
Jungle Halloween by Maryann Cocca-Leffler *
Six Creepy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle
Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book by Stephen Savage
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! by Lucille Colandro *
Wild Witches' Ball by Jack Prelutsky

Craft: Ghost Necklace
Children drew a face onto a cardstock ghost before stringing it onto curling ribbon with pony beads to make into a necklace.

Literacy Extensions:
- Halloween is always a good time to talk about stranger danger.  Remind your children that they should only talk to strangers when you are around.  Check out some of the books and videos available at the library about this topic.
- Do some counting practice with candy.  Count the number of candies that are different colors, different types, different shapes, etc.


Notes:
I found several years ago that curling ribbon works great for making necklaces - especially when stringing on pony beads.  The ribbon is stiffer than yarn and does not fray at the ends which makes it easier for kids to string the beads on.  It is also just thick enough that the beads will not move once they are put on the ribbon.

Leaves Story Time: October 13, 2015

Books:
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley *
Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall *
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Leaves by David Ezra Stein *
When the Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger *

Craft: Leaf Necklace
Children colored a cardstock leaf cutout before stringing it onto curling ribbon along with pony beads.  It was then tied into a necklace.


Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Leaves by David Ezra Stein, learn about hibernation and which animals hibernate during the winter.
- Make a leaf collage.  Pick up fallen leafs and see what kind of picture your child can make with those leaves.


Notes:
Story Time was not held on Monday as the library was closed for a Staff Development Day.

I like to use curling ribbon with the younger kids when making necklaces.  It is thick enough that the beads do not fall off after they are slid on.  Also, it is stiffer which makes it easier for the kids to handle and to thread on beads.