Favorite Pictures Books of 2025 -- 12/9/25

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.

Me and Other Bunnies by Mo Willems
Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor
Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird

Books:
Big Bike, Little Bike by Kellie DuBay Gillis
Canteloupe and HoneyDo Bake a Cake by Mike Boldt
Henry Is An Artist by Justin Worley
Little Freddie Two Pants by Drew Daywalt
The Peddler of Puddles by Beth Ferry
We're Moving House by Mick Jackson


Craft:  Humpty Dumpty Puzzle
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper (two-sided front and back)
- Color sheet
- Cut along lines on back to make into puzzle


Extension Activities:
- Extend the book Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by asking your child to recite more nursery rhymes before inserting "Pop Goes the Weasel".
- Cranky Crabby Crow includes a simple code within the book.  Explore other codes.  Have your child(ren) figure out some sayings in secret code.


Template --

2025 Building Block Award Nominees -- 9/9/25

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.

The Quiet Forest by Charlotte Offsay
Dig Dig Dinosaur by Professor Anjali Goswami

Books:
Bear's Lost Glasses by Leo Timmers
I Live in a Tree Trunk by Meg Fleming
Just One Flake by Travis Jonker
Mr. Fox's Game of No by David LaRochelle
Peg Gets Crackin' Jo Renfro
Ploof by Ben Clanton
Simon and the Better Bone by Corey Tabor
Towed by Toad by Jashar Awan

Craft: Dinosaur Puzzle

- Print template (left) on cardstock or heavy paper

- Color picture

- Cut along straight lines to make a 12 piece puzzle

Extension Activities:

- Retell The Quiet Forest but with different animals.  Ask your child to suggest animals and what their action would be.

- Learn more about dinosaurs.  Check out one of the informational dinosaur books from the library.

April Is Punny: Puns -- 4/30/24

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 to view this month's Virtual Story Time.

Knot Cannot by Tiffany Stone
The Good Egg by Jory John

Books:

Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Goodnight Veggies by Diana Murray

I Yam a Donkey! by Cece Bell

Over, Bear! Under, Where? by Julie Hedlund

You Loves Ewe! by Cece Bell

Craft: Good Egg Puzzle

- Print template at left onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color sheet

- Cut along grid lines to make a 20 piece puzzle

Extension Activities:

- Puns are a type wordplay that uses words with more than one meaning.  Give your child a couple of multi-meaning words and see if they can tell you the different meanings and then try to make a pun out using the word.

- Tying knots is a skill that every child should learn.  Practice tying simple knots.  Watch this video for a simple lesson on how to tie a knot using pipecleaners.

Autumn -- 10/3/23

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.

When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey
In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes

Books:
Hungry Bunny by Claudia Rueda
I Know It's Autumn by Eileen Spinelli
I See Fall by Charles Ghigna
In November by Cynthia Rylant
Mouse Loves Fall by Lauren Thompson
Mr. Pumpkin's Tea Party by Erin Barker

Craft: Fall Puzzle

- Print template at left onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color picture

- Cut along lines to get a 16 piece puzzle

Extension Activities:

-  Discuss typical fall weather with your child.  Ask them to point out clothes in their closet that would be appropriate to wear during fall season weather.

-  Make a fall wreath.  Have your children go through magazines and cut out pictures that remind them of fall.  Glue them around the edges of a paper plate and write "Hello Fall" in the middle.

Virtual Story Time: Bear on a Bike by Stella Blackstone -- 4/6/21

Join us weekly for an online story time featuring a book read by Miss Amy on Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.


Click HERE to view the latest video.


Bear on a Bike by Stella Blackstone
Freight Train by Donald Crews

Books:  (Transportation -- Bikes & Trains)

Along a Long Road by Frank Viva

And the Train Goes -- by William Bee

The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos

Clickety Clack by Robert Spence

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Christopher Raschka

How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Easton

I'm Fast! by Kate McMullan

Stanley's Train by William Bee

Trains Run! by George Ella Lyon

Craft: Train Puzzle

- Print out the template below onto heavy paper or cardstock

- Color picture

- Cut on the lines to make a twelve piece puzzle

Extension Activities:

- Go on a field trip and visit a transportation themed museum or a race track.

- Play a game to see how many of each colored car you can see.  This can be played by watching the road in front of your house or driving/walking through a parking lot.

Template --

Virtual Story Time: What's Your Sound, Hound the Hound? by Mo Willems -- 9/22/20

 Join us weekly for an online story time featuring a book read by Miss Amy on Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.

Click HERE to view the latest video.

What's Your Sound, Hound the Hound? by Mo Willems

Books:  (Animals)

Cat Says Meow and Other An-i-mal-o-poe-ia by Michael Arndt

Chicken, Chicken, Duck by Nadia Krilanovich

Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

I Spy With My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs

If You're Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre

Oodles of Animals by Lois Ehlert

Pet This Book by Jessica Young

Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera

The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort

What the Baby Hears by Laura Godwin

TumbleBook Stories: (Available through www.jeffcolib.org by clicking on E-Content.)

For Just One Day by Laura Leuck

One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root

Craft: Picnic Puzzle

- Print out image at left onto heavy paper

- Color picture

- Cut on straight lines to get 20 puzzle pieces

Extension Activities:

- Pick an animal to learn more about.  Check out an informational book from the library about that animal.

- Play a game of animal charades.  Guess what animals are being acted out.

- Visit the zoo.

Horse Story Time: February 18, 2020

Books:
Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash *
Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee *
A Horse Named Jack by Linda Vander Heyden *
A Horse Named Steve by Kelly Collier
Horseplay! by Karma Wilson

Craft: Horse Puzzle
The kids colored a cardstock coloring sheet of a horse.  Then with adult permission they could borrow a pair of scissors to cut along "scissor practice" lines on the back of the sheet to make a 6 piece puzzle.

Extension Activities:
- Instead of doing a straight reading of Are You a Horse, have your child do some of the "reading".  Ask them to identify the animals and what makes them not a horse.
- We did scissor practice with our craft this week.  If your child is not ready for cutting on lines, just ask them to make a "fringe" around the paper.  If they are more advanced, draw lines on a paper and have them follow the lines while cutting.


Template -- (copy double-sided onto cardstock)

Back to School Story Time: August 5-6, 2019

Books:
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
Dad's First Day by Mike Wohnoutka *
Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea
Here Comes Teacher Cat by Deborah Underwood
The Little School Bus by Margery Cuyler *
Oliver and His Alligator by Paul Schmid *

Craft: School Puzzle
The children colored a school coloring sheet on cardstock.  They could then cut it out on the lines on the back of the sheet to turn it into a puzzle.

Extension Activities:
- Visit your child's school for a tour with your child.  Make sure to visit the areas they will be using (i.e. classroom, cafeteria, library, gym, etc.).
- Plan and go over the first day of school schedule.  Practice the various parts (i.e. getting up early, picking out outfit, etc.)

Construction Worker Story Time: May 14-15, 2018

Books:
Busy Builders, Busy Week! by Jean Reidy
Construction by Sally Sutton
Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman *
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper *
Job Site by Nathan Clement *

Craft: Construction Puzzle
The kids colored a cardstock coloring sheet of a construction site.  They could then cut along the grid on the back of the sheet to make a 16 piece puzzle.

Literacy Extensions:
- Kids love construction vehicles.  Learn more about the different types of vehicles by checking out books at the library.
- As you read various construction books, see if your child can tell you what the different construction vehicles do.


Template --

Good Afternoon! Story Time: March 20-21, 2017

Books:
Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems *
Buddy and the Bunnies in Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea
The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
Rex Wrecks It by Ben Clanton *
Winter Woes by Marty Kelley

Craft: Puzzle
The children colored a cardstock color sheet of a playground scene.  They could then cut the picture into 12 pieces of cutting on the lines on the back of the sheet.

Literacy Extensions:
- After reading Rex Wrecks It, have your children practice teamwork by working together to build something out of blocks.
- Play the alphabet game - trying to find all of the letters of the alphabet in a book.