Here in the Children’s area, I have the privilege of working with caregivers, parents, and children almost every Tuesday at a program called Little Makers. This is an arts-based program where we strive to engage children and their caregivers with open-ended projects that support early literacy skills, an inquiry-based learning style and foster creativity. This week we did pasta painting and used pasta noodles in exchange for paint brushes!

Whether you’re using the noodles as a brush or using them as stamps, this is a exciting project to explore. It’s a great way to discover different materials and how they interacted with each other as well as incorporate everyday objects into your child’s play and literacy. We were ready to experiment and talk about the different shapes and textures of the pasta and had a variety of noodles including spaghetti, macaroni, fiore, and rotini.

In addition to building creativity, art is a great way to build early literacy skills. It can incorporate some of Every Child Ready to Read’s five daily practices: reading, writing, singing, talking or playing. While experimenting with our pasta paint technique, we combined early literacy practices by engaging in talk and play by asking open-ended questions such as: What are you drawing? What’s happening in your painting? Creating an abundant verbal atmosphere, while having fun, gives preschoolers an advantage for when they enter kindergarten.

 Early literacy shouldn’t be a chore, so make it fun! Bring out the markers, paint, and chalk. You are your child’s first and most important teacher and enjoying art together can help build the skills that lead up to reading. Come join us at Little Makers or ask us at the reference desk about other programs that incorporate early literacy skills!

To celebrate Children’s Book Week this year, we’re reflecting on some of the favorite books we read as kids. We may not remember all the details of stories read decades ago, but there are images, passages, and feelings that have stuck with us through the years. Interesting to note that many of the titles we chose as our favorite childhood reads, are books that were first published before we were born. So who turned us on to these memorable stories? A parent? A teacher? A librarian? Do you find any of your childhood favorites among the ones we feature here?

My Side of the Mountain initially interested me because I always loved nature and animals. While reading it, I remember feeling empowered and inspired to imagine that I, just a child, could live in the wilderness on my own. – Kathy

Harriet in Harriet the Spy seemed real to me - not as chirpily cheerful or melodramatically tragic as many other child characters in books I was reading. She didn't always say or do the right thing, and she was nosy and selfish - but she mostly redeemed herself in the end. I could relate to her imperfections! – Ellen

I loved the Little House series because of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s descriptions of pioneer life and the warmth of her family. My grandparents lived on a rustic farm with cows, pigs, chickens, and a protective border collie named Shep. The Little House books kept me connected to my grandparents on that farm, even though I lived in a city far away. - Mary

As a young girl who loved animals, but especially horses, Black Beauty became one of my all-time favorite books. A fictional autobiographical memoir told from the point of view of a horse, the story describes Black Beauty's difficulties and experiences with humans, who often failed to recognize the unconditional love and loyalty that he was so willing to share. This book gave me a sense of responsibility, respect and compassion for all living creatures. I found it sad, hopeful, and in the end, comforting. – Janet

Ballet Shoes was an oasis for me as a young ballet student. Each of the young protagonists (Pauline, Petrova, and Posy) were able to follow their passions, with the support of a collection of knowledgeable and caring adults who understood the importance of having Big Dreams. The urban London setting was thrilling - and the European characters inhabiting the book made me eager to reach out and explore the world. I can’t help but think this book planted the seed for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had in life, thus far. I’ve travelled overseas, performed professionally in the theater, and now support the Big Dreams of my own children (which currently include being superhero millionaires who do charity work)! – Christina

As a child, I loved camping with my family and spending time by the water. The idea of suddenly finding myself alone on an island was both thrilling and terrifying. I admired Karana’s courage and tenacity and wondered if I could have managed to survive on my own as she had. Island of the Blue Dolphins also gives a personal perspective on living in and out of sync with the ebb and flow of nature. As an adult, I have experienced several island camping adventures, satisfying my desire to enjoy time by the water. But I was content that I did not have to hunt any further than my backpack to find my own food. – Lisa

Watership Down is a mixture of the best elements from The Wind in the Willows and The Odyssey. Since reading it at age 11, I haven't been able to look at hedges, meadows or overgrown alleyways without wondering what sort of tiny, cosmic dramas are unfolding beyond our vision. Truly inspiring. (Because of Watership Down, I got a cool looking rabbit on my arm as my first tattoo when I was 21.) – Josh

I read Little Women several times between the ages of 9 -11 . Growing up with lots of cousins, most of whom were female, I found it easy to identify with Jo March and her family. Plus, the story has some sadness, romance and drama! This book made me an avid reader. – Pat.

I think the idea of private spaces with little adult interference, like the ones in The Secret Garden or The Boxcar Children, is super appealing to kids. I was lucky enough to grow up in a house in the country with lots of land and tree cover perfect for creating little hideouts. So the idea of discovering and cultivating a secret garden was both relatable and compelling to me. – Aubrey

“Before they read words, children are reading pictures. In picture books, the illustrations work in concert with the text in a way that is unique among art forms.”

In the forward to Show Me a Story! Why Picture Books Matter: Conversations with 21 of the World’s Most Celebrated Illustrators, award-winning author and illustrator David Wiesner explains why we celebrate National Picture Book Month in November (actually, MCPL Children’s Services Librarians celebrate them year-round! Here’s more from Wiesner about why we love picturebooks…):

"Picture books tell stories in a visual language that is rich and multi-leveled, sophisticated in its workings despite its often deceptively simple appearance. It is through the book’s images that a child first understands the world of the story – where it is set, when it takes place, whether it’s familiar or new. They read the characters’ emotions and interactions in facial expressions and body language. They may notice secondary pictorial storylines happening alongside the main action, like a secret for them to follow. And nowhere is visual humor explored more fully than in the picture book. … Such visual reading is as important to a child’s development as reading written language is.”

Mo Willems expertly conveys emotion in facial expressions and body language in the picture book Knuffle Bunny. Both children and parents recognize how emotionally distraught Trixie is over the loss of her stuffed rabbit – from the tear she wipes away to her body going limp and “boneless,” to her flailing arms as her father attempts to carry her home.

And Jan Brett is famous for the wordless illustrations in the borders of her picture books, such as The Mitten, that show us, “like a secret,” more of the story depicted in the main scenes.

Two of the three Caldecott Awards that David Wiesner has received from the American Library Association have been for the wordless picture books: Tuesday and Flotsam. While some wordless picture books are aimed at pre-readers, allowing them to follow a story without having to read text, some wordless picture books, such as Flotsam, are better suited to older children who have developed their ability to imagine and think creatively, or who may bring a wider background of knowledge to a story to help understand its meaning.

The contextual clues that pictures provide can aid a reader’s ability to decipher written language. But picture books also help build a child’s appreciation for and enjoyment of written language. In addition to all the reasons Wiesner notes above, we encourage parents and teachers to share picture books with children as read-alouds because picture books frequently feature words we don’t use in our everyday conversations.  Picture books help introduce children to new words and expand their vocabulary. Even in a short silly story like Ol’ Mama Squirrel we find some delightful “S” words, such as:  slink and scold, scrabbled, scamper and sprang.

To learn more about books which have received the Caldecott Award for most distinguished American picture book in a given year, see the Caldecott Medal home page from the Association for Library Service to Children. You can also see our Flickr account for pictures of MCPL Children’s Services staff with some of our favorite picture books. One of my recent favorites is a new book called Ike’s Incredible Ink. Sometimes we enjoy picture books because they show us a piece of ourselves. Ike’s Incredible Ink helps explain why I am just now posting this homage to picture books at the end of November, instead of at the beginning of the month, as I had intended. Perhaps it’s one that other procrastinators may enjoy, too?

What are some of your favorite picture books? Old, or new, we’d love to hear from you!

Groundhog's Day has come and gone, but the shadow of its promise of longer, warmer days lingers! For preschool science in February, we explored the world of light, reflection, and shadow. These activities are meant to promote lively discussions between children and their adult partners, which builds vocabulary and knowledge of the world.

Shadow Mural

Children stood in front of light from an overhead projector and observed their shadows. During this open-ended activity, children and their grown-up partners had the opportunity to talk about how shadows change as an object  moves. Then, the children posed as their grown-up traced their shadow on paper with chalk. Children added words, labels, and even some made-up shadow shapes to complete the mural.

Create a Shadow Puppet

Children cut out and decorated shapes, which they attached to a craft stick. This simple, open-ended craft, allowed children to explore shapes and the shadows they create.

Guess My Name

Secret, shadow boxes sat on a table alongside a bucket full of plastic animals. The grown-up placed an animal in the box, without letting the child see. Children shone a flashlight through the hole and tried to guess the animal based on the shadow projected on the wall.

Catch a Shadow

Bugs hung, suspended in the air, waiting for their shadow to be caught. Children could catch a shadow on a piece of paper and trace the shape, or simply catch it in their hands.

As you go through the day with your preschooler, talk with her, follow her interests - you never know where they might take you!