Ages 2-5.
Blog Post
At the Art Table: Chalk It Up!
by manz
Hey kiddos! Next time you’re in the youth area downtown visit the art table and see what’s new! This month we’re working with chalk. We have colorful sidewalk chalk and chalkboards ready for you to create a masterpiece, erase it, and start all over!
Chalk artist Julian Beever uses a technique called anamorphosis in his amazing 3D effect large scale chalk drawings. To read more about his process and see samples, check out the book Pavement chalk artist: the three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever.
Blog Post
Picturebook Picks: The Shape of My Heart
by prlhw
The Shape of My Heart by Mark Sherring is a delightful, colorful picturebook that is perfect for reading aloud. Sherring takes the readers on a journey to discover all of the wonderful, beautiful shapes that we see in our everyday life. From the shapes of our eyes to the sun, from the shapes of the zoo to our hearts, this is a heartwarming book that is perfect for engaging in seek-and-find - “Where is the duck?” - play. The illustrations, colorful and bright, are a collage of animals, shapes, and objects that children will immediately recognize. In addition, these amazing illustrations are brought to life with added sound effects, from chirps to squeaks! Children will fall in love with the high level of interaction this every-color-of-the-rainbow book has to offer.
Blog Post
April Showers Bring May Fairies!
by StoryLaura
There is only one place that you can discover Library Rachel’s one-of-a-kind fairy babies. They are not for sale. You cannot find these unique fairies on Amazon. Disney cannot claim them. They could have chosen any fairy garden or fairy door in Ann Arbor. They appeared yesterday, out of the blue, and began to frolic on the Tot Table at the Downtown Library. They are so soft and funny and magical, with their chubby tummies and colorful wings, that we decided to adopt them and love them forever!
Blog Post
And the cars go…
by manz
Author and illustrator William Bee is one to bookmark if you have a little one into THINGS THAT GO.
First there was And The Train Goes… and the newest one is And the Cars Go…. Both are such cute picture books!
The books are chock-full of amazing illustrations with sounds to make and read along with. BRRRMMM BRRRMMM, HONK HONK, POP POP POP, BANG BANG HISSSSS. Little ones will enjoy sitting on your lap and checking out the pictures, signs and THINGS THAT GO!
For further fun, check out Trains Go and Trucks Go by Steve Light. Super amazing big board books.
Blog Post
PreK BITS - Famous Mice
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel introduced her favorite MICE to Preschool StoryTime families.
YOU can find them too!
BOING BOING SQUEAK! is a bounce rhyme for a mouse around the house.
The Mouse who went on "The Journey" has several stories in MOUSE TALES ... a Reader by Arnold Lobel.
When we went WALK, Walk, Walking Around the Block ... we found "Something In My Shoe"! Do you know what fell OUT?
THERE'S A MOUSE In The HOUSE There really is! Now WHAT do we do?
If you think Mice are Nice ... here are stories of more famouse mice by "famous mouse" Authors:
CHRYSANTHEMUM and OWEN by Kevin Henkes.
MOUSE PAINT and BALANCING ACT ... by Ellen Stoll Walsh.
Monique Felix is a NEW Author and Illustrator of MOUSE books. Try ... The WIND, The ALPHABET and more. The mice seem truly alive in these concept books. You'll be glad to observe so closely ... and NOT see them move!
Blog Post
Take a family adventure with Larry & Pete!
by PattySmith
With summer fast approaching, the whole family can share in the fun of vacation planning with the help of the Larry Gets Lost Series!
These fantastic books have brightly colored, retro-like illustrations and great rhymes that take your family on a journey with Larry and Pete through the streets of Seattle, New York and Chicago, to name a few. In every book Larry the dog lets the tasty smell of local foods lure him away from his good pal Pete and spends the day exploring a new city in his quest to be reunited with his boy. The stories combine fun verse, geography and history to create a wonderful travel guide for children and adults alike!
Blog Post
PreK BITS - Owls
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel invited Owls to tell their stories in StoryTime @ Malletts Creek Branch Library.
If you liked the stories and want to take home the book, here are the titles:
LITTLE OWL LOST by Chris Haughton
I'M NOT CUTE! By Jonathan Allen .... AND Jonathan Allen's Baby Owl has more stories to tell.
If you want to read more books about Owls here are some suggestions:
TOO TALL HOUSES by Gianna Marino
GOOD NIGHT, OWL! by Pat Hutchins
OWL BABIES by Martin Waddell
OWL WHO WAS AFRAID Of The DARK by Jill Tomlinson
LITTLE OWL'S NIGHT by Divya Srinivasan
Don't forget to browse the books with True Facts about Owls.
Build your knowledge of owl behaviors and science when you browse non-fiction J 598.7:
OWLS
OWLS: Whooo ARE THEY?
Blog Post
At the Art Table: Pop Art!
by manz
The next time you’re at the Downtown Library, pop into the Youth Department and check out the new art project at the art table. This month you’ll have the chance to create some POP ART!
Pop art is the art of every day things. This art form works off things in pop culture and mass media. We’ve got crayons, paper and samples to get you started in your own artistic endeavors. And for some books as inspiration, check out these youth titles about pop art.
Blog Post
The Bear’s Song
by manz
The Bear’s Song is a charming picture book written and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. The beautiful, large and detailed illustrations help tell the story of a bear and his cub. Little Bear darts off after a bee, because honey is where the bees are! Papa Bear is left to run after Little Bear. He searches for him in the forest, in the big, busy city, and eventually an opera house—where things get a little silly for Papa Bear.
It is a darling story that is great for lap reading. Kids will enjoy searching for Little Bear and the bee on each of the pages as the story unfolds.
Highly acclaimed, the book has been on many top lists, including New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2013 and Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2013, which both feature some amazing children’s books!
Blog Post
New Baby Board Books!
by manz
There are many funny, cuddly, silly, adorable, and beautiful new board books for grown-ups and children to dive into on the shelves at AADL. Board books are durable enough for the youngest hands to hold and often feature bright colors, simple stories, and basic concepts that are great for lap time.
A few beautifully illustrated books written by Jennifer Adams have some familiar titles! The BabyLit series “is a fashionable way to introduce toddlers to the world of classic literature.” Check out the board book versions of these classics:
Wuthering Heights: a weather primer
Sense & sensibility: an opposites primer
Alice in Wonderland: a colors primer
If you like these, be patient, we have more Babylit on order!