Garden Season is right around the corner. If you want inspiration for your yard, and "garden reading" with the kids, take a look at the following materials at the Library, and find something you will like in your family.

For Preschool ages:
10 Hungry Rabbit for garden colors and counting.
And Then It's Spring ... the seeds are planted, the wait begins, and then it's "spring"!
My Garden ... IF we can have what we plant ... and then more.
Whose Garden Is It? ... the sun's? the rain's? the seed's?
We're Rabbits and Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! ... for "rabbit trouble".

For the public list of many things related to Gardening with Kids visit Gardens and Kids and make your choices.

Ms. Rachel presented "Candle and Candy stories" in Preschool Storytime this week, which also included birthday stories.
Max and Ruby went to the store to buy Grandma a birthday gift in Bunny Money by rosemary Wells.
There were all kinds of suspicious noises going in the kitchen one day, where the "Lonely Candle" stayed in a drawer.

Here are my favorite birthday stories:
On The Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier
Birthday Presents by Cynthia Rylant
Mr Rabbit And The Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow ... and in Spanish El Sr Conejo y El Regalo Perfecto
A Birthday For Cow by Jan Thomas
The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan

Or follow this link to birthday picture books in the Library.

Ms. Rachel did stories about MONSTERs for Preschool Storytime this week ... and we fell in love with them.
We fed the "The Very Hungry Thing" until finally it said "Thank You".
We scared the "Big Green Monster" away... all by ourselves... with support from each other.

If you like to observe monsters from afar ... and talk about monsters ... and not get too scared ... here are more books for you.
Your Pal Mo Willems Presents Leonardo The Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Go Away Big green Monster by Ed Emberley
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Bedtime For Monsters by Ed Vere
There Was An Old Monster by Rebecca Emberley
How To Potty Train Your Monster by Kelly DiPucchio

If you want to find the best monsters for YOU, follow this link into the catalog.

Ms. Rachel and Ms. Rebecca performed Inuit Stories in Preschool Storytime this week. The featured stories were Kumak's Fish and "A Whale Of A Tale" from folkloric oral tradition.

Here are more title to take a look at:
Kumak's House - a fun tale that includes detailed illustrations of inuit lifestyle, and family.
Mama, Do You Love Me? - a universal rhyme of love, with lovely illustrations of an Inuit family in the Arctic tundra setting.
Immi's Gift - Immi fishes every day with her family, and each day she pulls up something colorful and different...
Over In The Arctic Where The Cold Wind Blows

... And if you like to learn about Inuit life, Arctic animals, and how Igloos are built ... take a look at these titles for children:
Look Inside An Igloo
Building An Igloo
Arctic
Best Book Of Polar Animals
Polar Lands
Snow Baby: the arctic childhood of Admiral Robert E. Peary's daring daughter

Remember! Only watch polar bears from aFAR !

Ms. Rachel went backward in time ... and we met dinosaurs and cave people in Storytime.
Look for the following:
Songs from Most Amazing Dinosaur Songs
Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton
Except If ... by Jim Averbeck
Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus
Stomp Dinosaur Stomp by Margaret Mayo
If The Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most
Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner
Me Want Pet by Tammi Sauer
Boy by James Mayhew
Kali's Song by Jeanette Winter
The Great Dinosaur Search visual puzzle book.
D is for Dinosaur alphabet.
If you want dinosaur facts take a look at this list.
And for dinosaur make-believe follow this link.

Ms. Rachel featured "Happenings @ Bedtime" in Preschool Storytime. We featured the letter "H".
There were "Strange Bumps" in Owl's bed, a story by Arnold Lobel in the book OWL at HOME.
There was a Tailor who discovered a "Hudgin" in the book A BED JUST SO or a "Hinky Pink" in the book HINKY PINK: an old tale.

Here are related titles to extend the theme:
BEDTIME for FRANCES by Russell Hoban
LITTLE CRITTER BEDTIME STORYBOOK by Mercer Mayer
NIGHT KNIGHT by Owen Davey
TELL ME the DAY BACKWARDS by Albert Lamb
DON'T LET the PIGEON STAY UP LATE by Mo Willems
LITTLE QUACK's BEDTIME by Derek Andersen

DON'T MISS Derek Andersen at Malletts Creek Library Monday evening, October 29, 2012 at 7-8:00 pm.

Join Morgan Grubola ... Dancer, and Teacher for a one-of-a-kind program @ Pittsfield Branch Library.
The program will take place Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 10:00 -10:40 a.m.
Morgan's training is classical ballet and she brings a new perspective to preschool music and movement experience.
Morgan is also the author of Tiny Toes: A Creative Movement Class for Young Children.
"Tiny Toes" is especially for Preschool Ages with their Adult companions.

Don't forget to bring your toes!

All of us storytime tellers have been reading and telling the best-selling story of Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin since it landed on our shelf. It’s one of our favorites, so we are so excited that Eric Litwin will be performing at the Downtown Library this Friday, March 23 at 7 pm for the whole family! We just know, with Pete along for the ride, it’s going to be groovy!!

We SING in Storytime. You SING in the yard ... in the car ... at the park. We sang "Two Kinds Of Seagulls ... HEgulls and SHEgulls" by Tom Chapin in Storytime with Ms. Sarah. Folks liked it and asked for more suggestions.
Here is a list of some of my favorite recording artists for young families.
These artists provide fun songs for elementary school ages,
AND the preschool siblings enjoy going along with the fun.
Cellabration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins with various artists all singing songs written by Ella Jenkins
You'll Sing A Song And I'll Sing A Song with Ella Jenkins
Making Good Noise with Tom Chapin
Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi on His Toe Leg Knee with Jim Gill
Daddy-O Daddy with various artists all singing songs written by Woody Guthrie
Train Songs And Other Tracks with Kevin Roth
You Are My Little Bird with Elizabeth Mitchell
All Wound Up! with Cathy Fink
Crazy Hair Day: original songs and stories with various artists
SING-on !

DANCING BABIES is a family event for "the Five and Under" crowd.
Gari Stein will lead the program Saturday morning, January 14, 2012, at the Pittsfield Branch Library. Young "Twinkle Toes" families are invited to "Polish and Shine" muscles and voices at this popular Preschool Music and Motion Program. The program will begin at 11:00 am and end by 11:45 am.
It has the makings for one Happy Day!