November is Kansas Reads to Preschoolers month, and this week libraries across the state will celebrate the event with storytimes and activities. According to the State Library of Kansas, “The State Library’s 10th annual one-book/one-state reading initiative, Kansas Reads to Preschoolers, highlights the importance of reading to children with a goal that every Kansas child from birth to age five is read to during the week of November 15-21.” This is an opportunity for libraries, preschools, daycare providers, parents, and guardians around Kansas to all share the same book with the young children they care for and/or work with.
This year’s book is Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino. Guarino’s classic picture book features a young llama asking his woodland animal friends if their (respective) “mamas” are llamas. The book gives clues as to what type of animal each friend’s mama really is, leading to a fun guessing game for young listeners. School Library Journal said of the book, “Young readers will delight in the playful rhythm of the text, and each riddle is sure to result in a resounding chorus of response.”
At Liberal Memorial Library, we have a storytime with a special guest reader every day of the week! Many thanks to all of them for agreeing to participate. Bring your child under five (or over five, all are welcome) and join us for one or more storytimes with these fine community members:
Monday at 6:00 pm: Clarissa Carrillo Martinez from Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland
Tuesday at 11:15 am: Pat McClurg from the Liberal Police Department
Wednesday at 3:00 pm: Liberal Mayor Joe Denoyer
Thursday at 11:15 am: Liberal Storyteller Bonnie Raff
Friday at 3:30 pm: Firefighters from the Liberal Fire Department
Saturday at 11:00 am: Darth Vader (Christopher Trujillo) from the 501st Legion
Also, we will be having a special Bilingual (Spanish & English) Storytime on Thursday night at 6 pm.
As always, there will be craft time to go along with the story/stories each session. Plus, attendees at each storytime will have a chance to win a copy of the book Is Your Mama a Llama? (or the Spanish-language translation, ¿Tu Mama es Una Llama?). And of course, the library has copies of the book (including a board book version and the Spanish-language translation) available for checkout, if you decide you’d like to read it again.
In addition, I will be traveling to the local preschools and daycare centers to present storytimes to the children there. I look forward to connecting the kids with such a fun book and getting the chance to reach out to kids who might not often come to the library. Parents, caregivers, childcare workers, and teachers can also find ideas for learning and just-for-fun activities at the State Library’s website for Kansas Reads to Preschoolers, https://kslib.info/prek. I know I am getting a lot of ideas from this site & the linked Pinboard for supplemental activities and potential crafts.
If you have or know a preschooler (or younger child), I hope you and they will join us for a llama storytime sometime this week! See you there!
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