Don’t forget, this week you can get your fines forgiven at the library! Bring in a donation of non-perishable boxed or canned food or a toiletry item and get your fines forgiven. If you have any overdue items, bring those back in good condition with donation items and get those fines forgiven as well! All donation items should be new, unopened, and unused.
This week is Kansas Reads to Preschoolers Week, and libraries across the state will celebrate the event with storytimes and activities. According to the State Library of Kansas, “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.” This is an opportunity for libraries, preschools, daycare providers, parents, and guardians around Kansas to all share a book with the young children they care for and/or work with.
This year, Kansas Reads to Preschoolers is all about colors! Here in Liberal, we will be focusing on two books: Siesta by Ginger Foglesong Guy and Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson. Siesta is a bilingual book that tells the same story in English and Spanish: two children get ready for a nap by finding objects of different colors. The American Library Association named Siesta a “Notable Children’s Book for Younger Readers.” According to the Kirkus review, “Warm and charming, this treat invites young readers to broaden their linguistic horizons.”
Bear Sees Colors is a playful book where Bear recognizes different colors everywhere. School Library Journal’s review states, “The opportunity for children to sharpen their rhyming and observation skills as well as learn their colors make this interactive journey a must. Don’t miss it!” Sharing Siesta and Bear Sees Colors along with other color-themed books, plus songs and a craft should help preschoolers learn color names.
We’ll have special guests at our Kansas Reads to Preschoolers Week storytimes! Tuesday at 6 pm, Liberal Mayor Joe Denoyer will be our guest storyteller. On Thursday at 11:15 am, an officer from the Liberal Police Department will be at the library to share stories. There will be a craft time to go along with the stories each storytime session. Plus, attendees at each storytime will have a chance to win a copy of the book Siesta. And of course, the library will have copies of the books available for checkout, if you decide you’d like to read them again.
This Saturday at 2 pm, join us at the library for a Colorful Celebration! Celebrate Kansas Reads to Preschoolers week with colorful stories, games, crafts, and a science experiement!
In addition, Tammy, our Teen Librarian, and I will be traveling to the local preschools to present storytimes to the children there. I look forward to connecting the kids with some great books and getting the chance to reach out to kids who might not often come to the library.
If you have or know a preschooler (or younger child), I hope you and they will join us for a colorful storytime or our Colorful Celebration this week! See you there!