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!
 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!
Today is the beginning of Kansas Reads to Preschoolers, an annual week-long celebration that promotes reading to preschool aged children. Most of the libraries around the state are participating with special events and by reading the same book to children from birth to age five. The book this year is titled Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas. Last year, Liberal Memorial Library read the Kansas reads to preschoolers book to almost 450 preschool aged kids around the community, and this year we are going to try to beat that and read to even more children in the community.
Because Is Everyone Ready for Fun? is such a fun book for kids of all ages and because the book promotes physical activity, in addition to all of the story times and class visits that we are doing this week, we have also made a StoryWalk down Kansas. Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea what a StoryWalk was, but it’s simple and fun. Basically, we cut up a copy of the book Is Everyone Ready for Fun? and posted it in the windows of businesses down Kansas Avenue. At each business, you stop, read a page and then walk to the next business to read the next page. The StoryWalk starts and ends at the library. Below, you will find a list of the 17 great businesses that have a page posted in their windows. We are super excited that they have all agreed to give up a part of their display windows for this project. When you finish the StoryWalk, be sure to sign the StoryWalk guest book and have your children pick up their prizes. It’s a good way to get out of the house, take a walk and read a book. The StoryW alk will be up in windows for two weeks, and the weather this week is looking a little more promising than last week. The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library.
Whether you do the StoryWalk or not, just make sure to read to your children. It is one of the most important things you can do for them as parents. Remember, Liberal Memorial Library is here to help. We have regular story times, parenting books and free library cards for everyone in the community. Come and check us out.
StoryWalk Route: Start at #1 and go in order to read Is Everyone Ready for Fun?
- Liberal Memorial Library
- Sharp McQueen Law Office
- Southern Office Supply
- Circle D Appliance
- Landmark Real Estate Center
- Farmers Insurance
- Sisters Boutique and Gifts
- 5 Estrellas/Five Stars
- Earles Engineering and Inspection
- Meemas
- Leader and Times Newspaper
- Heritage Real Estate
- Flowers by Girlfriends
- My Dream Boutique
- Yippee Yi Yea
- Burlap and Blossoms
- Brier and Hale Music
- Borjas Sattelites
- Liberal Memorial Library.
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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.”
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.