Resources for Our Littlest Learners
The first five years of a child’s life lay the foundation for all future learning. Singing, talking, reading, writing, and playing together will help your child develop important early literacy skills. We have compiled these resources to support you in your role as your child's first and most influential teacher!
Upcoming Events
Join Ms. Natalie for lap songs, fingerplays, and beginning stories with your little one. Stay for a little while after the program to get to know other caregivers, build community, and have conversations!
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Join us for a high-energy storytime focused on music and movement with Ms. Paige!
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
Join us for a high-energy storytime focused on music and movement with Ms. Paige!
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Join Mrs. Melissa for a fun storytime where we read, dance, sing, and prepare for Kindergarten. Also, stay for thirty minutes of play. Ideal for ages 2-5.
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Join Ms. Gabby for preschool storytime where we read, dance, and learn. Once a month we will also have an art project to go along with the stories and songs!
Storytime is geared toward ages 2 to 5, but all are welcome.
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We cannot guarantee that food served at this program has not come into contact with tree nuts, soy, or other allergens.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Join Ms. Paige for a storytime followed by an art project! Ideal for ages 2-5.
And don't forget to sign up for our summer reading program!
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Children Poetry Just for You!
-
The Dream Train: Poems for Bedtime
A dreamy treasure trove of thirty bedtime poems to snuggle over together—and return to night after night
When night arrives and the birds swoop home to nest, it’s time to have a bath, put on pajamas, brush teeth, and settle in for sleep. This soothing collection of Sean Taylor’s original verse and rhyme for the very young explores the ritual of bedtime with warmth, tenderness, and gentle humor. Thirty poems in many styles, from shape poems to free verse to ballad poems, are divided into three sections. From sleepy bats to dreaming ducks, from a favorite blanket to the chugga! chugga! of a dream train coming down the tracks, these imaginative variations on a timeless theme—brought to life in soft, shimmering illustrations—resonate with pure emotion, inviting sleepyheads of every stripe to indulge in sweet dreams. -
How to Write a Poem
In this evocative and playful companion to their New York Times bestselling picture book How to Read a Book, Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander teams up with poet Deanna Nikaido and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet to celebrate the magic of discovering your very own poetry in the world around you.
Begin
with a question
like an acorn
waiting for spring.
From this first stanza, readers are invited to pay attention--and to see that paying attention itself is poetry. Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido's playful text and Melissa Sweet's dynamic, inventive artwork are paired together to encourage readers to listen, feel, and discover the words that dance in the world around them--poems just waiting to be written down.
-
Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets
The 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner
A Newbery Medalist and a Caldecott Honoree’s New York Times best-selling ode to poets who have sparked a sense of wonder.
Out of gratitude for the poet’s art form, Newbery Award–winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, along with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, present original poems that pay homage to twenty famed poets who have made the authors’ hearts sing and their minds wonder. Stunning mixed-media images by Ekua Holmes, winner of a Caldecott Honor and a John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, complete the celebration and invite the reader to listen, wonder, and perhaps even pick up a pen. -
My Grandma Is the Best!
From the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series, this collection of poems makes a perfect gift for grandmas, abuelas, and bubbes everywhere.
"A mirror that captures love and reflects it back to its source—a devoted grandmother."—Kirkus Reviews
Children can celebrate their grandma with this illustrated collection of short poems -- one to a page -- that honors the memories and experiences with the woman they know and love. From playing Doctor with Grandma to sitting on her lap to read a favorite story, this gift book from the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series is perfect for any grandmother. -
My Grandpa Is the Best!
From the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series, this collection of poems makes a perfect gift for grandpas, abuelos, and zaydes everywhere.
Children can celebrate their grandpa with this illustrated collection of short poems – one to a page – that honors the memories and experiences with the man they know and love. From planting seeds in the garden with Grandpa to reading favorite books together again and again, this gift book from the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series is perfect for any grandfather. -
A Poem Grows Inside You
Recipient of the 2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award honor award.
We all hold the seed of something wonderful inside us, just waiting for the right moment to bloom. In A Poem Grows Inside You, the seed of an idea waits for the rhythm of the rainfall to awaken it, then takes root and begins to grow. At once a celebration of the deep connection creatives have with their art and an acknowledgement of the courage it takes to let it into the sun, this beautifully illustrated picture book encourages readers to nurture their talents and boldly share them with the world. -
Remember
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s iconic poem "Remember," illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.
Remember the sky you were born under,
Know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn,
That is the strongest point of time.
So begins the picture book adaptation of the renowned poem that encourages young readers to reflect on family, nature, and their heritage. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected. Michaela Goade, drawing from her Tlingit culture, has created vivid illustrations that make the words come alive in an engaging and accessible way.
This timeless poem paired with magnificent paintings makes for a picture book that is a true celebration of life and our human role within it. -
Free at Last
This lyrical celebration of Juneteenth, deeply rooted in Black American history, spans centuries and reverberates loudly and proudly today.
After 300 years of forced bondage;
hands bound, descendants of Africa
picked up their souls--all that they owned--
leaving shackles where they fell on the ground,
headed for the nearest resting place to be found.Deeply emotional, evocative free verse by poet and activist Sojourner Kincaid Rolle traces the solemnity and celebration of Juneteenth from its 1865 origins in Galveston, Texas to contemporary observances all over the United States. This is an ode to the strength of Black Americans and a call to remember and honor a holiday whose importance reverberates far beyond the borders of Texas.
-
In the Tall, Tall Grass
Rhymed text (crunch, munch, caterpillars lunch) presents a toddler's view of creatures found in the grass from lunchtime till nightfall, such as bees, ants, and moles.
-
No More Poems!
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rhett Miller teams up with Caldecott Medalist and bestselling artist Dan Santat in a riotous collection of irreverent poems for modern families.
In the tradition of Shel Silverstein, these poems bring a fresh new twist to the classic dilemmas of childhood as well as a perceptive eye to the foibles of modern family life. Full of clever wordplay and bright visual gags--and toilet humor to spare--these twenty-three rhyming poems make for an ideal read-aloud experience.
Taking on the subjects of a bullying baseball coach and annoying little brothers with equally sly humor, renowned lyricist Rhett Miller's clever verses will have the whole family cackling. -
Step Gently Out
Stunning close-up photography and a lyrical text implore children to look more closely at the world around them.
Be still, and watch a single blade of grass.
An ant climbs up to look around.
A honeybee flies past.
What would happen if you walked very, very quietly and looked ever so carefully at the natural world outside? You might see a cricket leap, a moth spread her wings, or a spider step across a silken web. In simple, evocative language, Helen Frost offers a hint at the many tiny creatures around us. And in astonishing close-up photographs, Rick Lieder captures the glint of a katydid's eye, the glow of a firefly, and many more living wonders just awaiting discovery. Fascinating facts about all the creatures pictured may be found at the end. -
Girls and Boys Come Out to Play
Mother Goose herself invites kids to come out to play with all their favorite nursery rhyme characters in this popular Mother Goose rhyme.
Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day.
Parents looking for bedtime stories with a fresh twist on a familiar nursery rhyme need look no further. Using the popular Girls and Boys Come Out to Play Mother Goose poem as a backdrop, illustrator Tracey Campbell Pearson spins an exciting visual narrative in which Mother Goose invites children on a city block to come out and play, taking them on a moonlit adventure in verse. Young readers will love pouring over Tracey's richly detailed artwork full of diverse kids, animals, and beloved nursery rhyme characters, including Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and Old King Cole. After the fun is over, Mother Goose leads everyone home to sleep snug in their beds -
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
All around the world, from the sleeping city to the icy pole, baby animals and their parents share the wonder of a twinkling star.Sparkle, sparkle, little star,
how I wonder what you are.
Peeking through the silent trees,
high above the deep blue seas . . .
On a beautiful night an owl sings to his owlet, a deer to her fawn, a whale to her calf. Animal parents all over the world sing this lullaby to their young, celebrating parents' love for their children. Jane Cabrera's handsomely painted full-sized picture book is perfect for story hours or sharing at bedtime.
Jane Cabrera's Story Time celebrates children's best-loved read along nursery rhymes and songs. These interactive favorites are given a new twist by award-winning artist Jane Cabrera and feature her bold, bright, kid-friendly illustrations. Other titles in the series include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, If You're Happy and You Know It, and One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. -
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Flo!
The mission: catch a tiger by the toe.
The team: brothers Eeny, Meeny, Miney,
and Mo.
But what about little sister Flo? Can't she help, too?
Join these mischievous mice for a rollicking twist on a familiar nursery rhyme.
Just be sure to watch your toes
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage for Kids
-
Scroll
A Bookpage Best Picture Book of the Year
★ "A beautifully drawn, cleverly told tale of bravery and wit.... As Lulu discovers, wonders await those who take a chance and dive in." --Bookpage, starred review
★ "Readers are plunged into an enchanted world where drawing skills and creative problem-solving hold the key to a favorable outcome.... A masterful integration of storytelling." --School Library Journal, starred review
"This charming story utilizing a comics format will engage readers with its blend of history, language learning, and adventure." --Booklist
"A fun and clever introduction to an ancient art form." --Kirkus Reviews
"Hand-rendered watercolor, colored pencil, and Chinese ink art offers a visual feast via energetic brushwork and transparent pools of color." --Publishers Weekly
Lulu and her dog Dumpling enter a magical world where Chinese calligraphy comes to life in this beautifully illustrated, interactive picture book about family, tradition, and the importance of kindness.
After Grandpa introduces calligraphy and Chinese characters to Lulu and her dog Dumpling, they find themselves magically transported to a world where the characters they draw come to life! Soon Lulu and Dumpling meet a bird, a zither-playing musician, and many other animated friends. But when they discover an angry dragon, Lulu is not sure how to draw them out of this tense encounter.
Spanning themes of art and history, this inventive story introduces children to complex Chinese characters, celebrates family and tradition, and shows how resourcefulness and kindness can save the day. -
Quiet Time with My Seeya
A lush and endearing picture book about the special days a child spends with her Sinhalese grandfather, her Seeya, despite their language barrier.
Sometimes, the moments that Sona spends with her seeya are quiet. They speak different languages and don't always use words. But they do communicate in other ways.
Sometimes, they're loud. They play dress-up, stomp in puddles, and pretend to be puppies. They cook pittu, tease each other when they're messy, and read to each other, even though they might not understand what the other is saying.
Any time that Sona and Seeya share is special, whether quiet or loud, because they get to spend it together.
Dinalie Dabarera's debut picture book is an achingly tender meditation on the unconditional love that can transcend all languages. -
Mommy's Khimar
Selected as a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and Shelf Awareness!
A young Muslim girl spends a busy day wrapped up in her mother’s colorful headscarf in this sweet and fanciful picture book from debut author and illustrator Jamilah Tompkins-Bigelow and Ebony Glenn.
A khimar is a flowing scarf that my mommy wears.
Before she walks out the door each day, she wraps one around her head.
A young girl plays dress up with her mother’s headscarves, feeling her mother’s love with every one she tries on. Charming and vibrant illustrations showcase the beauty of the diverse and welcoming community in this portrait of a young Muslim American girl’s life. -
Bracelets for Bina's Brothers
Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling!
For the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan, Bina is determined to make beaded bracelets for her brothers all by herself. She finds out which colors her brothers like and dislike and sets to work. Working with her every-other-one beading pattern causes Bina to discover something new about patterns--and her brothers.
Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC, under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation. -
The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh
"Alea Marley's cover illustration screams JOY and LOVE. I love everything about this important and necessary picture book, especially Harpreet Singh and his big heart." --Mr. Schu, Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic
"This simple yet sensitive story about a child coming to terms with things beyond his control will resonate across cultures." --Kirkus
Harpreet Singh loves his colors--but when his family moves to a new city, everything just feels gray. Can he find a way to make life bright again?
Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from pink for dancing to bhangra beats to red for courage. He especially takes care with his patka--his turban--smoothing it out and making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet's mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, all he wants is to be invisible. Will he ever feel a happy sunny yellow again? -
Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala
"Priya lives in the United States and her family is from India. She feels the magic of the place her family comes from through her Babi Ba's colorful descriptions of India--from the warm smell of spices to the swish-swish sound of a rustling sari. Together, Priya and Babi Ba make their heritage live on through the traditions that they infuse into their everyday lives."--Provided by publisher.
-
The Katha Chest
Reminiscent of Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Mommy’s Khimar, this beautifully woven tale about the bonds of love, culture, and memory follows a young girl learning about her family history through her grandmother’s katha chest.
Asiya loves to visit Nanu’s house where she can rummage through Nanu’s katha chest filled with quilts. There are stories in each of the quilts that her Nanu has collected through the years, all about the bold and brave women in Asiya’s family. Among all of the games and exciting things at Nanu’s house, Asiya thinks these hidden histories are the grandest treasure. -
Ohana Means Family
Join the family, or ohana, as they farm taro for poi to prepare for a traditional luau celebration with a poetic text in the style of The House That Jack Built.
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
"This is the land that's never been sold, where work the hands, so wise and old, that reach through the water, clear and cold, into the mud to pick the taro to make the poi for our ohana's luau."
Acclaimed illustrator and animator Kenard Pak's light-filled, dramatic illustrations pair exquisitely with Ilima Loomis' text to celebrate Hawaiian land and culture.
The backmatter includes a glossary of Hawaiian terms used, as well as an author's note.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!
A Booklist Editor's Choice -
Gibberish
It's Dat's first day of school in a new country! Dat and his Mah made a long journey to get here, and Dat doesn't know the language. To Dat, everything everybody says - from the school bus driver to his new classmates - sounds like gibberish. How is Dat going to make new friends if they can't understand each other?
Luckily there's a friendly girl in Dat's class who knows that there are other ways to communicate, besides just talking. Could she help make sense of the gibberish? -
Eyes That Speak to the Stars
New York Times bestselling team Joanna Ho and Dung Ho present Eyes That Speak to the Stars, companion to the acclaimed Eyes That Kiss in the Corners.
"A brilliant treatise to love of self and heritage." --School Library Journal (starred review)
"A beautifully validating book that builds on the necessary work of its predecessor." --Kirkus
"Affirmative poetry about a child's eyes and the tale they tell about him. An uplifting read." --Booklist
A young boy comes to recognize his own power and ability to change the future. When a friend at school creates a hurtful drawing, the boy turns to his family for comfort. He realizes that his eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars, shine like sunlit rays, and glimpse trails of light from those who came before--in fact, his eyes are like his father's, his agong's, and his little brother's, and they are visionary.
Inspired by the men in his family, he recognizes his own power and strength from within. This extraordinary picture book redefines what it means to be truly you.
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners received three starred reviews and was embraced as breathtaking, lyrical, and poignant. This companion volume is sure to be welcomed with equal joy.
January/February 2021 Kids' Indie Next List
An Amazon January Best Book of the Month
-
Hot Pot Night!
Hot pot, hot pot!
Hits the right spot!
What's for dinner? A Taiwanese American child brings his diverse neighbors together to make a tasty communal meal. Together, they cook up a steaming family dinner that celebrates community, cooperation, and culture. Includes a family recipe for hot pot! -
Watercress
Caldecott Medal Winner
Newbery Honor Book
APALA Award Winner
Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family's Chinese Heritage.
New England Book Award Winner
A New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can.
At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family's time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.
Andrea Wang tells a moving autobiographical story of a child of immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage, illustrated by award winning author and artist Jason Chin, working in an entirely new style, inspired by Chinese painting techniques. An author's note in the back shares Andrea's childhood experience with her parents.
Winner of the Cybils Award
A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year
A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of the Year
A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
Named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly, BookPage, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Lunch, Shelf Awareness, and more!
A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
An NPR 'Book We Love!'
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year
A Floyd's Pick Honor Book
A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
A CCBC Choice -
Grandfather's Journey
Lyrical, breathtaking, splendid—words used to describe Allen Say’s Grandfather’s Journey when it was first published. At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man’s love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captured readers’ attention and hearts. Winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal, it remains as historically relevant and emotionally engaging as ever.
-
Ganesha's Sweet Tooth
The bold, bright colors of India leap right off the page in this fresh and funny picture book retelling (with a twist) of how Ganesha came to help write the epic poem of Hindu literature, the Mahabharata. Ganesha is just like any other kid, except that he has the head of an elephant and rides around on a magical mouse. And he loves sweets, especially the traditional dessert laddoo. But when Ganesha insists on biting into a super jumbo jawbreaker laddoo, his tusk breaks off! Ganesha is terribly upset, but with the help of the wise poet Vyasa, and his friend Mr. Mouse, he learns that what seems broken can actually be quite useful after all. With vibrant, graphic illustrations, expressive characters, and offbeat humor, this is a wonderfully inventive rendition of a classic tale.
-
No Kimchi For Me!
Yoomi loves Grandma's cooking—except for stinky, spicy kimchi, the pickled cabbage condiment served at Korean meals.
"You can't eat it because you're a baby," her brothers tease. And they don't play with babies. Determined to prove she's not a baby, Yoomi tries to find a way to make kimchi taste better—but not even ice cream can help. Luckily, Grandma has a good idea, and soon everyone has a new food to enjoy.
Celebrating family, food, and growing up, this story about a Korean-American family will appeal to picky eaters and budding foodies alike. Aram Kim's lively art is filled with expressive characters and meticulous details—and of course, mouth-watering illustrations of traditional Korean dishes and ingredients.
Backmatter includes information about kimchi and how it's made, and best of all, a recipe for Grandma's kimchi pancakes to try yourself!
For more about Yoomi and her family, don't miss Let's Go to Taekwondo! by Aram Kim.
A Junior Library Guild Selection!
Resources for Early Learning
Kanopy Kids
Libby, by OverDrive
