Recap of Recaps: September 27–October 3

Submitted by Joanie Goforth

Please take a moment to enjoy these recaps from system-wide programming (including our special Fall Break programs) that took place from September 27–October 3: 

The audience is captivated during Aesop's Fantastic Fables

Illustrators Academy participants creating illustrations

A Chestnut Ridge resident pets Zuzu the therapy dog

Drop-In Crafts at Cumming Library 

40 children, 28 adults

“A bunch of happy crafters showed up today to make unlimited crafts! We offered 30 crafts, all left over from past programs. There were so many sweet crafters. A pair of friends came to craft together and went around the whole room side by side. A little girl turned every craft she made into a cat. A one-year-old toddled around in circles with grandma while her older sister made all the crafts she wanted. A little boy told everyone about all the things he was making and drew comics on scrap paper. Some older kids took pieces of multiple crafts and made new, unique things. I think the most popular crafts were the flying dragon, the bead snakes (one girl announced that she was going to use hers to prank her Dad), and the straw rocket. Having four VolunTEENS made set-up, clean-up, and monitoring all the stations go so smoothly.” –hosted by Kaity Bowers

Illustrators Academy at Hampton Park Library

17 children, 8 adults

"Our first Illustrator's Academy was a great success! To kick off this new program, we invited children's book author and illustrator Rob McClurkan to read a few of his books and give us a drawing lesson. Rob read Aw, Nuts! and Playdates Rule!, then showed us how to draw the main characters from both books using simple shapes. After that, he took requests from the audience including a skull, a butterfly, and a robot. All of the kids were very excited to show Rob the drawings they made afterward!" –hosted by Kayla Bolton

Aesop's Fantastic Fables at Post Road Library

65 children, 44 adults

“Lee Bryan presented a really engaging mash-up of 3 of Aesop's fables today: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion and the Mouse, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. He interwove the tales in a very creative way and drew the children right into the stories. I literally saw them leaning in and talking back to the puppets at times. One little girl was so excited, she was talking with her hands! After the show, Lee pulled down the curtain to reveal everything backstage. He showed off each of the puppets and encouraged kids to come forward after the show to learn more. After the program, VolunTEEN Rishaan was interacting with a man and two children who were asking about the next show and recognized quickly that the man spoke limited English, but was fluent in Hindi. Rishaan conversed with the man in Hindi and invited him to the next show.” –hosted by Jane Elizabeth Sewell

2023 MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival at Sharon Forks Library

36 adults

“Thirty-six avid viewers showed up to watch ten short films from countries all over the world. Some of the films were intense, and many had meaningful storylines that really resonate and stay with you. All of them were good, and some were excellent! After the program, people expressed that they enjoyed the different perspectives and the diversity in the films. I was also pleased to see the diversity of the audience - men and women, middle-aged, senior citizens, young adults, and a few older teens. I overheard some attendees talking about how different films resonated with them and that was how they chose their favorite. After the viewing, everyone received a ballot to vote for their favorite film and their favorite actor. The voting was as diverse as the audience. Everyone seemed to enjoy the films, and most people stayed until the end. Attendees thanked us for having this program and hoped we would do it again. Given the attendance and the positive comments afterwards, the films and this program were definitely worthwhile!” –hosted by Jeanne McMahan

 Outreach Visit to Chestnut Ridge Assisted Living

10 adults

“Our Golden Hour topic at Chestnut Ridge Assisted Living was "Dogs: Man's Best Friend". As I had hoped, many shared stories of dogs they had in their childhood, or sadly, dogs they had to leave behind when they moved to assisted living. Those who had memory issues seemed to especially benefit from just petting and talking to the therapy dog that was there, although everyone was uplifted by ZuZu, the golden retriever! One sweet lady with memory issues sang and petted ZuZu for several minutes. She used to live on a farm and seemed to have a way with animals. Being around the dog brought out her old memories and gave her great joy! She had a precious smile, a soothing singing voice and several of us were moved to tears watching that beautiful scene play out. It was such a blessing to be there, and it reminded me of what a wonderful job this is.” –contributed by Jeanine Thompson