Recap of Recaps: February 28–March 5

Submitted by Joanie Goforth

Here are some recaps from fun, educational, and engaging programming that took place systemwide between February 28–March 5. Author Susan Puckett's visit to Hampton Park was an opportunity for patrons to take away beneficial information and expertise as they write (and hopefully publish) their own cookbooks.

Families read Seuss books during Preschoolers at Post

Preschoolers at Post celebrated Dr. Seuss with stories, crafts, and coloring

Bluey Bash attendees designed their own headbands (Dad, too!)

How to Write a Cookbook at Hampton Park Library

7 adults

"Author Susan Puckett presented a great overview of starting a cookbook to seven eager patrons. She began by asking everyone to introduce themselves and asked them why they wanted to write a cookbook. One had been experimenting with mixing Indian and Italian cooking and wanted to pass the recipes on to her kids. Another two wanted to create a neighborhood cookbook. Others had become the keepers of family recipes and wanted to be able to share them with the rest of their families. Susan's presentation focused on

self-publishing. In her overview, she presented on the basic elements of a cookbook and how to get started - including thinking about the audience for the book, how they will use it, major themes and goals, and organization. She encouraged connecting food and stories, especially if the goal of the book was "legacy." Susan had many examples of different kinds of cookbooks available for patrons to thumb through, and spoke about her own experiences writing cookbooks and working as a food journalist. She took the time to answer everyone's questions. Given her experience, she had insight for everyone. Multiple patrons thanked us for putting this program together." –hosted by Brittany Mayo

Bluey Bash at Cumming Library 

31 children, 29 adults

“Wackadoo, it was a great day at the library! Families came out to enjoy drop-in Bluey-themed games and crafts. We made feather wands, designed “fancy grannies”, made Bluey headbands, and played “Magic Claw.” For Magic Claw, I stuck small assorted items in bins and had them try to get them out with tongs, or using straws like chopsticks, etc. We had a library desk play area made out of cardboard boxes that was a surprisingly big hit. One young regular asked an adult to pretend to pick up holds at the desk. I laid out carpet squares for “The Floor is Lava” and set out the baby pool with balloons for “Keepy Uppy.” Bluey books and Australia books were on display for check out, and I offered a handout with a QR code designed to send parents to Bluey books in the catalog. I also included instructions on hold to place a book on hold since the Bluey books are so popular and can be difficult to find on the shelf. One family asked me if Post Road could do a Bluey program, and I told them I'd pass it on! Two families asked if we had regular family evening programs, and I was excited to tell them about Twilight Tales.” –hosted by Alexa Martin

Preschoolers at Post at Post Road Library

22 children, 17 adults

"As tomorrow is Dr. Seuss' birthday, we celebrated with a program themed around his books! As families came in, we discussed who Dr. Seuss was, what he is known for, and what some of his most famous books are. We opened by singing "Happy Birthday" to Dr. Seuss! Then, we read the Board Book version of Are You My Mother?, and I encouraged the children to make animal noises for the characters and to tell me whether they thought each successive animal was the baby bird's mother or not. We offered crafts: Thing 1 and Thing 2 hats, Truffula tree painting with forks, and wacky 'Seuss Socks' design coloring. The kids enjoyed three interactive number activities and two letter activities. Our pretend play/gross motor activity was magnet fishing, which was quite popular! I made sure to check out a bunch of Dr. Seuss books for decorations for the tables, and throughout the program I noticed parents reading those books to their children. I even had some parents ask if they could check out the books to take home, and many of them did! Many patrons thanked us for holding Preschoolers at Post today, as it was a cold and rainy day so they were thankful to have something they could go out and do with their children.” –hosted by Kate Wallis

Bookmobile Visit to Sharon Elementary 20th Anniversary

107 children/teens, 38 adults

“This Tuesday, we got invited to Sharon Forks Elementary 20th Anniversary! The rain did not deter families from enjoying an opportunity to enjoy food, fun, and a petting zoo. Lorraine and I enjoyed talking with members of the community about all of the incredible programs that Outreach provides along with the programming at our branches. Many of the parents were already loyal patrons of various branches, but first time visitors to the Bookmobile. We also had quite a few parents that mentioned how they are too busy to read. So, of course, we told them about Libby and they were elated to learn that they could listen to our large collection of audiobooks during their morning commute. All of these interactions were amazing, but the highlights of the night were the multiple tinies that told us how the Bookmobile was super cool, or even their dream job. It’s hard to receive better praise than that!” –contributed by Katie LeDuc

Preschool PlayLab at Sharon Forks Library

21 children, 17 adults

"We had a great time exploring money in PlayLab today! Our little friends picked up a "piece of money" on their way into the room and after sharing our Play Lab Chant we asked what they knew about money. After some discussion about giving, earning, spending, and using money, we asked the group to bring their “money” to the front when they saw the same kind on the screen. We did a little money comparison as we went along and little basic counting. After reading the book Dirt Cheap by Mark Hoffmann, the children went forth to explore money in several different ways around the room! “Coin Cleaning Chemistry” was a popular station where patrons could try several different substances (water, salt, ketchup, vinegar, lemon) as cleaning solutions for our dirty pennies! “Money Sorting” and “Q is for Quarter” were both opportunities to sort coins and compare them to each other. I heard some great discussions at both tables about the characteristics of each coin! Our Dramatic Play Store was a big favorite and focused more on the fun of playing together. Our little friends enjoyed picking up a shopping bag and some money, selecting some snacks, and paying for things at the register. “Make Your Own Wallet and Money” was another hit, and the TAB volunteers did a great job of preparing this activity. Our final activity was a Scavenger Hunt for all the bills and coins posted around the room. They loved this activity, and one mom told me she was going to recreate it at home! At the start of the program, I mentioned that kids don't really see adults use money as much these days. One mom told me she had been meaning to start talking about money with her daughter, but wasn't sure how to go about it. She was very thankful for the topic and ideas! ” –hosted by Stephanie Gardner