Moonlight Story Time

Join us as we read

How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?

Tuesday February 12, 2013

6:00-7:00pm

 

Author/Illustrator Janis Pacileo Event Recap

     On July 19th, local author/illustrator, Janis Pacileo read us her book, "A Shrimp Called PeeWee", and taught enthusiastic children and adults alike how to draw its main character.  This book uses rhyming verse and cute characters to relate to children the dangers of human pollution as well as the effects of being different for a young person.  In the story, PeeWee's mother seems unaffected by the Gulf Coast oil spill, until PeeWee is born weak and without a shell.  The sturgeon surgeons work hard to save him, and ultimately they build him a beautiful new shell.  At first PeeWee is proud that he is different, but then he starts to feel uncomfortable with all the stares and murmurs.  His family loves and supports him, however, he learns that it's okay to be different.
     After reading her book, Janis demonstrated how to draw not only PeeWee, but other animal characters as well, both from the land and the sea.  Children and adults present found themselves becoming instant artists under Janis' direction, and a few lucky winners were able to take home Janis' over-sized originals.  Janis stayed to answer questions and autograph smaller drawings of PeeWee for all the children.  We're looking forward to her second book, which is coming out in October.

Click on any picture to see a larger version.

Author Bonnie Feuer Event Recap

On July 7th, West Haven Public Library was lucky enough to have author Bonnie Feuer share her new book with us, "Wallaby the Wanna-be".  It is a delightful little story about a wallaby in Australia who wants to be every animal he meets, but in the end, he discovers that he is perfect just being himself.  The children had a great time listening to Bonnie tell her story, and she stayed and chatted with people who were curious about the book's creation process.

Click on any picture to see a larger version.

Learn to draw PeeWee

Dream Big - READ! Join us for our summer reading kickoff!

If you have any questions or want to register, please feel free to stop by or call us at (203) 937-4233 ext. 117.

Also, don't forget, we still have our regular story times all summer at 10 AM Monday and Wednesday; Monday for ages 3-5 and Wednesday for ages 0-2. Drop-ins welcome.

Eleanor Estes

Eleanor Rosenfeld Estes, award winning children’s author was born in West Haven, Connecticut in 1906.  She is considered one of America’s best-known and well-beloved authors of children’s literature.

Estes grew up in West Haven at the turn of the twentieth century.  The town of West Haven became the setting for the fictional New England town of Cranbury, home of the Moffat children.  The Moffats, was the first book in a series of four.  Ginger Pye, Newbery Award winner and Pinky Pye were also set in the town of Cranbury.  The city of West Haven, Estes once explained, “had everything a child could want, great vacant fields with daisies and clover and buttercups and an occasional peaceful cow.  There were marvelous trees to climb, fishing and clamming in the summertime, ice and snow and sliding down hills in the wintertime.” 

Estes’ mother was most influential in her becoming a lover of books.  Her mother was a great storyteller and often recited poetry to Eleanor and her siblings.

After graduating high school Eleanor was a children’s librarian at the New Haven Free Public Library.  Four years later she was promoted to head of the children’s department.  In 1931 she was awarded the Caroline M. Hewins scholarship for children librarians who afforded  Eleanor to attend the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she studied library science and also met her husband, Rice Estes.  In 1932 she began working at the New York Public Liberty until becoming a full-time writer after The Moffats was published in 1941.

In 1944 The Hundred Dresses was published.  This book articulates the prejudice that exists in literature for children.  A young Polish immigrant, Wanda is ridiculed by her classmates.  Wanda tells them that the faded blue dress she wears every day is one of a hundred dresses hanging in her closet.  Wanda’s classmates are left feeling extremely guilty for their mocking as it drives Wanda and her family away.

In the 1950’s Eleanor returns to the town of Cranbury, this time we are introduced to the Pye family.  Ginger Pye is awarded the Newbery Medal in 1952, along with the sequel Pinky Pye. 

Estes published nineteen books in her lifetime.  Estes gave a lasting contribution to children’s literature with her “emphasis on the positive, her celebration of the child’s spirit, her faith in the family, her fondness for small daily events and details and her wonder over the miraculous tricks life plays.” 

Story Times are Fun Times

Story times are fun times here in the Graham Room all month long.  Mondays at 10:00 AM for ages 3-5, and Wednesdays at 10:00 AM for ages 0-2.

This week, 4/2 and 4/4, the theme is Easter.  We will be reading Easter books and doing related crafts and activities.

Next week, 4/9 and 4/11, the theme is Spring.  Many animals are born and come out of hibernation in the spring, including turtles, which will be the theme this week.  After turtle story and craft, we will be having a special visit with a real, live turtle!

The following week, 4/16 and 4/18, we will be celebrating National Poetry Month with poems and stories in verse and related craft and activity.

The final week of April, 4/23 and 4/25, we will be hosting a tribute to the late Eleanor Estes, a West Haven resident and celebrated author.  The same program will be held both days and will be open to children ages 0-5 years.

Don't forget about our Moonlight Story Time on Tuesday, 4/24 at 6:00 PM in the Connie Sacco Community Room.  This event is for children ages 2-10.  There will be a reading of "The Hundred Dresses" by Helena Estes, Eleanor's daughter.  There will also be a scene from the May 19th theater show, and the first 50 children will receive a free copy of "The Hundred Dresses".

Moonlight Story Time

Don't forget that we're still celebrating Seuss until the end of the month here in the Graham Room.  Join us next week (Tuesday, March 27th) downstairs in the Connie Sacco Community Room for Moonlight Story Time at 6:00 PM for a reading of "The Lorax" followed by another fun Seuss activity.  Moonlight Story time is open to children from ages 2 to 10.

We're also still hosting our normal story times with more Seuss books and activities.  Mondays for ages 3 to 5 at 10:00 AM in the Graham Room.  Wednesdays for ages birth to 2 at 10:00 AM in the Graham Room.

To register for any of our story times or with any questions, feel free to call us at (203) 937-4233 ext. 117 or just stop by.

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins was a favorite of mine to read to my sons. Even today they agree it is their favorite!
What is your favorite Dr. Seuss story.

Celebrating Seuss!

As you may have noticed by our banner here and our decorations in the library, we are celebrating the life and works of Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss's real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, and he was born on March 2nd, 1904.  He had a lifelong love of drawing and writing.  After several years as a successful cartoonist for newspapers and advertisements, Dr. Seuss published his first book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" in 1937.  Since then, his many books have delighted children and adults alike.

This is why we are celebrating Seuss all month here in the Graham Room.  Every Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 AM we will be reading a different Dr. Seuss classic and doing a fun craft or activity to go along with it.  Mondays are for ages 3-5, and Wednesdays are for ages infant-2.  You can register ahead of time or just drop by.

For more information about Dr. Seuss, you can visit Seussville online.  To get more information about our programs or to register for a story time, please call us at (203) 937-4233 ext. 117.  Or, you can always come visit us in person!