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Baby Playgroups

Dancing Babies with Dianne Dudley

Sunday June 25, 2017: 1:00pm to 1:40pm
Westgate Branch: West Side Room
Babies And Preschoolers, Up To Age 5

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Baby Playgroups

Dancing Babies with Melissa Hudson

Saturday June 10, 2017: 10:00am to 10:40am
Traverwood Branch: Program Room
Babies, Toddlers, And Preschoolers Up To Age 5 Years.

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Blog Post

PreK BITS - "W" is for WORK

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel brought tools for WORKING in Storytime this week.
Tools were introduced in OLD MacDONALD HAD A WOODSHOP by Lisa Schulman. Do you know what was built?
We used our hammers to work with Johnny in the song "Johnny Hammers".
You can find a version of this action song in the CD CIRCLE TIME SONGS & GAMES.
During THREE LITTLE PIGS "a participation musical" we worked with tools to build the houses ... and tools to make the soup ... that feeds the Big Bad Wolf.
"WHO's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf ?"
Not ME! Just feed the poor thing !
"Tra-La-La-la-LAH!"

For MORE WORKING stories ... try the following titles:
WORK: An Occupational ABC ... look for the tools each occupation works with.
DREW The SCREW ... they all have work to do ... except Drew!
TOOLS RULE! ... they work together to make a shed.
The HANDIEST THINGS IN The WORLD ... working hands!
TOOLS ... identify who works with each set of tools.
MONKEY WITH A TOOL BELT And The NOISY PROBLEM ... Monkey works to fix a problem?
DOES A WOODPECKER USE A HAMMER? Think About How Everyone Uses Tools.
Richard Scarry's BEST NURSERY TALES collection of story classics including the THREE LITTLE PIGS.
The TRUE STORY OF The 3 LITTLE PIGS ... by Jon Scieszka. Wolf tells the story from his point of view in this up-cycle of the traditional story.
It is especially fun for multiple age groups, because it teases the imagination of older kids too.

... ONward singing "E-I-E-I-Oh" all the way !!

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Blog Post

PreK Bits - Stories-To-Go Kits 2016

by ryanikoglu

Preschool Kits launched in March 2016!
There are 10 new STORIES-TO-GO themes for 2016 that have been added to the Library Collections.
These kits have a pre-selected set of books and media especially for families, childcare centers, preschools, classrooms, home schools with kids ages 2-7 years old.
Every kit has an Activity Folder which includes songs, fingerplays and activities to extend the theme with our children.

The 2016 themes are as follows:
BIG MACHINES ... Diggers, Pushers, and more working machines.
OUTER SPACE ... Stars, Planets and space travel.
BABY SIGNS ... Nursery songs and DVDs for building signing vocabulary with your baby.
ANN ARBOR ... Books that link with major themes in our home town ... Ann Arbor, Michigan.
FAIRIES ... For all fans of fairy lore.
FEELINGS ... Stories about working with strong feelings.
LIBRARIES ... What goes on at the Library?
MONSTERS ... Friendly Monsters and monster fantasy.
SIZE & MEASUREMENT: Math Readiness ... How do you know sizes?
SEEDS to PLANTS ... What plants need and how they grow.

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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "D" is for DOG

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel and Ms. Betsy brought all dog songs and stories to Storytime.
Stuffed dogs acted-out the story and the audience barked along with the dogs in DOGGIES by Sandra Boynton.
We sang “B-I-N-G-O” ... which can be found on youth CDs SONGS & STORIES For KIDS, BABY BOOST: 48 Interactive Sing-a-longs For Your Little One and LITTLE PEOPLE: Songs From The Farm.
In the story KATIE LOVES the KITTENS ... it is hard to stop bouncing and barking and the kittens keep running away.

For more famous DOG stories try the following favorites:
RAGWEED’S FARM DOG HANDBOOK by Anne Vittur Kennedy ... Learn From The Best!
HARRY The DIRTY DOG and NO ROSES For HARRY ... old dog classics by Gene Zion.
BUDDY And EARL and BUDDY And Earl And The GREAT BIG BABY ... new dog classics by Maureen Fergus.
MISS MOON: Wise Words From A Dog Governess by Janet Hill ... wise words for All with beautiful illustrations!
ZORRO GETS AN OUTFIT and MR BUD WEARS The CONE by Carter Goodrich ... a pitch-perfect dog point-of-view.
BARK GEORGE by Jules Feiffer... a dog fantasy.
The DOGHOUSE ... critters go in but they don't come out. Surprise?
For screen-time try the DVD BARK GEORGE And More Doggie Tails by Weston Woods Studios.
WOOF! ... snooff snurff ... doggie treat, Please.
... pant ... pant ...
Woof.

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Crafts

Preschool ArtStart

Monday August 21, 2017: 10:30am to 11:00am
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room, Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Ages 2–5, Siblings Welcome

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Crafts

Preschool ArtStart

Monday July 24, 2017: 10:30am to 11:00am
Traverwood Branch: Program Room, Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Age 2–5, Siblings Welcome

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Crafts

Preschool ArtStart

Monday June 19, 2017: 10:30am to 11:00am
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room, Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Age 2–5, Siblings Welcome

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Blog Post

Huge Books about a Huge World!

by evelyn

We’ve just gotten in two amazing oversized nature books for kids and their grownups. First up is Under Water, Under Earth by the talented team Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński. I am obsessed with the work by this pair, and this book is my favorite that they’ve done yet. One side depicts life under the ground, including burrowing animals, root vegetables, infrastructures under cities, tunnels, mines, and more. Flip the book over and you are treated to views under the ocean, from fish and scuba divers to the Titanic and hydrothermal vents. The two sections meet in the middle, where they share a spread on the Earth’s core. This book is jam packed with gorgeous, detailed illustrations and tons of fascinating information.

For kids who want to learn more about plants, checkout Botanicum, which joins Animalium and Historium as part of the Welcome to the Museum collection of oversized nonfiction for kids. With a gold-embellished cover and huge illustrations of beautiful vegetables, trees, flowers, and more, this book will win over any plant enthusiast.

These lovely and big books can work independently, but they also make a great pair. Learn about root vegetables in Under Water, Under Earth and then look at the detailed drawings in Botanicum! Just be sure to bring a bag big enough to fit them both.

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Blog Post

PreK Bits - "B" is for BUTTON

by ryanikoglu

Ms. Rachel presented stories about BUTTONS at Malletts Creek Branch Storytime this week.
PETE The CAT And His FOUR GROOVY BUTTONS ... But when they're lost, does he cry? "Goodness No!"
We practiced "B" sounds while singing the song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" ... "Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me."
We bounced in rhythm to "5 Berry Buns In The Bakery Shoppe".
Then Toad has an interesting solution in “The Lost Button” story from FROG And TOAD ARE FRIENDS.

For more favorite BUTTON tales try the following:
BUTTON UP: Wrinkled Rhymes … the talking clothes in these poems know who's wearing them.
DON’T PUSH The BUTTON … the only rule is don’t push the button!
The SILVER BUTTON … At the same moment that Jodie's baby brother takes his first step, a city's worth of moments unfold around them.
CORDUROY … Corduroy wants one thing. It’s the thing he has lost.
The BELLY BOOK and BELLY BUTTON BOOK … another kind of button.
GRANDMA’S BUTTON BOX … perhaps you have a button box at your house?
ELIZA’S KINDERGARTEN SURPRISE … what Eliza holds in her pocket helps her through her first day at school.