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Celebrate Forsyth Creek Week, March 17-25 [All county-wide programs, prices, ages, locations ~ click here.] Free Library Storytimes for Young Children Carver School Road Branch, 336-703-2910: Friday, March 23, 10:00 am ~ Preschool Storytime. Sing, dance, & discover what life near water is like for critters that live in ponds, lakes, and streams. Central Library, 336-703-2665: Saturday, March 24, 11:00 am ~ Creek Week Storytime Clemmons Branch, 336-703-2920: Tues, March 20, 10:30 am & Thur, March 22, 10:30 am ~ Creek Week Storytime Kernersville Branch, 336-703-2930: Wed, March 21, 10 am ~ Creek Week Preschool Storytime (ages 3-6) & Thur, March 22, 10 am ~ Creek Week Toddler Time (ages 2 & under) Lewisville Branch, 336-703-2940: Tuesday, March 20, 10:15 am ~ Creek Week Storytime with Lenny the Lifeguard Frog Reynolda Manor Branch, 336-703-2960: Thur, March 22, 10:30 am ~ Creek Week Preschool Storytime. Water-themed stories, songs, bubble-play and crafts (18 mos - 5 yrs) Rural Hall Branch, 336-703-2970: Thur, March 22, 11 am ~ Creek Week Preschool Storytime with Lenny the Lifeguard Frog Southside Branch, 336-703-2980: Tues, March 20, 11 am ~ Toddler Storytime: Animals that Swim (18 mos - 3 yrs.) & Wed, March 21, 11 am ~ Silly Frogs Preschool Storytime with Lenny the Lifeguard Frog: Pretend to be a frog, dress as an amphibian, or wear something creeky (ages 3 - 5) Walkertown Branch Library, 336-703-2990: Tues, March 20, 10:30 am ~ In the Pond Storytime: Join us as we read about what lives and plays in ponds and water! |
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| The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates with Juniper BatesWhat it is: A sweet story about a rainy day and a smiling red umbrella that offers limitless shelter to anyone and everyone who needs it.
Who it's for: With gentle watercolor art and a "boundlessly inclusive spirit," The Big Umbrella is for everyone (Booklist).
Author alert: Illustrator Amy June Bates makes her writing debut alongside her 11-year-old daughter, Juniper. |
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| The Rabbit Listened by Cori DoerrfeldWhat it's about: After Taylor's masterful block tower is toppled, the child's animal friends try to help. When bear suggests shouting, hyena urges laughing, and snake proposes further destruction, only rabbit's patient listening leaves room for all of Taylor's emotions.
Why kids might like it: Soft-lined cartoon illustrations match the understated message. This story both comforts and validates kids who long to be understood. |
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| Jinx and the Doom Fight Crime! by Lisa MantchevWhat happens: Jinx and her little brother the Doom are a costumed crime-fighting duo who take on villains (imaginary) and missions (real -- the dog needs a bath!) with cooperation and infectious enthusiasm.
Read it for: high-energy storytelling and theatrical, mixed-media dioramas.
For fans of: David Soman's Ladybug Girl books. |
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Wolf in the Snow
by Matthew Cordell
What happens: After losing her way in a snowstorm, a parka-clad girl comes face-to-face with a tiny wolf cub. Rather than being scared, the girl immediately recognizes the wolf as a fellow lost soul. Scooping it out of the snow, she follows the sound of howling, determined to reunite the furry wanderer with its pack. Can the girl deliver the cub to safety and find her own way home as well?
2018 Caldecott Award Winner! Wordless except for huffs, howls, and other sound effects, Wolf in the Snow will immerse young readers in its stylized snowscapes and invite them to share in a heart-warming, satisfying conclusion.
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| Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Lee WhiteWhat it's about: After a man living on a windswept hilltop calls out for help, his clever young neighbor Kate arrives with a wagon full of tree seedlings to plant around his home. As time passes, the trees grow into a protective barrier, and friendship grows between the two.
Who it's for: Winsome illustrations and cumulative text make this story a great choice for reading aloud, either one-on-one or with a group. |
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| Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David SerlinStarring: Baby Monkey, a detective who begins each case with a struggle to put on his pants. He excels at finding missing objects, from a chef's stolen pizza to an astronaut's lost spaceship.
Why kids might like it: Don't let the lengthy page count fool you: beginner-friendly vocabulary and charmingly detailed pencil illustrations make this easy reader/graphic novel hybrid just right for emerging readers. |
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How does your garden grow? |
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| The Night Gardener by The Fan BrothersWhat it's about: William's life is glum and gray until the morning he awakes to discover a tree trimmed into the shape of a majestic owl. It's the first of many enchanting animal topiaries to appear in the night, leaving William to wonder: who's behind this arboreal art?
Why kids might like it: Muted twilight colors and intricate illustrations create intrigue in this quiet, inspiring picture book.
Kids might also like: Peter Brown's The Curious Garden. |
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| Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate MessnerWhat it is: An attention-grabbing, earth-toned look at a single growing season with a girl and her grandmother, offering cutaway views to show not only the surface ecosystem of their garden, but also the teeming plant and animal life underneath in the soil itself.
Series alert: For more nature nonfiction with a similar perspective, try Over and Under the Pond and Over and Under the Snow, also from author Kate Messner and illustrator Christopher Silas Neal. |
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| Grandpa Green by Lane SmithWhat happens: A boy gives a tour of his great-grandfather's topiary garden, which tells the story of the elderly man's life. What makes this tour special? It strengthens memories for the beloved progenitor.
Who it's for: Elegant and understated, Grandpa Green is "a wonderful bridge to exploring family history with the very young" (Kirkus Reviews).
Further reading: For another tender ode to a grandparent whose memory is slipping, check out Reeve Lindbergh's My Little Grandmother Often Forgets. |
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| Anywhere Farm by Phyllis RootWhat it's about: Soil, sunshine, water, and a seed -- that's all you need to start a farm or a garden. An urban alley provides a venue for the diverse community gardeners in this picture book, which also contains facts about gardening, suggestions for alternative containers (a bucket? a shoe? a pot?), and an upbeat, empowering tone.
Kids might also like: Michael Foreman's The Seeds of Friendship or Anna Walker's Florette. |
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Green bean! Green bean!
by Patricia Thomas
What it's about: A girl plants the seed of a green bean and watches it grow and mature through the seasons, even providing a nook in which to read a book.
Bonus content: Backmatter provides pertinent vocabulary, instructions on growing your own green beans, and plant-related activities for kids to green-up their thumbs.
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| Pandora by Victoria TurnbullStarring: Pandora, a fox whose lonely life in a wasteland of trash and broken things is transformed by the friendship of an injured bird. As the bird heals and flies further afield, it brings Pandora flowers and seeds, transforming the dingy landscape into a verdant wonderland.
Why kids might like it: Bittersweet yet uplifting, this friendship story also features fanciful artwork that invites readers to take a closer look. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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Forsyth County Public Library 660 West Fifth Street Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101 336-703-2665www.forsythlibrary.org |
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