GOODNIGHT ALREADY!

Bear is exhausted and he's ready to cuddle up in his cozy bed and hug his stuffed bunny until he falls into a peaceful slumber. (Bear is so adorable I just want to tuck him into bed myself!)  Duck, Bear's neighbor, on the other hand, is wide awake and wants to STAY awake.  He thinks up a number of activities that they can do together.  Bear kindly refuses, but, as he grows more tired, his impatience grows.  Eventually he chooses words that get Duck to listen.  Will Bear now enjoy a long slumber or will he actually try out some of Duck's ideas?  

Along with Jory John's humorous dialog, Benji Davies' illustrations adds the right touch to this bedtime story. From the start, readers will just want to tuck Bear into bed.  For adults and children, Pre-K to 2nd, to enjoy together.

LAST WEEK OF PROGRAMS

Last week of storytimes.  
We will have one scavenger hunt May 4-10.  
Lego times, Train Time will continue all through May.  

Summer Reading Program will begin May 28th!  
Get ready for Read to the Rhythm.  
Look for our flyer with all our musical events and special performers.  

TAKE A WALK IN THE WOODS... IF YOU DARE!

This retelling of the Brothers Grimm folktale Hansel & Gretel from Newbery-winner Neil Gaiman and illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti is not for the faint of heart, but should prove a spine-tingling treat to readers who crave spooky stories or like their folktales to maintain some of the original grit. The tone of the tale is as masterfully dark as the black-and-white artwork, appearing every few pages in a breathtaking spread. 

The bleakness of the setting and the desperation of the woodcutter are made palpable through story and pictures, and even readers already familiar with this tale of the siblings lost in the woods and their subsequent encounter with the old woman in the gingerbread house will be newly surprised by the details in this spare but affecting version. However, as grave as this telling can be, it also offers some hope and levity in its conclusion. Gaiman has also included an author's note on the origin and history of the Grimm folktale, which can make for some fascinating reading and may inspire further comparisons with other versions.


Best enjoyed by intrepid readers in grade 3 and up.

CLICK, CLACK, PEEP!

The animals on Farmer Brown's farm eagerly wait for the new addition to the family.  After all, it's been much too quiet on the farm lately.  With an egg cracking here and an egg cracking there, a new baby duck finally arrives!  The animals are elated to have such a cute duckling on the farm.  But they quickly learn how energetic and vivacious a little duck can be, especially when they try to help it settle down for some quiet time. The cows and sheep think of ways to lull this baby duck to sleep, but their efforts fall short.  The one and only Duck thinks of a plan that will leave Farmer Brown speechless and many readers of this feathery tale wanting more.

Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin team up again for another humorous adventure that will leave readers wanted more of their stories.  Click, Clack, Peep! will surely be a fun read for children K-2nd grade.

GRAPHIC NOVEL: HIDDEN

Late one night a young girl coaxes a long silenced memory from her grandmother’s childhood. Thus unravels the tale of Dounia, a young Jewish girl living in France, in a Holocaust story set amid the German occupation and French Resistance. Suddenly and inexplicably ostracized from her peers, Dounia endures ridicule at school, separation from her family and home, the rejection of her identity, and the uncertainty of ever again seeing her parents. 

Loic Dauvillier’s graphic novel Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust is a story of injustice, fear, bewilderment, and cruelty. And yet it is also one of compassion, bravery, perseverance, and hope; through the determined efforts of French Resistance groups, many Jewish children like Dounia were clandestinely transported to relative safety. 

As a Holocaust story told to child from a child’s limited perspective the narrative is surprisingly gentle for its subject matter. The illustrations are appealing, if slightly cartoonish, and the text never overwhelms the page. 

An illuminating and worthwhile read for grades 3-6.

AUTHOR VISIT TODAY

Local author Frans Vischer will be visiting the Children's Room Thursday, May 16th at 4 p.m. Join us for a read aloud of Fuddles the Cat's fun adventures.  

Children's Room 
Central Library on Harvard 

FRANS & FUDDLES ON THURSDAY

Frans Vischer will be in the Children's Room tomorrow to read his book Fuddles to help us celebrate National Library Week. 

Join us Thursday, 4/16 at 4-5 p.m. for this author program.  

His books will for be available for purchase through Once Upon a Time Bookstore. 

For more information contact us at: 818-548-2035
Central Library - Children's Room 
222 E. Harvard St. 
Glendale, CA 91205

* This event will be in place of our weekly Art Cart.  

IT'S NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK

Join the Children's Room for a WEEK OF WALDO fun during National Library Week.

WHERE'S WALDO SCAVENGER HUNTS - Find the Waldo eggs hidden in our Children's Room.  Find Live Waldo in the afternoons. 

WALDO BINGO - Tuesday, 4/14/15 at 3-4p.m.

FRANS VISCHER READS FUDDLES & DRAWS - Thursday, 4/16 at 4-5p.m. His books will for be available for purchase through Once Upon a Time Bookstore. 

Check out the other Waldo scavenger hunts at the branches. 

For more information contact us at: 818-548-2035
Central Library - Children's Room 
222 E. Harvard St. 
Glendale, CA 91205

EVA'S TREETOP FESTIVAL

Hoot Hoot! Eva’s Treetop Festival is a cute and quirky early chapter book about an owl named Eva.  Eva’s adorable; she is in Owlementary and decides she wants to organize the Bloomtastic Festival in one week.  Well, what’s an owl to do with such little time? Eva turns to her classmates for help but there’s one girl she dreads asking for help, Sue Clawson (a.k.a. Meany McMeanerson). However, Eva knows she must ask everyone, including Sue for assistance in order for the festival to go on.  Find out if Sue was willing to help out and will the Spring Festival go on? 

This book is the first book in the Owl Diaries Series by Rebecca Elliot.  The book uses a diary-approach to tell a story and it is aimed at newly independent readers.  The pages are filled with easy to read text and illustrations that complement each other.  Elliot covers topics such as friendship and helpfulness.

For grades 2-3 

CAN YOU TALK TO THE ANIMALS?

Meet Ellis Coffey. He's in 4th grade. He makes most of the other kids in class laugh. He's a hard worker. Oh, and he can communicate with animals...sort of. At least that's what he thinks is happening when he finds a "woolly worm" (also know as a caterpillar) that seems to understand everything Ellis says. With such a talent, Ellis thinks he can win the woolly worm race and pay for his dad's much needed back surgery. Will his woolly worm win? THE WORM WHISPERER by Betty Hicks is a cute, simple story with a bit of Christianity thrown in. 

For 3rd through 5th grades.

MARCH 2015

MR. FRANK'S CRAFT

Mr. Frank is a tailor whose career spans over sixty years.  People have worn his pieces during war torn years. Others have enjoyed his craftsmanship during the most exciting eras, when fashion trends were bright and eccentric.  He certainly has made the most exciting pieces!  When Mr. Frank is about to close his shop permanently, he receives a request and is determined to make this last piece the best one ever.

Mr. Frank by author/illustrator Irene Luxbacher is portrayed with such sweetness and shows that he is a master of his craft.  Mr. Frank is a piece of work that resonates with love.  

For families and teachers to enjoy with children ages 5 and up.

THE PIRATE WITH THE GOLDEN TOOTH

Michael, Tyler and Becca Silver experience many different adventures, and Becca always makes sure that Echo the Bat is there to experience them too. During a trip to see their eccentric uncle, they learn from a local merchant that there's a lost treasure on an island haunted by Captain Golden Tooth.  It seems like a place to be avoided, but Echo encounters someone who tells him the exact location of the treasure.  But will he go on this journey alone to protect his friends from the Captain and his ghostly crew?

In Echo and the Bat Pack #8, The Pirate with the Golden Tooth, enjoy this page turning story filled with adventure, friendship, treasure, pirates and a bat who will become more of a friend to you than a scary creature.  For second to fourth graders ready to read a beginning chapter book.

HOORAY FOR HAT!

“Hats: a cure for life’s grumpy days” should be the tagline for Brian Won’s picture book Hooray for Hat! On a morning when Elephant wakes up grumpy, a mysterious gift on his doorstep immediately lifts his spirits. With a cheer of “hooray for hat!” Elephant dashes off to share his amazing new five-tier hat with his friend Zebra. What follows is a growing parade of newly cheered friends spreading the joys of friendship and hats. 

It’s a simple storyline, not precisely original, but a charming one nonetheless. There’s something about the colorful exuberance of this animal troupe with its zany hats that brings a smile to the face. This is a lovely book to share with a group or one-on-one. Just be sure to have everyone join in on the refrain: “HOORAY FOR HAT!” 

For other light-hatted read alouds (terrible pun always intended) try I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, The Magic Hat by Mem Fox, Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat by Alice Low, and the ever classic Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. For readers of all ages.