Resources for Our Littlest Learners
The first 5 years of a child’s life lay the foundation for all future learning. Singing, talking, reading, writing, and playing together will help your child develop important early literacy skills. We have compiled these resources to support you in your role as your child's first and most influential teacher!
Upcoming Events
This program happens every Monday and is ideal for ages 6-24 months, although younger and older siblings are welcome! Join Ms. Natalie for lap songs, fingerplays, and beginning stories with your little one.
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Welcome to Sensory Play Space!
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Join Ms. Gabby for preschool storytime where we read, dance, and learn. Once a month we will also have an art project to go along with the stories and songs!
Storytime is geared toward ages 2 to 5, but all are welcome.
Disclaimer(s)
We cannot guarantee that food served at this program has not come into contact with tree nuts, soy, or other allergens.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Time to get your wiggle on as we sing, dance, and laugh to fun songs and stories. We will move our bodies and use our voices to discover rhythms, pitch, dynamics, volume, and tempo. Join us for a storytime focused on music, singing, and dancing!
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Join us for a special session of Baby Time where monthly, parents and caregivers will learn how to model reading with 6 to 24 month olds. We will have copies of the same book on hand, meant to be read together, and then you with your child.
Disclaimer(s)
We cannot guarantee that food served at this program has not come into contact with tree nuts, soy, or other allergens.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Our storytime is designed to encourage a love for reading and learning. Each session will feature books to help develop early literacy skills.
Disclaimer(s)
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the library.
We often take photographs during library events. Please let our photographer know if you do not want us to publish photos of your child.
Summer Sunshine Reads for Children
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Look What I Found at the Beach
Open your senses to a world of wonder by taking a walk along the beach!
Set off on an adventure and find natural treasures, from spiraled seashells to discarded mermaid's purses. Then learn more about the marine plants and creatures in this fact-filled guide to the outdoors. -
Vampirina at the Beach
When the summer moon is full, a beach trip is an epic way to spend the night. With her signature poise, Vampirina and her clan gear up for a festive time at the beach. Keeping her ballet lessons in mind, Vampirina demi-pliés on a surfboard, leaps for a volleyball, and finishes each competition with style, even if she doesn't always come out on top. Readers will shout "Brava!" for this third gracefully ghoulish picturebook by duo Anne Marie Pace and LeUyen Pham. Praise for Vampirina Ballerina
*"Pham (All the Things I Love About You) and Pace are entirely in sync in this sweetly goth 'how to' for vampirettes under the spell of something more powerful than anything the dark forces can muster: ballet."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Readers will applaud this elegantly designed, well-told story. Brava, indeed."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Pace's funny, matter-of-fact advice ("always get a good day's sleep") works in harmony with Pham's expressive watercolor pen-and-ink artwork, which depicts the adorable minivampire leaping and pliéing enthusiastically across the pages."
-Booklist
"The sweet and spooky watercolor and pen-and-ink pictures are filled with motion and portray Vampirina's 'road to ballerinadom' with humor and insight."
-School Library Journal
"[T]he message that passion, dedication, and patience have beautiful results is inspirational for any reader."
-Horn Book
Praise for Vampirina Ballerina Hosts a Sleepover
"Pace's droll advice contrasts delightfully with Pham's spooky-comical watercolors, . . . and it should prove heartening for readers who feel that their families are a bit different."
-Publishers Weekly
"[F]illed with humorous details."
-School Library Journal
"Any gathering at Vampirina's is sure to be a scream."
-Horn Book -
Billie and Bean at the Beach
★"Open, clear, inviting...A pitch-perfect portrayal of a summer day."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Celebrating the supportive relationship between a child and her dog, this story shows how we can all be brave and achieve things in our own time.
Billie prefers playing quietly, but the beach is a noisy place. Her energetic dog, Bean, is happy to explore the sand and water. When Billie does try going for a swim, she has a painful surprise and heads back to shore. But Bean digs up something that can help Billie get back in the water where she soon discovers a whole world of quiet solitude and spectacular color beneath the surface.
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At the Beach
Take a stroll along the beach. What do you see? Young readers will learn all about the beach and the animals that call it home in this fun pre-reader. Through text features such as the vocabulary tree and the wrap-up activity, kids will be introduced to new words and concepts -- helping them expand their understanding of the world.
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Ty's Travels: Beach Day!
A Geisel Honor-winning series * Author Kelly Starling Lyons selected as the 2021 Piedmont Laureate * A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2022
Join Ty on his imaginative adventures in Ty's Travels: Beach Day!, a My First I Can Read book by acclaimed author and illustrator team Kelly Starling Lyons and Niña Mata. Friendship and imagination and play are highlighted in this fun story, perfect for sharing with children 3 to 6.
Ty turns an ordinary day in the sandbox into a fun beach day. He wiggles his toes in the sand, finds seashells, builds a castle, and splashes in the ocean. Splish, splash! When his neighbor's beach ball flies into his backyard, Ty learns that a beach day is even better with a friend.
With simple, rhythmic text and joyful, bright art, this My First series and Guided Reading Level I is perfect for shared reading with a child. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.
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Beach Feet
The story of a boy's visit to the beach, Beach Feet opens with a small boy feeling the heat of the sand and then running towards the ocean. Free and independent despite his young age and the tube around his waist, the boy gives himself over to the ocean and the pleasures to be had at water's edge. Throughout, the boy's connection to the beach through his feet--the feel of sand, shells, water--is never lost. Unusual perspectives and a pitch-perfect voice make this a standout.
Kiyomi Konagaya was born in 1936 in Shizuoka, Japan. At university, he studied English literature and published his poetry in literary magazines. After graduation, he took a job at an advertising agency. In 1977 he won the prestigious Mr. H Award (for new poets) for Little Voyage 26. He also won the twenty-first Takami Jun Prize in 1991, and the twenty-fifth Contemporary Poetry Award in 2007.
Masamitsu Saito was born in 1958 in a seaside town along Kujyukuri Beach in Chiba, so he grew up to the sound of waves. He studied graphic design at Tama Art University. His work can be found in magazines and books, as well as on chocolate packages.
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Beach Day!
Summer sun and fun in this Step 1 reader featuring the family from Pumpkin Day!, Apple Picking Day!, Garden Day, and Snow Day!
Family time means it's time to pack up the car and head to the beach! The brother and sister from Pumpkin Day! and its many companion books return for a fabulous day at the shore. Collecting seashells, building a sand castle, visiting the seaside attractions--enjoy all the indelible memories of childhood summers! Easy-to-follow rhyme ensures a successful reading experience, while bright, lively art brings the story to life.
Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words. Rhymes and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story. For children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading. -
Beach Baby
A gentle, poetic lullaby for baby, filled with memories from a perfect day playing on the beach.
Castles, sand dollars, seals peering out of the waves and the beat of the ocean become sweet reminders of all the magical things that await baby tomorrow. A lyrical celebration of natural beauty and a soft, reassuring reminder for little ones being tucked into bed that fun and adventure will return with a new day.
Elly MacKay's paper-theater worlds are a delight to behold and infuse the story with a sense of magic and wonder. Beautiful verse from Laurie Elmquist sets a calm and serene tone. A breathtaking board book that will be treasured and make a wonderful gift.
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Beach
Award-winning author Elisha Cooper uses his renowned soft yet lively watercolors to celebrate the cherished act of visiting the beach.
"Away to the beach! Away to sand and salt water, to rolling dunes and pounding waves." A day at the beach supplies any child with a lifetime of memories. In this new picture book by award-winning author Elisha Cooper, the simple magic of building sand castles, collecting seashells, and running from the waves is brought to life through poetic text and lively illustrations. Together, readers will be able to visit the beach year-round as they share this delightful book.
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Sea Sheep
Come along for a silly and sea-worthy adventure in this tale of swimming sheep. This Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read is perfect for beginning readers who like a side of silly with their stories!
In this sweet, silly, rhyming story, a group of sheep go for a swim! What will they see under the sea? Lots and lots of giggles are guaranteed! What is a sea sheep?
Sea sheep can swim.
Sea sheep can speak.
Most of them baa.
This one can squeak! -
These Little Piggies Go to the Beach
From New York Times bestselling illustrator Christine Davenier and bestselling author Amy E. Sklansky comes this utterly charming, silly, and irresistible read-aloud that sends the little piggies from everyone's favorite nursery rhyme off to the beach.
Following the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the original (This little piggy went to market..), young children get to follow along as the five piggies pack the car, arrive at the beach, build a sand castle, swim and explore, and play with a beach ball.
It's the perfect read-aloud for young children and their adults, providing lots to look at, loads of fun action, and a perfect ending to a perfect day at the beach.
"Together, Sklansky and Davenier have created a charming adaptation of a classic rhyme that will make readers want to wiggle their toes all the way to the beach...An excellent seasonal retelling of "This Little Piggy." --School Library Journal -
Day at the Beach
A day at the beach becomes a lesson in sibling bonding for Gideon in this magical picture book.
Every summer, Gideon and his younger sister Audrey build a sandcastle together. But this summer, everything changes. Gideon decides to build the most spectacular sandcastle anyone on the beach has ever seen. And he’s going to do it on his own—without any help from his sister.
But much to his surprise, Gideon discovers that building together is more fun and that everyone has their own unique talent when it comes to creativity and imagination, even Audrey. -
Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach
New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean brings readers some fun in the sun! Pete the Cat is one groovy cat at finding shells and building sand castles at the beach. But when it gets too hot, there’s only one way to cool off—jump into the ocean! Except Pete might be a scaredy-cat when it comes to the water.
Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.
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The Beach Bandit
Sara is excited for a beach day with her friends. But when her beach toys go missing, her excitement fades. Will the Dino Detectives be able to help her?
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Mermaid and Pirate
A mermaid and a pirate build a friendship through kindness, empathy, and shared adventure in this heartwarming picture book by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste, with bright, bold illustrations by Leisl Adams.
Glub glub…
Aargh...
Mermaid and Pirate cannot understand each other. They speak different languages and come from different worlds. But they’re quick to lend a hand, or a tail, when the sky grows stormy and waters get rough, and a friendship is born. Sometimes kindness and generosity speak louder than words.
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Children Poetry Just for You!
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The Dream Train: Poems for Bedtime
A dreamy treasure trove of thirty bedtime poems to snuggle over together—and return to night after night
When night arrives and the birds swoop home to nest, it’s time to have a bath, put on pajamas, brush teeth, and settle in for sleep. This soothing collection of Sean Taylor’s original verse and rhyme for the very young explores the ritual of bedtime with warmth, tenderness, and gentle humor. Thirty poems in many styles, from shape poems to free verse to ballad poems, are divided into three sections. From sleepy bats to dreaming ducks, from a favorite blanket to the chugga! chugga! of a dream train coming down the tracks, these imaginative variations on a timeless theme—brought to life in soft, shimmering illustrations—resonate with pure emotion, inviting sleepyheads of every stripe to indulge in sweet dreams. -
How to Write a Poem
In this evocative and playful companion to their New York Times bestselling picture book How to Read a Book, Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander teams up with poet Deanna Nikaido and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet to celebrate the magic of discovering your very own poetry in the world around you.
Begin
with a question
like an acorn
waiting for spring.
From this first stanza, readers are invited to pay attention--and to see that paying attention itself is poetry. Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido's playful text and Melissa Sweet's dynamic, inventive artwork are paired together to encourage readers to listen, feel, and discover the words that dance in the world around them--poems just waiting to be written down.
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Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets
The 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner
A Newbery Medalist and a Caldecott Honoree’s New York Times best-selling ode to poets who have sparked a sense of wonder.
Out of gratitude for the poet’s art form, Newbery Award–winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, along with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, present original poems that pay homage to twenty famed poets who have made the authors’ hearts sing and their minds wonder. Stunning mixed-media images by Ekua Holmes, winner of a Caldecott Honor and a John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, complete the celebration and invite the reader to listen, wonder, and perhaps even pick up a pen. -
My Grandma Is the Best!
From the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series, this collection of poems makes a perfect gift for grandmas, abuelas, and bubbes everywhere.
"A mirror that captures love and reflects it back to its source—a devoted grandmother."—Kirkus Reviews
Children can celebrate their grandma with this illustrated collection of short poems -- one to a page -- that honors the memories and experiences with the woman they know and love. From playing Doctor with Grandma to sitting on her lap to read a favorite story, this gift book from the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series is perfect for any grandmother. -
My Grandpa Is the Best!
From the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series, this collection of poems makes a perfect gift for grandpas, abuelos, and zaydes everywhere.
Children can celebrate their grandpa with this illustrated collection of short poems – one to a page – that honors the memories and experiences with the man they know and love. From planting seeds in the garden with Grandpa to reading favorite books together again and again, this gift book from the best-selling author of the Here I Come! series is perfect for any grandfather. -
A Poem Grows Inside You
Recipient of the 2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award honor award.
We all hold the seed of something wonderful inside us, just waiting for the right moment to bloom. In A Poem Grows Inside You, the seed of an idea waits for the rhythm of the rainfall to awaken it, then takes root and begins to grow. At once a celebration of the deep connection creatives have with their art and an acknowledgement of the courage it takes to let it into the sun, this beautifully illustrated picture book encourages readers to nurture their talents and boldly share them with the world. -
Remember
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s iconic poem "Remember," illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.
Remember the sky you were born under,
Know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn,
That is the strongest point of time.
So begins the picture book adaptation of the renowned poem that encourages young readers to reflect on family, nature, and their heritage. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected. Michaela Goade, drawing from her Tlingit culture, has created vivid illustrations that make the words come alive in an engaging and accessible way.
This timeless poem paired with magnificent paintings makes for a picture book that is a true celebration of life and our human role within it. -
Free at Last
This lyrical celebration of Juneteenth, deeply rooted in Black American history, spans centuries and reverberates loudly and proudly today.
After 300 years of forced bondage;
hands bound, descendants of Africa
picked up their souls--all that they owned--
leaving shackles where they fell on the ground,
headed for the nearest resting place to be found.Deeply emotional, evocative free verse by poet and activist Sojourner Kincaid Rolle traces the solemnity and celebration of Juneteenth from its 1865 origins in Galveston, Texas to contemporary observances all over the United States. This is an ode to the strength of Black Americans and a call to remember and honor a holiday whose importance reverberates far beyond the borders of Texas.
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In the Tall, Tall Grass
Rhymed text (crunch, munch, caterpillars lunch) presents a toddler's view of creatures found in the grass from lunchtime till nightfall, such as bees, ants, and moles.
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No More Poems!
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rhett Miller teams up with Caldecott Medalist and bestselling artist Dan Santat in a riotous collection of irreverent poems for modern families.
In the tradition of Shel Silverstein, these poems bring a fresh new twist to the classic dilemmas of childhood as well as a perceptive eye to the foibles of modern family life. Full of clever wordplay and bright visual gags--and toilet humor to spare--these twenty-three rhyming poems make for an ideal read-aloud experience.
Taking on the subjects of a bullying baseball coach and annoying little brothers with equally sly humor, renowned lyricist Rhett Miller's clever verses will have the whole family cackling. -
Step Gently Out
Stunning close-up photography and a lyrical text implore children to look more closely at the world around them.
Be still, and watch a single blade of grass.
An ant climbs up to look around.
A honeybee flies past.
What would happen if you walked very, very quietly and looked ever so carefully at the natural world outside? You might see a cricket leap, a moth spread her wings, or a spider step across a silken web. In simple, evocative language, Helen Frost offers a hint at the many tiny creatures around us. And in astonishing close-up photographs, Rick Lieder captures the glint of a katydid's eye, the glow of a firefly, and many more living wonders just awaiting discovery. Fascinating facts about all the creatures pictured may be found at the end. -
Something Fishy
This collaboration between Barry Louis Polisar and illustrator David Clark is a long awaited sequel to Barry's three earlier collections of poems, Peculiar Zoo, Curious Creatures and Insect Soup. This time the poems are about creatures that live in-or by-the water and many of the poems work on multiple levels. Polisar writes about everything from the Pot Bellied Sea Horse to the Sweetlips Fish; the poems are smart and fun. The book ends with a delightful homage to one of Gerard Manley Hopkins poems and the artwork by David Clark is done in vivid colors that seem to jump right off the page. Through The Looking Glass Children's Book Review said these "well-crafted poems and illustrations make this book a must" and Pen Pals & Picture Books wrote "the poems are clever and delightful, the illustrations are expressive and hilarious."
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Girls and Boys Come Out to Play
Mother Goose herself invites kids to come out to play with all their favorite nursery rhyme characters in this popular Mother Goose rhyme.
Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day.
Parents looking for bedtime stories with a fresh twist on a familiar nursery rhyme need look no further. Using the popular Girls and Boys Come Out to Play Mother Goose poem as a backdrop, illustrator Tracey Campbell Pearson spins an exciting visual narrative in which Mother Goose invites children on a city block to come out and play, taking them on a moonlit adventure in verse. Young readers will love pouring over Tracey's richly detailed artwork full of diverse kids, animals, and beloved nursery rhyme characters, including Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and Old King Cole. After the fun is over, Mother Goose leads everyone home to sleep snug in their beds -
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
All around the world, from the sleeping city to the icy pole, baby animals and their parents share the wonder of a twinkling star.Sparkle, sparkle, little star,
how I wonder what you are.
Peeking through the silent trees,
high above the deep blue seas . . .
On a beautiful night an owl sings to his owlet, a deer to her fawn, a whale to her calf. Animal parents all over the world sing this lullaby to their young, celebrating parents' love for their children. Jane Cabrera's handsomely painted full-sized picture book is perfect for story hours or sharing at bedtime.
Jane Cabrera's Story Time celebrates children's best-loved read along nursery rhymes and songs. These interactive favorites are given a new twist by award-winning artist Jane Cabrera and feature her bold, bright, kid-friendly illustrations. Other titles in the series include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, If You're Happy and You Know It, and One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. -
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Flo!
The mission: catch a tiger by the toe.
The team: brothers Eeny, Meeny, Miney,
and Mo.
But what about little sister Flo? Can't she help, too?
Join these mischievous mice for a rollicking twist on a familiar nursery rhyme.
Just be sure to watch your toes
Resources for Early Learning
Bright By Text
Idaho Public Television (IdahoPTV) has teamed up with Bright by Text to send free activities, games, and resources right to your cell phone. Messages are targeted to your child’s age and include information on child development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavioral tips, and more.
Kanopy Kids
Libby, by OverDrive
