We miss our weekly library storytime! But since we can't welcome you all to the library this Tuesday morning, we're bringing a little bit of storytime to you at home. Each week, we feature an author, series, topic, or book we love and want to share with all our young readers at home.

This week is all about Miss Marlene's very favorite groovy cat, Pete! 

James Dean's little blue feline is the star of so many wonderful picture books, song books, "I Can Read" tales, and story collections! (He's even got his own TV show!) Nearly all of his stories feature a sing-a-long narrative, lovely lessons for little readers, and a cast of familiar friends. They even offer exercises in counting, colors, morals, and problem-solving perfect for kids of all ages. 

As our story time fans will remember, our favorites to read aloud together include 

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

in which Pete teaches us very simple math and counting while singing his songs!

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes

in which Pete and his friends follow the clues to track down a cupcake thief.

Pete the Cat and the New Guy

in which a platypus moves into town and tries to fit in with the gang.

We're also big fans of Pete's I Can Read series, specially formatted for new readers getting ready to branch out from picture books (but not quite ready for chapter books just yet). Pete serves as a loyal knight, a tooth fairy, a cave-cat, a robot...and tons of other silly, smiley, groovy characterizations. There's really something for everybody! 

Activities, Printables, & More!

We know getting your hands on a new book might not be so easy right now, but Pete the Cat's official website offers lots of fun activities for the Groovy Kids stuck at home. You can find "official" coloring sheets, activity pages, and even instructions for dancing the Cool Cat Boogie! And of course, there's a whole series of videos for Pete's songs and stories, brought to you by the makers of Pete the Cat himself.

We can't wait to get back to the library and have you all visit for a real, in-person Story Time Tuesday. But in the meantime, we hope some of these links and resources will help pass the time and save some of the stress of our world's efforts to stay home and stay healthy. Feel free to reach out to Miss Marlene and our library staff with any questions, requests, or story time recommendations! We love hearing from you!

And, in true Pete the Cat fashion, we hope you stay healthy, happy, and groovy!

Check It Out: Mo Willems Lunch Doodles

via Kennedy Center

The sometimes silly, always wonderful, and incredibly prolific children's book author and illustrator Mo Willems is offering a series of "Lunch Doodles" for kids on YouTube! We know so many of our young patrons love art, specifically drawing, and we encourage them to take a look at Mr. Willems's lessons!


The best part of the Lunch Doodle series is a first-hand, inside peak at the author's process. He talks about piecing together his collages, crafting his best-loved characters, and finding inspiration in unlikely places. And, of course, he doodles -- Knuffle Bunny, Gerald, Pigeon, and some new, surprise guests! He takes kids through the writing, drawing, and construction of his most loved stories and, of course, encourages them to make up their own!

We'd love to know if your kids have tried following some of Mo Willems's lessons and what they thought. We tried it out, too, as you can see here on the left!

If drawing isn't your thing, Mo Willems offers other activities, games, videos, etc, on his very fun website, Pigeon Presents.

To Our Patrons

With news of the COVID-19 pandemic breaking all over the world, our little library has joined countless other community organizations in closing its doors to help #stopthespread of this novel disease. We wish it wasn't necessary, but we are committed to doing everything we can to help keep our patrons, staff, and community safe at this time. We're taking the restrictions and recommendations from our local, state, and federal governments very seriously, and we urge you to do the same!

Of course, no local library exists only within the four walls of the building itself. We're happy to say that, while we may not be able to encourage you to visit us right now, our resources always extend as far "off the shelf" as our patrons want to take them. Consider passing the time at home with an ebook, a new movie, or a magazine! Or check out the many museums, zoos, and destinations offering virtual tours and demonstrations. Even some of our favorite authors are offering readings and lessons to stream at home. Our full digital collections (and much more) can be found on the BCCLS website, on our library's Facebook page, or here on our blog as things move forward. 

We hope everyone in our wonderful Wallington community stays safe and healthy during this difficult time. We're so thankful to all the first responders, medical professionals, food workers, and many others in Wallington and beyond who work so hard every day so keep us safe and well. 

We hope to see you at the library soon!