True Stories
A Paddling of Ducks
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
I have a confession to make. I am a huge nerd. For multiple reasons, one of them being that I have an until-just-now secret fascination with knowing the proper terms used to describe groups of animals. That is why A Paddling of Ducks by Marjorie Blain Parker and Joseph Kelly is the perfect book for me, and possibly your curious little one. Told from A to Z, and morning to night, it lists the names of animal groups like: a bask of crocodiles, a party of jays, a crash of rhinos, and a swarm of yellow jackets! And the illustrations are not to be missed! They lavishly depict our furry, feathered, scaly, or insect friends doing things they don’t normally do like: an anteater typing on a laptop, quail driving scooters, toads knitting, and wolves playing chess! This book is a fantastic tool to reinforce alphabet skills, and knowing what different animals do and don’t do. See this book listed in our catalog
Life in the Boreal Forest
Librarian on the Roof
Submitted by Ms. Catherine!
Here in St. Mary’s County, children are always in and out of our libraries. But in Lockhart, Texas, librarian RoseAleta Laurell couldn’t get any children to come to the library! The Dr. Eugene Clark Library didn’t have a children’s section. RoseAleta realized that something needed to be done. So, when simply asking for money for the library didn’t work, she decided to take things to the next level. RoseAleta decided that she wouldn’t come down from the library roof until the town raised enough money to build a children’s area for the library! In Librarian on the Roof, written by M.G. King, and illustrated by Stephen Gilpin, we see the story of RoseAleta Laurell unfold, with bright, fun illustrations, that will make you smile, and cheer along with the town of Lockhart, Texas as this librarian hero brings books to children of all ages. Based on a true story, this is a great book for children and parents to read together, and then talk about the importance of reading, and the importance of standing up for what you believe in! See this book listed in our catalog
Pierre the Penguin
Submitted by Ms. Amanda!
Pierre the Penguin: A True Story by Jean Marzollo. I love penguins, and this story is quite endearing! It is based on a true story about a penguin named Pierre. The story is written in rhyme, so it flows and is fun to read. Pierre is an African penguin who lives at the California Academy of Sciences with twenty other penguins in the African Hall. African Penguins are different from other penguins, and do not like the ice. Once day when Pam, the Aquatic Biologist who cares for the penguins, was feeding them fish, she noticed something wrong with Pierre. He was going bald! He had lost most of his feathers, and was very cold. The other penguins were afraid of Pierre, since he looked so different without his feathers. Pam tried to help Pierre in many different ways, until one day she got the idea to make him a tiny wet suit to keep him warm and well. With the wet suit on, Pierre was warm, and could go swimming with his friends. After a few weeks, the wetsuit helped Pierre to grow back new feathers! At the end of this story there is a page where Pam answers questions about her job, and Pierre. This story is a great way to build new vocabulary, like wetsuit, bray, neoprene, and aquatic, and is illustrated in a bright, clear way to show the new vocabulary! See this book listed in our catalog