A storytelling extravaganza at the library

Since 1919, libraries, schools, booksellers and families have been

celebrating Children’s Book Week. It is a tradition that is still

going strong. Children’s books and the love of reading are celebrated

with parties, author appearances and other book-related events.

This year, the Newport Beach Public Library is part of a larger

celebration. Thanks to a generous grant from Mervyn’s, Newport Beach

and all other libraries in Orange County will be celebrating with a

month-long festival of storytelling. Each library will host a

different storyteller. Talented storytellers from all over the state

will be entertaining families for the entire month of November.

As part of this special program, the Newport Beach Public Library

will feature storyteller James Cogan today at 2 p.m. at the Central

Library and Asha’s Baba on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Corona del

Mar Branch Library. Check our website -- https://www.newportbeach

library.org -- for more information on these storytellers or

https://www.ocpl.org/storytelling

/merv.asp for a schedule of “Storytelling: Here, There and

Everywhere” events at other libraries in Orange County.

Bring the family out for an afternoon of literary fun and be sure

to check out some of these new children’s titles while you are at the

library.

“It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel,” by

Jamie Lee Curtis, acknowledges that for children, learning to have

self-control is hard, but it can also be fun.

“Scuba Bunnies,” by Christine Loomis, is a fun adventure about

scuba-diving rabbits swimming by a pirate ship and encountering a

variety of sea animals. If you and your child like this book, you’ll

enjoy other books by Loomis like “Astro Bunnies” and “Cowboy

Bunnies.”

“Blue Bowl Down: An Appalachian Rhyme,” by C.M. Millen, is written

in a rhyming text. The book describes the process of preparing bread

dough in the evening, so that it will rise overnight and be ready to

bake into loaves before the family awakens the next morning.

“John Philip Duck,” by Patricia Polacco, is the story of a young

Memphis boy who trains his pet duck to do tricks in the fountain of a

grand hotel and ends up becoming the Duckmaster of the Peabody Hotel.

In “Wild about Books,” by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown, librarian

Molly McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading

when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake.

Thanks again to Mervyn’s Go Places, Read program and the Santiago

Library System.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Bonnie McLaren, children’s

librarian at the Mariners Branch Library. All titles may be reserved

from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach

library.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of

the branch locations, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library

at (949) 717-3800, option 2.