A Nanny's Work Through Pictures and Words
Zach Frater
My Mother Was a Nanny: Paintings from the Book by Laura James September 25, 2023 to January 28, 2024 Central Library, Youth Wing While Julie Andrews’ performance as the magical nanny Mary Poppins captured the hearts of viewers in 1964, would you say that today’s real-life nannies, homemakers, babysitters and other domestic workers are as beloved? Sometimes as adults, it’s easy for us to overlook the things we see every day, even if those “things” are actually other people. In 2023, many of us still rely on domestic workers to clean our homes and offices, to watch and rear our children, and…
BPL "Shelfies" Tribute
The world recently lost two great Children's Author/Illustrators: Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert. Both masters of bright colors and collage, their books bring vibrancy to our bookshelves and joy to our storytimes. As a tribute to their prolific work, BPL staff (and family!) took "Shelfies" with some of their favorite titles! All featured titles can be accessed at the end of the post. This booklist is a compilation of the titles we love. Browse through the list, place a hold and check them out at your local branch today!
BKLYN Kids Presents: Summer Reading 2021!
Have FUN this summer with books, activities, and virtual programs from Brooklyn Public Library! This Saturday, June 5 is the official launch of Summer Reading in Brooklyn! You can find fun virtual and in-person programs throughout the summer to help you get excited about reading what you love in a favorite spot at the beach, park or cozied up at home. And to help you carry your books home from the library this summer, Brooklyn Public Library is giving away colorful tote bags to toddlers and babies, kids and teens! We will also have some free book giveaways! …
BKLYN Kids Presents: Juneteenth
National Loving Day
Summer Reading 2020: Imagine Your Story
Summer Reading 2020 has gone virtual! This year's theme is Imagine Your Story – a celebration of fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and sharing your own unique story and voice. Brooklyn Public Library is here to help families have FUN with reading all summer long! It all begins on June 1, with kickoff events including a sing-along party with Cara Samantha, building castles with ArchForKids, and a performance by the Catpulli Mexican Dance Group. This year, instead of stopping by a local branch, families can sign up for Summer Reading online at…
Celebrate May Day With Fun Activities
Hasina Islam Kathy Gerber Elizabeth Willse
Every May 1, people around the world celebrate a spring festival known as May Day that once heralded the start of the growing season during Medieval times. Today, some people weave flower crowns, or give paper baskets filled with flowers to friends and family on May Day. Others dance around a maypole -- a bare tree or log that has been adorned with ribbons. May 1st is also “Lei Day” in Hawaii, where people give each other necklaces made of flowers. How do you celebrate spring? Bring the garden indoors with these fun crafts and activities! Celebrate Spring Activities Library…
Poem in Your Pocket Day!
Rachel Payne
Did you know that Poem in Your Pocket Day is every April 30? On this day, folks carry a favorite poem in their pocket to share with anyone they meet. But how do we celebrate when we are keeping our distance and we can’t go to the library and check out the poetry section? There are lots of fun ways to celebrate together with friends and family near and far. Here are a few ideas from the American Academy of Poets and Brooklyn Public Library staff… As a family, select a poem and share it on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem or just share it with your family. Don’t yet have a…
BKLYN Kids Presents: National Wildlife Week
National Wildlife Week starts today, April 6th. We know that it may not be easy right now to find ways to get outside and explore nature and wildlife. With these crafts, books, and other resources, you will be able to bring the wildlife exploration closer to home! Kids Create New York Zoos and Aquarium: Build Your Wild Self (Based on an Activity from the Bronx Zoo) You can choose to do this on paper or on the computer. Start by drawing yourself, and replace some of your features with aspects of different animals: What kind of eyes do you have? Cat eyes that see in the…
BKLYN Kids Presents: We Count!
The 2020 Census is here! Visit the Census website and get counted today! The decennial census determines New York's fair share of more than $650 billion of federal funds every year for critical programs and services, including public education, public housing, roads and bridges, social services, and much more. It also determines the number of representatives we have fighting for us in Congress. We're sharing some counting books and activities to involve your child in the Census! But first, some important notes about the Census: The Census counts everybody so that cities and communities…
BKLYN Kids Presents: National Physicians Week
Doctors, nurses, and medical professionals are working tirelessly around the clock to keep us all healthy, especially now. To celebrate National Physicians Week from March 25-31, 2020 we have come up with a booklist, crafts, and activities to inspire you. Here is a list of books you can read with your kids, including some they can read independently, to help answer questions about what doctors do, and what a child can expect at a doctor visit. Kids Create Cotton Swab Painting: Super fun and easy, all you need is cotton swab / cotton balls , paper…
BKLYN Kids Presents: Staying Connected
Kids - we want to hear from you! Brooklyn Public Library is looking for your journal entries, poems, and other writing about your experience of staying home during the coronavirus. You can tell us what it's been like to learn from home, share advice with other kids about how to get along with your siblings, or write about how you feel. Fill in the form below to participate! Loading... Librarians will read aloud from the submissions "on the air" on our Brooklyn Public Library Family Facebook (Date TBA). In the meantime, check out Brooklyn Public Library's full list of Virtual…
BKLYN Kids Presents: Hispanic Heritage Month 2019
Allison Wong
Here at Sunset Park Library we have a very diverse community which includes a lot of Hispanic residents. On Friday, September 20, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (which runs from September 15 to October 15) we had a big event at the library. In the morning we had guests from the wonderful IATI Theater put on a bilingual (English/Spanish) performance of "The Boy Who Lied." We had a crowd of first graders from a local elementary school in the audience, and they absolutely loved it! In the afternoon we had a big arts and crafts session for all ages, featuring…
Award-Winning Illustrators Create New Youth Wing Mural
Youth and Family Services
We’ve all had the experience of borrowing a book from our local library and being transported to another world in its pages. Seven children’s book illustrators have each contributed a panel to a joyous mural in Central Library’s Youth Wing, bringing that experience to life. Scroll through the slideshow above to see each panel. Check out the Illustrators: Selina Alko Sophie Blackall Yuyi Morales Christopher Myers Stephen Savage Javaka Steptoe Paul O. Zelinsky The artists first met in November 2018 to discuss themes, ideas and techniques.…
Commemorating the Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Saturday, July 20, 2019 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. A great book that explores one of our space station greatest accomplishments is Brian Floca’s Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11. Floca is the author and illustrator of Locomotive, winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal. It comes as no surprise that the images in Moonshot are unique to his style and very detailed. He uses art to explore Apollo 11’s legendary moon landing. There are details about the spacecraft’s that were built and used. The book also explores the science and technology used to make the moon…
BKLYN Kids Presents: Immigrant Heritage Month
On June 24th, the Kensington branch celebrated Immigrant Heritage Month. Tweens and Teens gathered to learn how to draw manga characters from Misako Rocks!, a Japanese manga writer/illustrator who has written works including Rock and Roll Love, the manga about a Japanese foreign exchange student living in the midwest. "Who knows the word for cute in Japanese?" Misako asked the drawing participants. "Kawaii!" the manga readers among them knowingly said. In the process of drawing characters step-by-step, Misako taught the children about Japan and Japanese pop culture. Misako explained that…
Bklyn Kids Presents: Comic Con 2019!
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
Scroll through the slideshow for more photos of this awesome event! This March, the Youth Wing hosted its fourth annual Comic Con with the theme AfroFuturism and the Celebration of Black Nerd Culture. The event, which drew in nearly 650 participants from across all age groups, featured science fiction writing, cartooning workshops, and a Q&A panel about the intersectionality of gender and race in nerd culture. Tweens and teens got the opportunity to have hands-on experience with the library's virtual reality technology and Lego robotics. We also had…
Bklyn Kids Presents: Storytime with Corduroy!
Scroll through the slideshow to see Corduroy fun at the library! On Thursday, February 7, 2019, the Sunset Park Library hosted their special Story Time with Corduroy event, sponsored by the Museum of the City of New York and supported by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Corduroy was a hit! We’d like to give a big thank you to Jeremy Laufer, district manager of Community Board 7, for being our special guest and for reading Corduroy to more than 100 preschoolers, teachers, and parents. After listening to how Corduroy found his person and his new home, the kids got a…
Bklyn Kids Presents: Brooklyn Robotics League
Do you love LEGOS, robotics, and teamwork? Then you will love the Brooklyn Robotics League! During this year's INTO ORBIT challenge, kids and teens (ages 9-17) learned to use LEGO EV3 robotics while exploring STEM concepts that transport teams into space. Our robotics team core values are discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun! Don't miss your chance to witness some upcoming robotics competitions at the library! North East Region Semi-Final Competition: January 26th at the Flatbush Branch from 10:00- 4:00 PM North West Region…
BKLYN Kids Presents: Shelfies!
As 2018 comes to a close, we asked our fellow librarians to share some of their favorite reads. Enjoy these "shelfies" and discover some great books! Click here to view the full booklist. Picture Books A mix of new and classic titles, check out some of our favorite picture books! Chapter Books Check out these librarians enjoying some gripping chapter books! Check this out: Shout out to Windsor Terrace for sharing their awesome Thanksgiving book display!
Bklyn Kids Presents: Halloween!
We love Halloween at the Brooklyn Public Library. A holiday that allows us to dress up as our favorite literary characters? Count us in! Here are some highlights from this year's spooktacular celebrations across the system: Trick-Or-Treater Costumes These awesome library visitors got some free swag for showing up in costume! Staff Costumes Shout out to all the AMAZING staff who dressed up at work for Halloween! Halloween Programs Lots of Halloween parties happened across the library system with games, pin the wart on the witch, slime making, scary crafts, and more!…
Bklyn Kids Presents: Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the cultures, histories, and important contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. From September 15 to October 15, Brooklyn Public Library is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month by doing what we do best - offering rich cultural programming and booklists! Here's a look at some wonderful family programs and events being offered throughout the Brooklyn Public Library branches this month: Calpulli Mexican Dance Company Visit Carroll…
BKLYN Kids Presents: El día de los niños/El día de los libros
At Brooklyn Public Library, we're gearing up for Día celebrations across the borough on or around April 30th. Check our events page for an updated list of Día programs happening in our branch libraries. Día as an acronym stands for Diversity In Action, and aims to celebrate diverse communities and literature. El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for…
BKLYN Kids Presents: Black History Month
During February, Brooklyn Public Library celebrated Black History Month with a variety of programs for all ages. These programs provided opportunities to learn more about, and celebrate, the important contributions by African Americans to art, literature, science, sports, and pop culture. Here's a look back at some of the wonderful family programs and events offered throughout the Brooklyn Public Library branches this past month: Cortelyou Cortelyou Branch welcomed local author Harriet Hyman Alonso, who read and discussed her new novel for children ages 8-12; a…
Genderful! Exploring Gender Through Art
Leigh, Collections Manager
My first memory of overt gender awareness is of browsing through my elementary school’s library (I was immensely lucky to have such a thing, complete with an incredible librarian, Mrs. Biesel) to find a suitable subject for an upcoming book report. My hand caught on the spine of a Betty Friedan biography. In 1990, a children’s biography about the second wave feminist activist and writer, most notably of The Feminine Mystique was a rare find indeed. (I have since tried to find this book, to no avail.) It was my first conscious exposure to the idea of gender inequality, oppression,…
Kids Explore: Fake News!
Program Objectives: Talk about fake news in a general way and across different media, looking at historical examples (War of the Worlds), unintentional fake news and intentional fake news, fake news as satire (The Onion), and the impact of fake news on the real world. Discuss ways of determining if news is real or fake, using examples and demonstrating skills. Activities: Games and Booktalks. Play the game “two truths and a lie.” Ideas for this can also be sourced from the books listed below (such as this example from Real or Fake, scroll to the bottom of this page for the answer!):…
Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!
Set your time-turners, because Monday, July 31st is Harry Potter's Birthday and we're having a PARTY! Join us at Central Library as we Celebrate Harry's (37th!) Birthday and the 20th Anniversary of J.K. Rowling's series. Activities include wand making, spellbook inscription, fortune telling, and a dramatic reading of scenes from Cursed Child by librarians and volunteers. You'll also get sorted into your Hogwarts House and learn how to care for your own Magical Creature! Can't make it to the event? You can still celebrate the day from home by making your very own…