Once upon a time... February 26 to be exact, there began a celebration called Tell a Fairy Tale Day where the telling of tales brought a special kind of magic that delighted both young and old alike. Cinderella illustration, 1809. The best way to celebrate Tell a Fairy Tale Day...
For many of us, there's something idyllic about gazing out the window with a cup of hot chocolate while the winter weather rages outside. But when it comes to kids, it usually doesn't take too long for a bad case of cabin fever to set in. So "weather" you like...
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot... but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT! It was a dark and stormy night. A great first line in a book is an invitation. It takes your...
We are dedicated to bringing the best and brightest books to our library collections. Here are some picture books we are really excited about that will be hitting shelves soon! Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus, illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Ages 3-7. Little Bear is having difficulty understanding his friends...
February 2021 is almost here and it's Black History Month. It is a time when great achievements from African-Canadian, African-American and other Black people of the world are celebrated. It is a time to learn about the rich history and to get a greater understanding of how the world has...
So, you want to read a poem (and now you need to get to know 'em) Fabulous! It’s never too early to read poetry to your little ones. Not only is poetry for young children often entertaining, it can give children the words to describe their feelings. Children see themselves...
It's time again for our annual feature of 2020 wordless books! There are lots of good reasons to consider looking at wordless books to promote literacy development, which I have previously posted about. Check out our 2019 roundup of wordless books and my article on using wordless books to promote...
National Hat Day is celebrated each year on January 15. And I for one am happy that we have a whole day dedicated to hats because nothing tops a hat! (See what I did there?) Balloon heads compare hats at Kidsummer at Nathan Phillips Square. Toronto Star Photograph Archive, 1994....
As much as I enjoy reading with my children, I don't always enjoy their book choices. I find it hard to fake enthusiasm about fire trucks, or how bunny learns to share. Parenting means reading thousands of stories. I have found that my sanity requires storytime books to educate me,...
January 27 is Family Literacy Day, an initiative of ABC Life Literacy Canada, which celebrates families sharing the joy of reading and learning together. Here at the Toronto Public Library, we're celebrating by offering special online programs and suggested reads for the entire month of January. As a parent or...