The Missing Tiger: A Sherlock Holmes Virtual Escape Room

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Image from Cotsen Children’s Library, Princeton University Library: A restless tiger. Natural History Made Easy. Wood engravings by George Pickering. London: D. Carvahlo, between 1830 and 1832.

The (digital) game is afoot! Today, we present a virtual escape room for kids, designed by our resident Escape Room Queen, Katie. A tiger has escaped from the London Zoo, and Holmes needs your help to find it!

Ready to begin your investigation? Click here! 

We would like to thank Sydney Krawiec from the Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, Pennsylvania for her inspiration, advice and encouragement to take on this challenge. Sydney designed an AWESOME digital Harry Potter escape room. LOVE!

Three Kisses

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Strega1_2

DePaola, Tomie, Strega Nona: An Original Version of an Old Tale. 1st Little Simon board book ed. New York: Little Simon, 1997. Cotsen Collection, Moveables 37931

That charming, wafter-tiled cottage overflowing with pasta was a huge part of my childhood landscape, and millions of others’ landscapes as well. Today, we say goodbye to the legendary Tomie dePaola. May his distinct drawings, rich characters, and delightful animals (the peacocks and rabbits were always my favorites) live on in his books, and in the imaginations of future readers.

We’d also love to share a Strega Nona post on Cotsen’s Curatorial blog. It was penned by Dr. Franny Zawadzki during Banned Book Week 2019. Three kisses may have ended the spell for the village of Calabria, but for us, the magic will always continue.

Much love and gratitude, Mr. dePaola.

The Best Baguette Bakery

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the best bagette bakery

Bake a bounty of beautiful baguettes at this fantastic little bakery. Poofy baker’s hat optional, but it does add that professional touch, yes?

We read Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems (Hyperion, 2016). Little Nanette has a big job. She must journey to the bakery – all by herself – buy a baguette, and bring in home. Everything goes well, despite a few distractions (friends Suzette, Bret, and Mr. Barnett with his pet, Antoinette). But the baguette looks so tasty. It’s warm. It smells so good…Nanette takes a bite, then another, then another. Oh no! It’s gone! A tearful Nanette reports to her mother, but this problem is easily solved. They can go and buy another one, together. And eat it!

You’ll need:

  • 1 large box
  • A box cutter
  • A selection of construction paper
  • 1 bakery sign template, printed on 8.5″ x 11″ card stock
  • 1 paper or plastic sample cup
  • Modeling clay
  • Scissors, glue and tape for construction
  • Markers for decorating

side view of bakery

We used a 4.5” X 4.5” x 9” craft box for our bakery (but a large tissue box works too!). Trim and fold the box’s lid to form a peaked roof. Then use a box cutter to create a rectangular window for the bakery. If you’d like an awning, cut just three sides of the rectangular window, then bend the resulting flap upwards to create the awning.

Decorate the bakery with construction paper and markers. We offered color masking tape as well. Color and cut a bakery sign from the template, then attach to your roof. Finally, cut a rectangle out of the back of the bakery…

back of bakeryAnd use the resulting cardboard to make a countertop for your bakery. Hot glue it to a cut-down paper cup or plastic sample cup, then place the counter outside your bakery window. Use modeling clay (we used air dry Model Magic) to fashion some little baguettes.

baguette counterThe final touch is a baker’s hat, and you will find the supply list and instructions for it here!

bakers hat