Folks, it was a total story time PARTY! Recently, we had the honor of collaborating with the Princeton Public Library and jaZams to bring the tremendous Betsy Bird and the terrific Andrea Tsurumi to Princeton with their new book Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme.
We all know Betsy Bird – author, librarian, Fuse #8 blogger for School Library Journal. Betsy has served on Newbery, reviewed for Kirkus, and written for Horn Book. She interviewed me way back in 2015, and again in 2022. And folks, I can personally attest that Betsy Bird serves up a mean round of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” for the young ones.
Joining Betsy was the extraordinarily talented Andrea Tsurumi. An author and illustrator, they hail from Philadelphia and have written and illustrated the picture books Accident!, Crab Cake, and I’m On It! as well as collaborated with a number of children’s book authors. I also learned that Andrea will personally draw any animal with a slice of pizza, which is how I scored this amazing serval illustration.
Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme (Union Square Kids, 2025) begins as a nursery rhyme book, but things goes quickly off the rails as a highly bombastic Weasel interrupts absolutely EVERY rhyme, much to the chagrin of the story’s narrator, a harried Secretary Bird. Kids get both the benefit of classic rhymes and the hilarious irreverence of the Weasel. It’s a wonderful and charming read-aloud, and Andrea’s jubilant and evocative illustrations build anticipation for every page turn. Our audience loved it!
Did I mention that Betsy Bird brought her own bird? Yes, she brought a custom Secretary Bird puppet who expertly mingled with kids after the story time.
Andrea also circulated the crowds with their sketch book, showing kids what original sketches look like, and answering questions.
My portion of the program was the craft project, which of course had to be an enthusiastic weasel popping out of a decorated box!
The craft was designed to serve large crowds with limited table space, so we offered a selection of stickers, a 3″ x 3″ x 2″ box, a pop word template and a weasel template printed on card stock. A poster board spring (exactly like the one Katie demonstrates here) attaches to the inside of the box with tape. Quick note: use 22″ strips of cardboard to create the appropriate length spring.
Kids were happy to grab markers and supplies and get to work on their boxes!
Families were also welcome to bring a little literacy love home, and acquire copies of the book for Betsy and Andrea to sign.That portion of the event was sponsored by jaZams, our independent, locally owned, and family run toy store. We love you jaZams!
I would like to thank everyone who made this event possible! To Betsy and Andrea for bringing such a wonderful book to our community. To Marissa Warren, Director of Youth Services at the Princeton Public Library for opening the doors of the Community Room for all to enjoy. And to Joanne Farrugia, owner of JaZams, for providing books for everyone to experience again and again!
From left to right: Joanne Farrugia, Marissa Warren, Andrea Tsurami, Betsy Bird, Dana Sheridan
Images courtesy of the Betsy Bird, Cotsen Children’s Library, and Princeton Public Library. Book cover image provided by Andrea Tsurumi.
It’s the party to end all parties, old sport! To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of “The Great Gatsby” this April, 
As some of you may have already guessed, the gold tinsel almost stole the entire show. Kids ran through it, swatted it, wore it as hair, and sat quietly with it tickling their faces. They also pulled it out in handfuls and threw it all over the gallery. It was a total mess after the event, and we’re still finding strands of tinsel in the library, but it was worth it!
We also offered a smaller, more focused art activity elsewhere in the gallery – coloring sheets that featured the work of British artist Louis Wain, who was popular during the Gatsby era! Wain became famous for his drawings of cats depicted with human-like appearance and behavior, and we pulled images from our special collections to share with the community.
Speaking of familiar cats, we thought it would be fun to ask library staff to submit portraits for a “Match the Librarian to Their Cat” game. Hint: staff wore their cat’s colors, and even hilariously replicated their poses and expressions.
Our Great Catsby event was also a cat food drive to benefit 
Originally hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Barbara Hess Valenza (1961-2024) earned a B.A. in Communications and Theatre from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) and began her career in New York City in the art department of Jim Henson Productions. In 2011, she transitioned to Princeton University as the Assistant Director of Graphic Services and The Digital Print Center, and then as the inaugural Director of Library Communications in 2017. A long-time resident of Hopewell, New Jersey, she and her husband, Mark, raised their two children — Laura and Nathaniel — with much love and laughter. Barbara believed in the positive power of art and literature, and, as a talented and giving artist, honored the responsibility and privilege that comes with creating.
Kindness, positivity, imagination, hope, and happiness run through Barbara’s works like golden threads on a beautiful tapestry. In her illustrations and words, Barbara shared her artistic soul while also encouraging readers to embrace and express their own creativity. Central to her stories are personal connections — families to be celebrated, friends to be discovered, and feelings to be shared.
From bears in bursting rainbow gardens to birthday parties for dachshund dogs, Barbara’s illustrations are vivid and bold; joyful and jubilant. The exhibition, coordinated by family, friends, and colleagues, is a loving tribute to her creative and giving spirit. To quote Barbara’s own inspiring words: This is a great day. Be wonderful in everything you do. Make the world a brighter place. Have lots and lots of fun. Be happy.
