Tag Archives: book

Let’s Play!

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We’re finishing 2023 with something we’re really proud of! This spring, PBS came to our library to film for Craft in America. The episode is titled “Play,” and it’s now officially streaming! Our segment of the episode is a tribute to Lloyd Cotsen, and his marvelous vision and gift that resulted in the creation of the Cotsen Children’s Library.

For those of you who are not familiar, Craft in America is an non-profit that is “dedicated to the exploration, preservation and celebration of craft, the work of the hand, and their impact on our nation’s cultural heritage.” The episode also features artists Roberto Benavidez, Schroeder Cherry, Calder Kamin, Lorena Robletto, as well as the Noah’s Ark installation at the Skirball Cultural Center.

This link will take you to the episode. Cotsen’s section begins at 37:24 (and Katie’s chin has a cameo at 41:47), but we highly encourage you to check out the entire “Play” episode, it’s simply wonderful!

The Cotsen Library would like to thank PBS, Craft in America, and the awesome crew that came to our library to showcase our little world so perfectly. We appreciate you so much!

Zippity Zebra

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This zebra is so handsome and dashing…right down our story time zip line! But can he outrun the lion, who is also headed for the finish line?

We read Zebra on the Go, written by Jill Nogales, and illustrated by Lorraine Rocha (Peachtree Publishing Company, 2017). The circus is in full swing, but when Zebra accidentally steps on lion’s foot, a chase ensues through the fairgrounds, town, park, and pier! But when lion falls in the water, zebra is the first to lend a hand in the rescue. The squashed paw is forgiven, the chase is over, and all is well again!

You’ll need:

  • Two large tissue boxes
  • Construction paper
  • 2 pipe cleaners
  • 2 large paper clips
  • Wire for zip line
  • Scissors and tape for construction
  • Markers for decorating

The lion and zebra for this project are basically two large tissue boxes decorated with construction paper and markers. You can see the zebra at the start of the post, but here is the lion box…

Once the box animals are complete, loop together a pipe cleaner, then tape it to the top of the box, right in the middle. At the top of the loop, either attach a large paperclip to form a hook, or use a carabiner (we had some leftover from this project).

Your animals are ready to race! We set up two zip lines using coated wire. One end of each wire was stabilized on the ceiling of the library, and the other end was held by a volunteer, who could adjust the slope of the zip line to make the box animals go slower or faster. Each kid brought their box animals to the starting line, then scooted over to the finish line (which we marked on the floor with red masking tape). We clipped the boxes to the wire, counted to three, and the race was on!

A zip line is a simple thing, and it took just a few second for each race, but seeing your newly created artwork zip down from the ceiling never fails to delight. Kids could have as many turns as they wanted, and could even race their friends’ animals!

Ghost-y with the Most-y

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Share a soft ghostly glow with a spirited little friend! This was a very simple project and activity, but a total story time favorite! And just LOOK at this vibrant book cover!

We read Gustavo the Shy Ghost, by Flavia Z. Drago (Candlewick, 2020 and read here by The Teacher’s Library). Gustavo is a very shy ghost, but he wants friends more then anything! The problem is, no one ever seemed to see him. So Gustavo sends an invitation to a violin concert in the cemetery. No one shows. Gustavo decides to play anyway and gets so caught up glowing and creating his beautiful music he doesn’t notice his friends have arrived (they were just a little late)! Now Gustavo has plenty of friends, and even though he still might be a bit quiet, they always know he’s there!

You’ll need:

  • 1 paper lantern
  • 1 LED votive candle
  • 1 ghost ornament
  • Yarn or ribbon to hang the lantern
  • Markers for decorating

We bought our lanterns on Amazon, opting for the large 14″ diameter ones with lots of decorating room. We purchased the ghost ornaments on Amazon as well, but you can also make these easy ghost lollipops too!

During the project, we turned off the lights and invited kids to use markers (and self-adhesive foam shapes) to decorate their lanterns in the twinkling glimmer of an LED votive. Then we went on a ghost hunt to find ghost ornaments hidden in the gallery!

Want to meet the author and see her studio? You will find our Studio Snapshots feature on Flavia Zorilla Drago here!