Tag Archives: children

Totally Twinning!

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When it comes to stylish pet cats, what can we say? It’s a total match!

We read My Cat Looks Like My Dad by Thao Lam (Owlkids Books, 2019). Dad and the cat both have orange hair and like milk, but the similarities don’t stop there! From afternoon naps to outdoor fun, Dad and the cat are remarkably (and adorably) alike. This is a fun, funny book with a super cute twist at the end, we highly recommend it!

You’ll need:

  • 1 small oatmeal container
  • An assortment of construction paper
  • Scissors, tape, and glue for construction
  • Markers for decorating

This project is basically an oatmeal container cat you can entirely decorate with construction paper. We added a self-adhesive foam nose, twisteez wire whiskers, and wiggle eyes for some texture. But do the cats below look familiar?

Maybe this photo will help…

Cat twins, activate! Yes, the point of the project was to match the cat to YOU! We encouraged the story time kids to take stock of their hair, outfits, and color preferences and design a twin cat. The results were adorable.

We brought out the Bling Bin for some extra crafting materials, and also supplied ribbons, foam beads, and bells in case kids wanted to make matching neck gear!

Baby, You’re a Firework!

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Call it a milestone! In twenty years of story time crafting, we never thought to do a light up hat. This illuminated chapeau was incredibly simple to put together, but judging from the kids’ reactions, it might just win most popular craft for 2026!

We read Fireworks, written by Matthew Burgess, and illustrated by Cátia Chien (Clarion Books, 2025). It’s a special summer night in the city, and from up top of the building, the sun sets and the firework show begins. Artistically written and boldly illustrated, more than one parent told us they wanted to add this picture book to their home library.

Huzzah! Fireworks won the 2026 Caldecott, congrats to Mr. Burgess and Ms. Chien!

You’ll need:

  • 1 plastic fedora hat
  • 1 strand of LED lights
  • Sparkle stems
  • Metallic embossed paper, cellophane, and Mylar for fireworks
  • Star stickers
  • Poster board hatband (preferably gold metallic)
  • Scissors and tape for construction
  • Metallic markers for decorating

We had a bunch of shiny purple fedora hats in the art cabinet, and they turned out to be perfect for this project (I believe they were originally from Oriental Trading Company). We also had a bunch of LED light strands from the discount holiday section at CVS.

For best results, we recommend you use the thin wire LED lights (not the wires covered in thick plastic). First, tape sparkle stems around the crown of the hat, then wrap the wire lights around the stems so they are elevated above the hat – the messier the lights, the better! Tape the LED battery holder to the back of the hat for easy access:

Next, use embossed foil paper, cellophane, and mylar to make bursts of fireworks, and tape them to the wire and sparkle stems. Decorate a poster board hat band with metallic markers, then finish the look with star stickers around the hat brim.

And remember, when it comes to firework hats, it can’t be too tall or too fancy! Go BIG!

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Stuart Visits: Princeton Public Library!

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Welcome to the newest feature of Pop Goes the Page…Stuart Visits!

Katie and I were on a internet quest (specifically, we were looking for a remote control robot cat that never quite materialized for our Great Catsby event). Suddenly, we stumbled across this fantastic little roadster driven by none other than Stuart Little!

As you can see, the car is super cute, zippy, and easy to operate. As we watched Stuart motor around Cotsen, we had an epiphany. Why not mount a camera on the back of the car, and Stuart can visit various locations and offer his unique mouse perspective on them?

For his inaugural voyage, we reached out to our Youth Services friends at the Princeton Public Library who responded with total enthusiasm. They just launched their “Unearth A Story” summer reading program…see if you can spot some staff picks along Stuart’s route!

 

Where will Stuart visit next? To be continued…