Tag Archives: creative

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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It’s a Proper Pig Palooza

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You’re invited to the party of the century, complete with music, dancing, costumes, aaaaaand cake! There’s just one rule…you absolutely HAVE to be a pig to attend!

We read Pig Town Party by Lian Cho (Harper, 2024). When an exclusive “Pig Town Party” invitation arrives in the wrong mailbox, the little girl doesn’t hesitate. Despite not being a pig, and not being invited, she navigates her way to Pig Town and enthusiastically joins in the festivities. Because it’s a costume party, no one questions her until the REAL pig the invite was intended for shows up. And that pig is very, very, miffed. Chaos ensues, a chase, and a big surprise in the end for the party crasher! This hilarious book was recommended by a story time kid, and we absolutely loved it!

You’ll need:

  • 1 large oatmeal container
  • Pink construction paper
  • 1 jumbo pom pom
  • 1 pair of wiggles eyes
  • Various art supplies for costumes
  • Scissors, tape, and glue for construction
  • Markers for decorating
  • Hot glue

We begin with our standard oatmeal container piggy with wiggle eyes, a jumbo pom pom nose, and self-adhesive foam nostrils:

Then, our story time kids costumed their pigs with art supplies galore! Take a look…

Once the costumes were complete, there was music, dancing, and everyone got to take home a squishy little cake key chain! It was a party to remember!

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…