Tag Archives: storytime

Sanitation SUPERSTARS!

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It’s a big job, but our stellar sanitation team is up to the task! Drive your garbage truck to multiple locations around town, then head to the city dump and send everything flying down the chute. Yes we made a mess, but we had SO much fun!

We read Trashy Town, written by Andrea Zimmerman & David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (HaperCollins, 1999), and read here by Michigan City Public Library. Mr. Gilly is a trash man and wow is he is busy! There are lots of stops all around town (like the school, town park, a pizza parlor) and finally to the city dump to unload. But there’s still one more stop for Mr. Gilly after that…the bathtub!

This was a special final Tiger Tales story time request from a family who was moving out of the area. The story time kiddo asked for “garbage trucks” and “chutes” and we think we delivered!

You’ll need:

  • 1 large craft box (ours was 4.5” X 4.5” x 9” but a large tissue box works too!)
  • A box cutter
  • 1 sparkle stem
  • 1 toilet paper tube
  • Tin foil
  • 1 truck template, printed on 8.5″ x 11″ card stock
  • Black construction paper
  • Yarn
  • Hole punch, scissors and tape for construction
  • Markers for decorating

First, the garbage truck! Use a box cutter to make diagonal incisions in the back and bottom of your box, then fold the entire section upwards. This is your garbage truck’s loading hopper. In order to make it easier for kids to raise and lower the hopper, we looped half of a sparkle stem, then taped it to the tailgate.

Notice the garbage cans hanging on the side of the truck in the above photo? To make those, cut a toilet paper tube in half, then wrap each in tin foil. Punch a hole in the side of each can and hang them on sparkle stem hooks taped to the side of the truck. We filled our can with scrap tissue paper “garbage” as well.

The front of the truck is a template from this post (just disregard the roof section on the template – or better yet, cut it into little bits and use it to fill your mini garbage cans!). Tape that in place, then add some black construction paper wheels and decorate the truck with markers. Tape a yarn pull string to the front of your truck for hauling.

It’s time to get to work! We constructed models of each of the sites mentioned in the book…school, park, doctor’s office, pizza parlor, fire station, and the city dump. Many thanks to my daughter for helping me construct them (love the smiling pizza slice)!

We constructed the buildings and park with shoe boxes and box lids, but the city dump was much larger. It was big box with a removable chute that allowed kids to tip their garbage and send it sliding into the dump. You can see the whole thing here, modeled by our awesome grad student volunteer Shruti Sharma (who was also a cloud scientist at a library event this spring).

Once every kid had made a truck, they received a “route card” that showed the order in which they needed to visit each place. Since there were 5 sites, I made 5 routes, all different so they story time kids wouldn’t clump together. Each route, of course, ended at the city dump.

We placed the buildings around the library, and each had it’s own unique “garbage” to be collected. Mostly, these were little do-dads and art supplies from the cabinet. The school’s garbage, for example, are leftover wooden letters from this project. Caregivers and older siblings volunteered to staff each site, refilling “garbage can” cups as each truck rolled up, and the story time garbage kids got to work.

At the city dump, Shruti helped kids slide the garbage down the chute. The back of the big box was cut open, in case kids wanted to take their garbage home. It got a little messy and chaotic. But hey! It IS a dump after all!

If you would like to do this story time and don’t have time to make the buildings, no worries! Here’s a printable set of the buildings that you can tape to walls and tables. Drive safe, and happy collecting!

Jingle All the Way

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Blue Yellow Minimalist Meet The Team Instagram Post - 1Bring on the color, fun, decorations, and wheels…the jingle trucks are here! Author Hinna Shahid visited our library’s story time, and brought her two fantastic books to share: My First Jingle Truck, and Riding on a Tuk Tuk (Vah Masti Books, 2022). Both of these wonderful books take the reader on a journey through the landscapes and culture of South Asia. Hinna brought six signed copies to give away, which was amazing!

Jingle trucks are famous in South Asia for their elaborate patterns, details, calligraphy, and paintings. Each truck is unique to the driver, and represents pride in their work as well as their dedication to beauty. The truck’s dangling chains earn them their famous name. A tuk tuk is a smaller three-wheel truck, used for zipping around the roads quickly.

We decided to bring Hinna’s book to life by decorating step-inside jingle trucks! Our trucks were white office file boxes. We cut the bottoms out, then used that extra cardboard to fashion the cab of the truck. A pair of ribbons tied to the handles of the box acted as suspenders to hold the truck in place. Then we brought TONS of decorating supplies out of our art cabinets.

The biggest hit were bookmark tassels left over from this event. I also learned that many jingle trucks have “Horn Please” signs on the back. So I created those as well!

The office filing boxes we used were a bit of a splurge (a package of 20 costs $50 on Amazon. However, copy paper boxes work as well if you have room to store them. The  boxes fit drivers of every size:

Large…

Medium…

And small!

When the trucks were complete, Hinna handed out jingle bell bracelets to each driver (again, purchased on Amazon, a box of 48 were $33). To keep your budget low, you can buy packs of individual jingle bells (typically a pack of 50 runs about $6) and hand out just a few per driver.

After rush hour ended, I caught up with Hinna to chat about her awesome books!

Please tell us a little about yourself!

I am a Physician Scientist working in the healthcare industry and a mother to a 3-year-old toddler residing in New Jersey.

Both of your books My First Jingle Truck and Riding on a Tuk Tuk were released in 2022. How did these books come about?

My upbringing involved extensive travel around the world, with one of my favorite destinations being my grandparents’ home in Pakistan during the summer. During those trips, I was fascinated by the multitude of three-wheel vehicles known as Auto Rickshaws and the vibrant, hand-painted Trucks that adorned the roads. Among my cherished childhood memories is the joy of riding with my grandmother on a Tuk Tuk to explore the local bazaar. The experience of zipping through the narrow streets, feeling the wind in my hair, and being enchanted by the delightful aroma of spices is something I still hold dear.

As I witnessed my own son growing up in the United States, I wanted to share my childhood reminiscences with him by reading books together. However, during the COVID pandemic, while searching online, I was unable to find a book that captured those memories. This inspired me to embark on a journey as a children’s book author, which began about two years ago. As a determined mother on a mission, I set out to share my treasured recollections of South Asia with the world.

Your books are on wheels! That’s fantastic! How did you decide to add those?

In my quest to introduce my son to the rich tapestry of South Asian culture in an enjoyable manner, serendipity struck during a family trip to London. There, I came across books equipped with wheels, and a creative idea took shape in my mind. Inspired by this discovery, I resolved to incorporate wheels into the books, transforming them into captivating and interactive pieces for young readers.

Are there any illustrations or locations in the books that are significant to you?

Within the pages of the two books, numerous stops and locations hold significance as they are drawn from a blend of my cherished childhood memories and recent journeys to India and Pakistan. Among these, Agra, India, holds a special place in my heart, for it is there that the awe-inspiring beauty of the Taj Mahal was brought to life.

What are you working on now?

I am currently immersed in several exciting projects for my next books. At the moment, I am exploring captivating new themes and storylines that will engage young readers and spark their imaginations. I’m also delving into more diverse cultures and settings, aiming to introduce children to different parts of the world through the magic of storytelling. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting developments from me as a children’s book author. There are wonderful adventures and heartwarming tales waiting to be unveiled. Your continued support and interest mean a lot, and I can’t wait to share these new stories with you soon!

Many thanks to Hinna Shahid for coming to our library and donating books to our library visitors! See you on the road! 

Elvis in Princeton

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Some meetings are written in the stars! A few weeks ago, we were wrapping up a story time when I noticed a gentleman carrying a stuffed dog around the gallery. The way he was carrying the dog, grinning so happily, and just thoroughly enjoying the library seemed so significant, I struck up a conversation with him.

Turn out the stuffed dog’s name is Elvis. And the gentleman? It’s author and graphic artist Rodrigo Morlesin, who just released Luna Ranchera, his first children’s picture book in English!

Rodrigo is the very definition of ebullient. How do I know this? Well for starters, he doesn’t sign books in one color pen. He carries a rainbow assortment and enthusiastically signs in multiple colors!

We had a wonderful time getting to know Rodrigo and hearing about his adventures in the States. Later, I had a chance to ask him about his book, which is now proudly displayed on our shelves…

Hello! How did you find your way to the Cotsen Children’s Library today?

Sunny outside but sunnier inside the library! I came because of the recommendation of my friend Leonard S. Marcus, he told me about this oasis of books. In the beginning, I didn’t believe him about so many marvels… But he never lies so I decided to come and see it by myself!

And who is your handsome doggie companion?

He is Elvis, the main character of my first book Elvis Nunca se Equivoca (Elvis is Never Wrong), a middle-grade novel about a dog who lives on the streets but by accident is adopted by Ana and her family. I’m from Mexico, so my first book was published in Mexico and later in Turkey, China, Colombia, and Japan. It is illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, one of the greatest Japanese illustrators. When the book came out I was very impressed because it received very good comments, like one from Barry Cunningham, the Editor who discovered Harry Potter: “Very funny and very lovely. It has a great heart and soul – and so charming!” So, this little guy represents so much to me and accompanies me on all my trips.

Tell us a little about your new book!

Oh! Let me introduce you to Luna and Ranchera… Mother and daughter… the world’s most beloved singing doggie duo. They are the main characters of my new book Luna Ranchera. This is my first picture book and my first book in English! And it can’t be better! Amazingly illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson and published by Minerva (an imprint of Astra Publishing Group). I came to the US to have some presentations.

Your characters, Luna and Ranchera, overcome their hardships to follow their singing dreams. What advice do you have for little readers who have big dreams too?

Big dreams demand big efforts! This kind of effort fills our every day with joy and learning. This is what we call our passion To write, a sport, to dance, to cook… Any that you love to do and you would like to do forever… keep your passion, hug your passion, feed your passion! It doesn’t matter if it scares you a little, making your first cake can be scary, writing your first poem and reading it in front of the class can be scary… But remember: fear is a curtain that hides wonderful treasures. I learned it when I was scared with my first book.

Are Luna and Ranchera based on real dogs?

Yes, they are! How do you know it!? Did they tell you? Before the pandemic, I was on tour with Elvis in Colombia. I was staying at the house of my friends Leandro and Faber. And they have two dogs: Luna and Ranchera and a cat named Canela (Cinnamon) can you find Canela in my book?

They told me the story of Luna, who had been a wild dog who stole food from houses and trout from a hatchery to be able to support her puppies; Ranchera and her little siblings. A hard life for these dogs who inspired me to write this story. But the inspiration has strange ways to talk. Because the song “Crazy” by Patsy Cline inspired me to find the rhythm of the story.

Your books has an amazing serenade in it…have you ever performed the song yourself (and if not, WILL you)?

Oh! No! I’m the worst singer ever! You could cry with my singing and not for the right reasons! But Sara Lissa Paulson, the translator of Luna Ranchera sang this song during the presentation and she made all the people cry for the best reasons!

You are also a successful graphic designer…could you please tell us your favorite color and why?

Oh, thank you! I’m very lucky I had designed some famous Latin American children’s books, but now I work as a designer and editor at UNESCO in Mexico. I love my job because we work on very important matters like education, culture, science, and communication. So I’m very lucky!

Many many years ago I worked at a newspaper and I interviewed Stan Lee. He told me that he has a superpower. His superpower was to be lucky. when you are lucky everything works out for you. So, I like to think I have that superpower too!

My favorite color changes from time to time… Past year I loved the electric yellow!
This year I’m finding myself attracted to orange…But always the black color is one of my favorites. Which is yours?

I wanted to add a quick post note to the interview…a few days after Rodrigo departed, I received the most wonderful card and package stuffed with all sorts of fun Luna Ranchera things…including my now-most-favorite blue bandana. ¡Gracias Rodrigo, te apreciamos mucho! ¡Ven a vernos pronto!

Images courtesy of Rodrigo Morlesin