Storytime

2021 King Day Celebrations

Happy Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, GA. 

The Library will be closed Monday, January 18, 2021, to honor Dr. King. The Elmhurst, Golden Gate, Piedmont Avenue, and Temescal/Tool Lending branches will also be closed Tuesday, January 19th. 

While we remain under stay at home orders, here are some options for celebrating online on Monday, January 18, 2021. 

If you’re looking for MLK books to read with your children, click here! 

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” 

― Martin Luther King Jr. 

OF NOTE:

Early Learning - READ

 

EARLY LEARNING TIPS 

  • Read with your child every day.

    It's not important what you read. The time you spend together will help your children develop a love of reading.  
    Talk about the story as you read.  If you're waiting for your holds to be ready for pick up at the library, a magazine, photo album or brochures will do.
  • Talk about the pictures or make up your own story. 

  • It’s okay to read just a little bit of a book.  Try board books, the pages are sturdy so you don't have to worry about your baby ripping any pages. We want children to play with their books.

  •  You don’t even have to read. You can just talk about the pictures.  

  • You are your child's first teacher,  let them see you like reading too.   

  • Words are everywhere: on store fronts, bus stops, and cereal boxes. Show these words to your child. 

 

EARLY LITERACY ACTIVITIES  

(from Demco) 

  • September 1st is World Primate Day. Read about monkeys!  

  • Sit with your child on your lap and point to the words in a simple picture book as you read them.  

  • Read a wordless picture book together, such as Journey by Aaron Becker. Have your child make up the words to the story. 

  • When you’re reading a story together, pause when something is about to happen and say, “I wonder what’s going to happen next.” Give your child time to think and respond. 

  • Read together, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin  or any other book with repetitive text. Repetition is key when mastering new skills.

     

     

 

GET A LIBRARY CARD 

September is library card sign up month. Get your child their own card  https://oaklandlibrary.org/using-library/library-cards 
Any California resident is eligible to get an Oakland Public Library card. 

Check out recommended reads for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

ENJOY STORYTIME ONLINE

Watch OPL Staff share storytime on YouTube 

 

What books does your child enjoy? 

Storytime You Can Watch From Home

Oakland library locations are closed until further notice, but with today's technology, that doesn't stop storytime! OPL children's librarians are presenting germ-free virtual storytimes weekly on our Facebook page:

  • Mondays 10:30 AM: Play & Learn
  • Wednesdays 11 AM: Bilingual Storytime (Spanish)
  • Saturdays 10:30 AM: Family Storytime

We have gathered a list of free online stories, music, art, and more for kids and families to enjoy while practicing social distancing.

More fun for little ones:

  • Mo Willems teaches you how to draw his favorite characters
  • Mariela (an OPL favorite!) leads Rimas y Canto for toddler and preschoolers in Spanish
  • 123 Andrés plays live concerts in Spanish and English
 
Please note: Oakland Public Library provides access to entertainment and education all year round. Babies and children need words (and music and books) every day, and they have lots of fun while learning with you. We hope to see our storytime friends at the library soon, and also remind you to check out these cool online places anytime:
 

Black History Read-In and Heritage Fest Events for Children and Families on February 4th at the Main Library

January is almost over, which means it's just about time for Black History Month. 

The Main Library is celebrating the achievements of Black Americans with a day-long Black History Month Read-In and Culture Fest for community members of all ages.

At the Oakland Public library, we strive to incorporate the work of people of African descent as part of our programming all year long, but appreciate the opportunity to highlight and celebrate Black history and culture as part of Black History Month.

Black History Month's origins date back to 1926, when Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week, a time set aside for studying the achievements and contributions of African-Americans. 

In 1990, the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) established the African-American Read-In to encourage literacy during Black History Month.

Join us at 10:15 for a lively storytime that will feature songs, books, and rhymes that represent people from the African Diaspora. 

An example of a book that will be featured is This Jazz Man, by Karen Ehrhardt. 

Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be served. 

At 11:30, we'll host the Samba Samba Workshop, an interactive educational workshop led by James Henry, that uses music, rhythm, percussion instruments, and drums as tools for capturing the imagination of the participants. This program is suitable for all ages from children to adults. 

The full schedule of events can be found here.

If you miss the Samba Samba workshop at the Main Library on the 4th, he'll also be performing at four other branches throughout the system throughout February and once in March. For more information about his performances, check out the library's website or call 510-238-6844

Bring Your Child to Storytime

Yuk Yau Preschool StorytimeThis last week I was talking with some teen moms about what they can do to help their babies get ready to read. I had given them the full presentation about five simple activities - talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing - that help a baby, toddler, and preschool child be ready to read by kindergarten.

One of the teen moms said her favorite memory of libraries was all the storytimes she went to when she was a child. She and her parents went to libraries all over Oakland. Her face changed as she talked about the pleasure of hearing stories with her family. It reminded me that when I was young, I spent weeks one summer listening to my librarian read C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She talked about "being transported to a different world." Being a very literal child, I was disappointed when we all stayed in the garden of the library. But I still remember that summer and have reread the book over and over again. 

There is something magical about being read to. The imagination can fly free to follow whimsy and visit different  worlds. And the memories of those visits can last as long as a visit to a "real" place. As added benefits, children increase their vocabulary by hearing new words in context, and adults get to visit long-forgotten places, feelings, and memories. 

Oakland Public Library has lots of storytimes. There are seventeen locations that serve children and families, and all of them have at least one storytime a week. We have baby bounces for children 0-18 months, toddler time for children 18 months to 3 years, preschool storytime for those who are getting ready to start kindergarten, and family storytime for the whole family.

Do you have a favorite memory of storytimes? Come make some with your child.