April

 
NATURE IN MOTION: FRAMING OUR EARTH

Main Book

About: The story is about a clever little mouse who takes a walk through a deep, dark wood. On his walk, he meets a fox, an owl, and a snake who all want to eat him for dinner. To scare them away, the mouse invents a scary monster friend called the Gruffalo who has terrible tusks, claws, and teeth. The predators all get scared and run away. But then, the mouse is shocked when he bumps into a real Gruffalo who wants to eat him too! The quick-thinking mouse tricks the monster into believing that he is the scariest creature in the whole forest, saving his own life

                                            

                                                           Review

The Gruffalo is an older picture book about a mouse traveling through the woods. He encounters other animals who want to eat him, but the mouse uses his wit to trick them and safely passes by. The story has a lighthearted tone and is told in rhyme, repeating the line “A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?” each time the mouse encounters another animal who wants to eat him" (Cummings, n.d.)

                                                      BOOK DISPLAY

 Nature’s Palette: Chroma-Sticks & Petal Rainbows (Ages 4–10)

                                                  Description: 

An immersive, multi-sensory process-art studio celebrating the natural vibrant colors of spring. The workshop begins with an interactive exploration of how colors interact in nature

                                               The Chroma-Stick Craft: 

Children select physical wooden sticks collected from the library grounds. Using water-soluble markers, they color vibrant patterns onto the bark. Afterward, they use fine paintbrushes dipped in water to paint over the ink, watching the pigments bleed, blend, and transform directly into the wood grain.

                                             The Petal Rainbows: 

Using a template grid, children sort and arrange real, colorful rose petals and fallen leaves into a sweeping, textured natural rainbow display, gluing them into place onto a heavy cardstock background

                 The Paws & Earth Outdoor Family Festival (All-Age Family Event / All-Day)

                                                      Description:

The library moves completely outdoors onto the sunny lawn for an all-day Earth Day celebration of nature, literacy, and animals. The festival grounds are split into three interactive outdoor stations:

                                     The Reading Frame Station:

Shaded pop-up tents are arranged with cozy outdoor blankets and pillows. Children grab a nature book and settle in to read to a gentle, certified therapy dog.

                                      The Paws & Play Lawn:

A fenced, safe outdoor turf area where families can play interactive games (like throwing soft frisbees or tennis balls) with local therapy and agility dogs to observe canine movement up close.
                                       The Eco-Art Studio: 

An open-air crafting canopy where kids create earth-related artwork using sustainable materials. Participants make pinecone bird feeders rolled in sun butter and birdseed, and paint custom biodegradable flowerpots to take home.
April Program Materials & Media Inventory

                                              Weekly Programs

                                                       Motion-Maker Storytime

 Storytime Book Selection: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Classic Picture Book / Feature Film Adaptation).

Media Element: 3-minute orchestral animated book short to practice roaring and beast movements

                                                     AUDIO/SONG

Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" wild creature remix (streamed via Hoopla)
Unique Materials: Felt monster masks, bulk faux ivy vines, and washable green finger paint

                                               Lego Animation Studio

Unique Theme Focus: Deep Forest Canyons & Growing Treehouse Sets

Unique Materials: Bulk brown/green Lego bricks, plastic leaves, and printed cardstock jungle backings

Script Writers Club

Unique Theme Focus: Writing environmental survival scripts and speaking from an animal's perspective

Unique Materials: Earth-grid narrative outlines and green-tinted sketching pencils

Let's Get Moving!

 Book Selection: Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood (High-action rhyming space-nature story / Animated short)

Unique Activity: The Backyard Ecosystem Tag & Garden Agility Obstacle Course

Unique Materials: Recycled plastic cones, giant sensory floor leaves, and soft foam agility stepping blocks

                                                     Monthly Programs
Paws & Playback: Read to Dogs (Ages 5–10)Book Selection:

Pax by Sara Pennypacker (Juvenile Fiction / Netflix Movie Option Tie-In)

Media Element: 3-minute wilderness wildlife landscape clip to observe red fox movements and habits

Unique Materials: Hypoallergenic dog treats, leaf-shaped tracking cards, and watercolor pencils

                                                Fact-Finder Film Scouts

Scavenger Hunt Focus: Zoology, Ecosystems, and National Parks History (Dewey non-fiction shelves 570 & 590)

Unique Materials: Printed Earth Scout Manual packets, custom wooden leaf keychains, and small treats

                                       BOOKS THAT TAKE THE BIG SCREEN

Book Selection: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Juvenile Fiction / Universal Pictures Animated Movie Adaptation)

Media Element: 2-minute comparison clip from The Wild Robot feature film cinematic trailer

Unique Materials: Individual snack boxes of movie-theater-style popcorn kernels

Cinematic Escape Room

Puzzle Vault Theme: "Lost in the Deep Amazon Rainforest Canopy"

Unique Materials: 3 combination padlocks, 1 locked wooden storage box, botanical clue sheets, and UV invisible ink flashlights