Often times I get ideas for this space by reading other blog posts. One librarian that I follow wrote about the wordless picture book exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art which is located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Take a look to explore their website:

After scrolling through her page, I started to look around our library to see what we have to offer in this unique category… and now I am even more in love with these books! Below is a small sampling of books I’ve found on our shelves:

This search in PrairieCat shows what’s available for you:

One of the many great things about the wordless genre is the creativity and imagination it sparks. You can see something new each time you look through it. The story can change each time you pick it up. You learn to relax and “read” the pictures. They can spark great interaction as you share responses together. There is often more emotion involved as you examine the pictures and illustrations…and many other valuable reasons to explore this genre!

Playful Learning has a great article about this genre for more information:

Reading Rocket has more tips for enjoying your time with these books:

Check this list from Reading Rockets:

And this is our link to our GoodReads list of wordless books:

I hope this sparks your curiosity a little to come in and find some wordless picture books to share with your friends and family. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!

The library has been a busy place lately! We have had over 1200 of our young friends sign up for the Summer Learning Challenge, and more than 200 completed levels…that is phenomenal! The challenge runs throughout July, so be sure to bring in your colored sheets for your completion certificate, prizes, and bonus logs for raffle entries. Summer programming is back in action too, with photos below. Some of our nature encounters were planned (dinos and fishing) but the spider….not so much!

Recently, the Saturday program at the library featured the T-Rexplorers Dinosaur Discovery program. Kids (and parents) were treated to insider secrets about a dinosaur dig, spent time with an authentic fossil hunter, and had the opportunity to handle actual dinosaur bones!

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Look at all those cool fossils!

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When you visit us, if you’d like to know more about dinosaurs, information is located in the 560’s of the non-fiction and ER non-fiction section.

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Rather unexpectedly one day, this mama wolf spider was enjoying herself in the storytime room. Miss Alissa and Miss Lizzo then corralled her and were startled when babies started hopping off her back!

See those babies exploring their temporary home in the cup?

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They quickly called Mr. Phil to come and help wrangle these critters into one of our bug-catching kits.

It has a magnifying glass, so they were able to get some really good photos!

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Look closely at the spider’s back…those are all the spiderlings hanging onto her!

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Here are a few more close-ups:

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For more information about spiders, visit the 595.44 section of the non-fiction collection,

and maybe go on a hunt of your own…but be careful!

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Let’s Go Fishing is a popular program hosted by Miss Lizzo. Participants learn how to bait their hooks, cast into the pond, and release their fish safely back into the water.

The June session was a great success with quite a few catches:

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Check the program guide for more info, call with any questions, or register online for the July session.

For books about fish in general, visit the 597 area in non-fiction. To learn more about the sport of fishing, try 799.1, or ask us to help you locate any of these books.

Whatever you might have an interest in this summer- whether it’s about science, sports, or summertime fun, you can be sure that we’ll help you find out more about it.

Stop in soon to check something out!