October 6, 2022 | Benay Hicks
Today was very exciting: we held our first public storytimes in the Family Space! A storytime is perhaps one of humanity’s most sacred traditions — gathering together to hear tales told, stories spun, and books brought to life is a common thread among generations and cultures.
Gabby reading ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle in English and Spanish
Storytimes are important moments, no matter how big or small. And today, the Book Harvest Family Space took part in that sacred tradition thanks to Book Harvest team members, the words of authors Eric Carle and Todd Parr, and our wonderful families. Book Harvest is offering two storytime sessions every Thursday through the month of October:
Stories from the Start is a bilingual storytime for babies, ages 0-2, which runs from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM. In addition to the story, there are songs/music, nursery rhymes, & a movement activity. Stories from the Start is currently led by Gabby Angeles, Book Harvest’s Community Engagement Coordinator.
Turning Pages is a bilingual storytime for children, ages 3-5, which runs from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM. After the storytime, there is a short guided activity related to the story. Turning Pages is currently led by Wilmarie Cintron-Tyson, Book Harvest’s PreK/K Transition Coach.
A family and Wilma participating in the post-storytime activity
Today’s storytimes were nothing short of adorable. Predictably, the young readers were often distracted by the enticing Family Space learning toys, but interacting with peers and engaging with learning toys while listening to a book is extremely valuable. Truthfully, listening to an audiobook while doing other tasks is what I do on a regular basis!
My favorite part? In true Book Harvest fashion, every child who attends the storytime gets a new copy of the book read during the storytime! A book to be kept and cherished forever.
To learn more and register, visit bookharvest.org/familyspacestorytimes.
Gabby Angeles, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Wilmarie Cintron-Tyson, PreK/K Transition Coach
