Exploring Art and Colors This Summer
By Jennifer Bergen
It’s time once again for the library’s Summer Reading program to begin! This year’s theme is “Color our World” as we focus on the many ways reading and learning brings vibrance to life. Signing up for summer reading means being connected to the library and your community, earning some fun prizes along the way by keeping track of how much time you spend reading, and joining in on enlightening activities and book discussions.
Summer Reading is for all ages, but it is especially important to involve children, from the youngest ages to the teens, to encourage them to keep their reading skills strong while on break from school. A little motivation for reluctant readers is always helpful, and we’ve got free books to give away, art supplies for prizes, and coupons from lots of local businesses.
Here are some books that will make their way into our programs for kids this summer.
“It’s a Firefly Night” by Dianne Ochiltree will be featured at the Glow-In-the-Dark Dance Parties this coming week. Illustrator Betsy Snyder’s fireflies light up the night sky in this colorful picture book. A girl and her dad are searching all over for fireflies to (temporarily!) catch in a jar. She counts them as she finds them, then later lets them fly free again in a moment that feels magical to children listening and nostalgic to the adults reading to them. At the dance parties, which include both stories and dance music, kids can hold up their glowsticks as pretend fireflies during the story. Then they can groove to favorite songs from musicals in the darkened storytime room with glowing lights and party favors.
“Pezzettino” by Leo Lionni is a classic from the 70’s that will be used at our Art Together Day for kindergarten through 5th graders. The message of belonging and being yourself is still as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. In the story, a small square-shaped protagonist named Pezzettino feels lonely and confused because all the other creatures he meets are large, complicated, and made up of several squares. After the story, kids can color square pieces of paper that spell out the summer reading theme, “Color Our World,” and then we will connect the squares as a sort of mosaic art piece to display in the children’s room!
At a storytime session for ages 18 months old and up, Tim Miller’s picture book “Izzy Paints” will entertain the youngest in the crowd. This is a colorful story of a small koala who is inspired by what they see in an art museum — “The art speaks to Izzy. And Izzy listens.” In the simplest manner, Miller’s illustrations show the creative process from set up to finish, including experimentation, inspiration, and imagination. Young children can visit the library’s craft table after storytime to make their own creations or attend a special event like Family Art Night on June 24 or the Baby Art Party on July 17.
Each month, the library teams up with Sunset Zoo for a special animal-themed storytime. The July Zoofari Tails storytime features “Sylvie” by Jennifer Sattler, a favorite among the librarians. A little flamingo named Sylvie is so tired of being pink like all her family and every other flamingo she sees. She decides to sample some different colors and patterns on the beach to liven up her feathers, such as nibbling on a swimsuit, beach ball and lollipop! Ultimately, Sylvie realizes that being pink is not so bad, and she finally eats some shrimp to bring her color back to normal. Sunset Zoo generously donated some free zoo passes as Summer Reading prizes, and kids and their grown-ups can visit the zoo this summer to see flamingos and more.
Teens will also participate in the colorful fun with Tuesday and Thursday afternoon activities, including one on synesthesia, the ability to hear colors or see sounds. “The Color of Sound” by Emily Barth Isler explores this phenomenon through Rosie, a teen musical prodigy who decides to take a break from violin for the summer. As she spends time with her grandparents, Rosie is thrust into a glitch in space-time that forces her to examine her family, including herself, in a different light. Teens interested in synesthesia will be drawn to Rosie’s story, and they can join in at the library on July 15 for a synesthesia-inspired art session.
Adults will get to discuss a classic short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892, at the June book club discussion. Written as journal entries by a woman who has decreasing mental abilities, the narration is fascinating and shocking and brings up questions about the treatment of women and mental health then and now. This book group has met its capacity, but there are many other adult programs that have room for more, including “Let’s Talk Art” on June 17 featuring two local artists, and Adult Free Forum nights where you can participate in a variety of activities or bring a craft project from home to work on.
Reading enriches our lives, and the library is your go-to for summer reads, free activities and relaxing down time. Try the Summer Reading challenge with friends or family to bring more color into your world!
Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week (May 12-18) focuses on our community as a vital source of support. One way Manhattan Public Library provides support is by providing access to resources and materials. We can often put you in touch with people to help, and if we don’t know, we will find out. We are librarians after all. One way I, personally, provide support for those I know is by sharing my struggles, talking about them openly and honestly, whether it is discussing my current mood or a change in medication. I recently began a healing phase of my life in which I promised radical honesty with folks. Here we go: I suffer from general depression & anxiety disorders and insomnia. Throughout my life these have been managed with medications and coping skills. To be completely honest, insomnia is the hardest part. Sleep health is incredibly important to being able to handle what day-to-day life throws at you, and I’m often running on 3-4 hours or less. I see you. Sometimes we just need a little help, like taking an antibiotic when we have a bacterial infection or insulin for diabetes.
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