Library Notes

by Laurie Lyda Rowan Public Library

If you’ve wandered through the children’s department at any of Rowan Public Library’s branches (Headquarters in Salisbury, East in Rockwell, and South Rowan Regional in China Grove), then you know that displays are common. Children’s staff put a lot of time and energy into creating displays that accentuate areas of their collection.

Holiday displays are especially popular with patrons. For St. Patrick’s Day, South Rowan Regional’s children’s staff created a fun display with a variety of books about the history of the day and variations on the legends related to St. Patrick.

One of the books is “St. Patrick’s Day” by Gail Gibbons. This early reader book, originally published in 1994, addresses the holiday’s history, mentioning Patrick’s presumed birth in Britain in 380 CE, his work in the church, and his death on March 17, 461 CE and subsequent sainthood, bestowed by the Catholic Church. Gibbons also addresses the tradition of wearing green on March 17, the legends about leprechauns, and other ways people celebrate the day.

“Harp O’Gold,” written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Jill Weber, is also designed for early readers. The cautionary tale shares the story of Tom, an Irish minstrel, who trades his loved wooden harp for one of gold, only to learn that while the gold one (and its tinny music) brought riches and fame, it also cost his freedom. Will Tom learn his lesson? Will he be able to get his wooden harp back and live a life of warmth, happiness, and music?

There are also non-holiday books on display, as well. Gloria Houston’s “My Great-Aunt Arizona,” illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb, pays tribute to Houston’s great-aunt and to the impact and influence of teachers everywhere. Arizona was born in a log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and while she never went to the “faraway places” that she dreamed of, she touched the lives of generations and, as Houston writes, “travels with me and with those of us whose lives she touched…She goes with us in our minds.”

Among my new favorites is “I Love It When You Smile,” written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Charles Fuge. The tale of a grumpy little Roo who resists his mother’s efforts to cheer him up is adorable, and the illustrations complement the story well, with Fuge capturing Roo’s grumpiness perfectly. Roo’s mother finally makes him smile after an accident that involves a muddy hole and results in two mud-covered kangaroos. The book’s closing “I love it when you smile” sentiment leaves the reader with a smile, too.

Other children’s books guaranteed to make someone smile include the Pete the Cat series. Created by James Dean, many of the books are a collaboration between Kimberly and James Dean and Eric Litwin. Pete the Cat is a mellow feline, who stars in stories that teach early readers about moving along “because it’s all good” and how to make new friends when they’re very different from you.

A less mellow cat is the star of Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty series, which I always find hilarious (perhaps because I’ve been guardian to a “bad kitty” more than once in my life). Bad Kitty wants to be Good Kitty, but life throws her curve balls (hair balls?) that waylay her efforts sometimes. Her adventures include a review of the alphabet that will be useful for early readers.

The next time you visit your nearest branch of RPL, take a moment to peruse the children’s department’s displays. Whether you’re reading for yourself, for a child, or for a classroom, there are plenty of fun titles to be enjoyed. For those who don’t have time for in-person perusals, visit the catalog via www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. If you have an RPL card in good standing, you can place books on hold and have them ready for pick-up at your nearest branch (you’ll receive a notification when they’re ready). You will need to know your four-digit pin number, so if you’ve forgotten that, call an RPL branch or stop by during business hours to reset it.