With Valentine's Day coming, there is a giant focus on all things love. For Storytime today, we decided to expand on that idea into the world of Kindness. Luckily, both of these themes are something you can put to very good use everyday, not just on a holiday! Happy Hugging!

Who here loves a dog? Who has one (or two, or three)? We found out in storytime that dogs need lots of love, care, and exercise. Enjoy these stories and songs from storytime highlighting dogs!

While it may be snowing outside and chilly, we can dream of the fun things we like to do in the summer--especially camping! Enjoy our stories and songs from storytime and maybe do some camping in your living room!

With so much going on in December, sometimes we feel harried, rushed, and maybe not like our best selves. In Storytime we talked about what good manners were vs. naughty manners, and how we can make sure we use them all the time.  

In Storytime we are able to pretend a great many things. This time around, we decided to ignore the blustery, rainy weather and focus on Gardens. There are so many kinds of gardens you can grow and if you make a container garden indoors, you don't even have to wait for Spring. 

Ernest J. Gaines was born outside of Baton Rouge, LA in 1933. At age 15, Gaines moved with his family to California, where he encountered greater equal access to education. After attending San Francisco State University, he was awarded fellowship at Stanford. Gaines returned to Louisiana in 1963 and garnered critical acclaim with his 1971 book The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. That book and his 1993 novel, A Lesson Before Dying, were both made into feature films. You may find these titles and other powerful works by Gaines in our collection.

Storytime was a great place to chat about being brave. Don't worry kids, it can be hard for grown-ups to be brave in the face of something scary, too! Just know that it takes work and family to help you grow brave. Courage rocks!