Akron Life December 2022

FOREVER YOUNG

COZY COMPANIONS Read these Akron-Summit County Public Library books to grandkids this winter.

FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTNERS TO THIRD GRADERS “Thank you, Omu!” by Oge Mora Learn about generosity in this vibrant Caldecott Honor winner about Omu cooking a stew and her interacting with neighbors when they show up for a bite one by one. “That’s a wonderful book because there’s repetition,” says Lucy Carney, the children’s library and teen division man ager at the main Akron library. “It talks about the community, how people take care of one another and how important food is in the world.”

FOR KINDERGARTNERS TO SIXTH GRADERS “The Secret Life of a Snowflake: An Up-Close Look at the Art and Science of Snowflakes” by Kenneth Libbrecht Before making its way onto a child’s mitten, each snowflake is created in clouds, and this book tells the story of that journey. Written by a scientist who is a foremost expert on snowflakes, it features his stunning photos of real snowflakes, including snowflakes forming (in his lab), water evaporating, clouds form ing, ice crystals, rain, dew and frost. Each step builds to show how so many tiny flakes amount to a blanket of winter white.

FOR PRESCHOOLERS TO SECOND GRADERS: “Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock” by Eric Kimmel Based on tales originated in West African and Caribbean cultures, this book with an audio player follows Anansi the spider who tricks animals in the forest by using a peculiar, moss-covered rock until Little Bush Deer decides to teach him a lesson. “You push the button, and it reads it to you,” Carney says. “The story is about Anansi who is always a trickster. In the end, the trickster gets tricked. It’s a fun, silly, fairy tale kind of story.” akronlibrary.org

FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND EARLY ELEMENTARY STUDENTS “Snowballs” by Lois Ehlert By combining colorful cut paper and textured found objects like buttons, fabric and seeds, Lois Ehlert’s book con tains collages of snowmen. It might inspire readers to create their own snowmen or make one out of craft supplies as the book playfully demonstrates.

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