Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! I know we will all have the most wonderful year yet.

Morning view

You'd almost think it was a summer sky, so blue.

Another Library visit

We had meant to visit the last time we were up, so this time it was a must-see. Branford, Ct is fortunate enough to have two libraries - this one, in the center of town is like a museum and art gallery and architectural stunner with books thrown in for good measure. Well worth a visit.

more images from library visit

Gorgeous Library

Recent visit to a truly beautiful library, the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, Ct.

A terrific new voice and a mermaid (of course)

Mermaids even in toy and candy shops - that's how we roll. Just finished
Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur - absolutely wonderful - wrenching and deeply sad at times but also marvelous for how Aubrey's voice is so true and to capture a tween's voice like that is no small accomplishment. There isn't a false note in this book.

The Mystic and Noank Library...

It was closed, of course, Labor day weekend and on a Sunday no less. But we (the librarian to be husband and his librarian wife) wandered the grounds, peeked in the windows, and fantasized about what fun it would be to work there. We can dream, can't we?

Visiting the Eric Carle Museum in Massachusetts

even the bathroom wall tiles are art! and Happy Birthday, 40 years, to that very Hungry Caterpillar.

The road rises...

an excuse to post a nice photo of my youngest son - but in line with recent house discussions about snarky librarians and burn-out librarians and what kind of librarians do we want to be (the word "helpful" was in there) and what a funny profession it is - book lovers, generally private sorts, out on the front line pushing books, pushing libraries, getting flack and attitude but also grace moments and the feeling at times that what you are doing counts for something...not all toast crusts, that.

embedded success!

First attempt to post a video via embed button - ez peasy. Thanks Blogger and thanks to found source - the always readable Fuse #8 Production.

Bits and Pieces

Heaven knows I don't want people to be cutting up books but in this case, exception made (somebody should do something cool with all the weeded books out there). Just love this. Sort of want them in every room. Sculptures? Toys? Just to play with randomly? I want. Really.
Vintage book plates? What a super idea. Big-eyed Mermaid art. Remember those velvet paintings of years back?
I do hope we are only cutting up really drecky crappy cannot be salvaged and should be weeded books for these fun things.
Simple to make (or so says the narrator) bats that seem to have teddy bearish faces.
Very into the woods mythical art for click on fun. I like this earthworm art story. especially like the Crazy A alphabet art here. I have mentioned my love for Melissa Sweet's art somewhere, yes?
Mermaids hang this art in the merbaby rooms.
These book art creations hang in secret rooms in the deep of the woods.
Enough? It's one minute past midnight so I would say, yes, for now, enough.

A Sea Change

Cahier d'etudiante. Can I still spell in French?

A redo for the LM blog...I need a resource for myself in the way of one stop shopping...so here I go...

Cheetahfabulous and a Great Artist

It was Cheetah Fabulous at the NRPL book festival. Deborah Gregory charmed everyone with her creative wares as well as wowing everyone with her Cheetah Fabulousness (Little girls "Are you really the author?"). At the table next to her, the illustrator, R. Gregory Christie was available to sign books (snagged this one for my library). An incredible talent and a really nice guy to boot. We already have a number of his books in the library but not this one which I was really pleased to get. He has also illustrated a new series by Nikki Grimes that looks terrific. A real pleasure to meet both of these talented people.

Library windows

The windows are painted and ready for the kids to come and Be Creative as is our theme (us and the rest of NY State and half the country). Just in time for our book festival today and tomorrow - I met the fabulous woman behind The Cheetah Girls series and a super talented artist - more on them tomorrow when I can do them justice. For now, just grooving on the beautiful (home) silence. That rockin' to the festival Library was NOISY!

Hey! Wake up - we're back!

We being The Bear, Charlotte, and myself. Such good stuff out there, who can stay away? All three of these books knocked me out - the poetry by children in Salting the Ocean and Come and Play are stand-outs for reading and for teaching, the photos in the latter are from the Magnum Photos collection and are fantastic.

Hip Hop Speaks to Children includes a cd recording of many of the poets - hearing Langston Hughes and Eloise Greenfield , Nikki Giovanni and Gwendolyn Brooks is amazing. Perfect for teaching a class of poetry, for reading, for listening, - this would make a great gift, too, even for grown-up librarians (just sayin').

Still the bear dozes

But go to Anderbo.com for the poetry of Susan Moorhead - the bear is also a fan of that Sun pours down like honey blog...