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Please join our community friends reading their favorite stories that we’ve been releasing every Friday starting in early July through September 2022. Click here to see the August 12, 2022 video. And please do click our YouTube "subscribe" button so you won’t miss each week’s video!)

The stories we share are appropriate for kids ages 0-6, yet all ages can enjoy them! (Scroll down to see the text from today's story.)

After each story, we share ideas to talk about the book to enrich your child’s experience with simple DIY craft projects that you and your kids can do together.

 

TODAY’S READING:

Starting August 26, 2022, whenever you like, kids and their caregivers can listen, watch, and read along with our Storytime reading of, “Me Too!," a book written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer.

This video was designed to help young kids learn about various emotions, to name various emotions, and ultimately, develop emotionally balanced interactions with others. As always, after each Storytime reading, Ms. Linda leads a fun family-oriented DIY craft project to enrich everyone’s experience of this book.

While you’re doing that craft project, we encourage parents and caregivers to talk about the story’s theme, in this case, asking kids to recall their favorite parts, and to identify different scenes and emotions in the story.

Once you finish the craft project, you’ll have a handy tool to help kids speak about their emotions, to express their feelings, and to give you an opportunity to help them with their social and emotional learning. Why not prepare for that craft session now?

You'll need the following craft supplies:

-- A clean white paper plate

-- A set of colorful markers, pens, or pencils

-- A piece of cardboard, back of a cereal box or gift card, or any stiff board that’s stiffer than normal paper

-- An inexpensive brass fastener like this that you’ll find at a dollar store or office supply store: https://bit.ly/3KmbauF

--If you have a hole puncher, that’s helpful

 

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Mr. Antoine Dow reads, “Me, Too!” written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer. After the reading, we think you’ll enjoy a follow up craft video addressing important emotions.

Antoine Dow is a Baltimore business owner. He reads our story from Cut Styles, his unisex barbershop in Upton/Druid Heights.

Mr. Dow loves to travel and has met President Obama and Patti LaBelle, but his heart is in serving West Baltimore and his community.

We hope you’ll follow his Instagram page to see how many community incentives he offers: https://www.instagram.com/antoine_ton...

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Please subscribe to our other Storytime Readings, as well as to explore our many other videos! (When you subscribe, you'll have an "early bird" alert whenever we add new recordings.)

And if you want more ideas about this book, for a helpful teacher’s guide, click http://www.oceanhousemedia.com/educat...

Please join our community friends reading their favorite stories that we’ll release every Friday starting in early July through September 2022. Click here to see the August 12, 2022 video!. And please do click our YouTube "subscribe" button so you won’t miss each week’s video!.)

The stories we share are appropriate for kids ages 0-6, yet all ages can enjoy them! (Scroll down to see the text from today's story.)

After each story, we share ideas to talk about the book to enrich your child’s experience with simple DIY craft projects that you and your kids can do together.

 

TODAY’S READING:

Welcome to this reading of "The Meanest of Meanies" a book by Kristen Hensley, Jen Smedley, and illustrated by Paul Briggs. Click here to see the reading!

Starting on August 12, 2022, whenever you like, you can listen, watch, and read along with this compelling story.

As always, after each Storytime reading, Ms. Linda will lead a fun family-oriented DIY craft project to enrich your experience of this story. At the same time, you’ll be able to talk about the book and give everyone a chance to release tension while they’re pounding and molding some homemade “Cloud Putty.”

Why not prepare for that craft session now?

You'll need the following craft supplies:

-- A container of corn starch

-- A container of body lotion—scented or unscented

-- A ¼ cup measuring cup

—A small kitchen mixing bowl

-- A metal or wooden spoon

OPTIONAL: -- A bottle of food coloring—any color you choose [note that this may stain a wooden spoon, which is why we mentioned using a metal one]

-- Wax paper to protect your kitchen counter

-- A Ziplock bag or small plastic container to store the Cloud Putty once you’re finished playing with it

 

ABOUT Ms. Blair Adams & Her Reading of, “The Meanest of Meanies”:

Blair Adams’ career is built on the foundation of compelling storytelling. Serving as the Spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department for the past six years,

Ms. Blair can capture the attention of everyone, both professionally and personally. As the daughter of a retired Elementary School Educator,

Ms. Blair brings a passion for engaging with young children in the community through reading stories like this, as well as via sports, and community engagement opportunities.

We think you’ll agree that when sharing this Virtual Summer Storytime reading, Ms. Blair reveals her passion for books and brings storytelling to life. (We sure do hope that you’ll enjoy her enthusiasm and ability to share the drama as much as we do!)

We’re so thankful that Ms. Blair chose this important story that shows how—from a child’s point of view—while parents and caregivers may do things that seem irritating or completely embarrassing to kids, so often they’re actually showing their deep love, care, and affection.

Although the “MOM” in this story is repeatedly called the “Meanest Of Meanies,” by the end of this book about love, we see that the narrator wants to grow up to be the exact same kind of M.O.M.

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Please subscribe to our future YouTube Summer Storytime Readings, as well as to explore our many other videos! And if you want to read the book again, you can download an eBook of “The Meanest of Meanies” from the Enoch Pratt Library by clicking https://bit.ly/3BZmuux 

Please join our community friends reading their favorite stories that we’ll release every Friday starting in early July through September 2022. Click here to see the August 5, 2022 video. And please do click our YouTube "subscribe" button so you won’t miss each week’s video!)

 

The stories we share are appropriate for kids ages 0-6, yet all ages can enjoy them! (Scroll down to see the text from today's story.)

 

After each story, we share ideas to talk about the book to enrich your child’s experience with simple DIY craft projects that you and your kids can do together.

 

TODAY’S READING:

Welcome to this reading of "Hair Love" a book by Matthew A. Cherry, and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. Click here to see the reading!

Starting on August 5, 2022, whenever you like you can hear and read along with this story.

As always, after each reading, Ms. Linda leads a family DIY craft project to enrich your experience of the story. Why not prepare now?

You'll need the following craft supplies:

• A round paper plate

• A pair of scissors

• A bottle of glue or very sticky glue stick

• A pencil, plus colored markers and/or crayons

• Yarn (ideally matching the color of your child’s hair)

   

ABOUT “HAIR LOVE”:

This reading is given by Mr. Eean Logan, Is an experienced Program Manager, educator, and facilitator, from Baltimore Maryland.

A 2022 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Fellow, Eean currently serves as the Civic Culture Director at No Boundaries Coalition, where he works to educate and encourage civic participation through programs for all ages in 21217.

(Clearly he enjoys reading to children—something that will be evident from the start as he shares his enjoyment of “Hair Love.” Big-time thanks to him for sharing this important story about self-love, about clearly expressing personal hopes and desires, and the rich heritage that families inevitably share with one another.)