Beginning in 2025, the weekly Storytime schedule will change slightly, so please note our new schedule. Storytimes are every day except Sundays, 10:30–11 a.m., and are held in the Storytime Room at the back of the Children’s Room unless noted in the calendar.
Mondays: Chinese Bilingual Storytime Join us every Monday for a special Chinese Bilingual Storytime with Children's Librarian Fang! Together, we will enjoy songs, rhymes, stories, and fun crafts in Chinese and English. Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome.
Tuesdays: Spanish Bilingual Storytime Join us every Tuesday for a fun Spanish Bilingual Storytime with Children's Librarian Miriam! Each week, there will be a fun theme with plenty of repetition from previous weeks to enhance language learning. Get ready for singing, dancing, activities, stories, and rhymes in both Spanish and English.
Wednesdays: StoryJAM StoryJAM is a music and movement program designed to model, encourage, and facilitate music-making as an early literacy skill. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate as much as possible.
Thursdays: Preschool Stories & More Preschool Stories & More is the Thursday Storytime program at the Library and will often feature a guest presenter, storyteller, or performer! All ages are welcome, but some programs may be better suited for ages 3–5. Special Guests in January:
Thursday, Jan. 23, 10:30–11 a.m., Storytime Room: Dog Safety with the K9 Ambassadors Volunteers from the local K9 Ambassador program will use handpicked dogs to help teach kids about dog safety with tricks and obedience skill demonstrations.
Fridays: Book Babies Join us for Book Babies! Let’s have fun together singing, reading, and rhyming. This program is designed to stimulate your infant’s language development and is geared toward ages 0–2 years. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate.
Join us every Saturday for a delightful Family Storytime in the Storytime Room! Recommended for all ages, this session features a mix of shorter and longer stories combined with engaging action games and activities. Bring the whole family and enjoy a fun, interactive experience that encourages a love for reading and play.
Winter Reading Program, Dec. 21–Feb. 15Curl up with a good book this winter! The goal for kids is to read 20 books this winter, and adults and teens should read three!Available to all readers age 3 to adults. Register and log your reading online, pick up a game card from the Library, or print your own.
Finish the challenge to receive a fun prize (while supplies last):
Children: A SpareMe prize and a hot cocoa mug
Adults and Teens: A hot cocoa mug and a chance to win a $50 Downtown District Gift Card
And be sure to check out all the fun programming we offer while you are frequenting the Library to load up on books for the challenge!
Dance Me a Story ties together ballet performances and the literature that inspires the choreography. Participants first learn how the literature inspires the choreographer and dancers, then see costumes, headpieces, props, and pointe shoes—all important elements to bring the story to life. We will read and dance Caralyn & Mark Buehner's modern superhero tale with a real comic book feel! Little Dex has big dreams: he wants to be a superhero. Will Dex learn that a hero is not defined by the strength of his muscles but by the trueness of his heart?
Join us on the second Tuesday of every month for a new Books to Cooks Club, where we read a picture book and make a delicious after-school snack from the story! This program is for preschool-6th grade.
Also, it's Miss Mari's birthday, so the theme is....CAKE! We will read “The Mystery of the Missing Cake,” in which everyone is a prime suspect! Can we piece together the clues to solve the case and save the party? After the story, we will make custom mug cakes in the microwave. Feel free to bring your own mug, or you can complete the Winter Reading Program to redeem a mug to use!
Please let staff be aware of any food allergies if attending any Books to Cooks Club programs.
Join us for the exciting World Club on the third Tuesday of every month! Discover a new world culture each time through engaging stories, games, crafts, activities, and even delicious food. All ages and backgrounds are welcome!
La Yue, the final month of the lunar calendar, is the most exciting and busiest time of the year as people prepare for the Lunar New Year! Join us today as we get ready for the Lunar New Year celebration at the Library! Together, we'll explore Lunar New Year traditions and create red paper cutouts. Take them home as decorations or hang them here in the Children's Room.
Book to Art Club is the fourth Tuesday of every month for school-age children. Each month we will read a picture book and create custom art inspired by the story!
January's book selection is illustrated by Iowa City artist Claudia McGehee. We will read “Counting Winter” by Nancy White Carlstrom, a book that celebrates the rhythms of the tundra and its inhabitants. Poetic lines and stunning scratchboard art create the perfect read for a chilly day! After the story, we will use a few scratchboard techniques like the artist to create some custom scratchboard snowflakes in the color tones of winter!
No School Day? Perfect time for a Library visit! Join us at ICPL for a fantastic celebration of the Lunar New Year! Enjoy a vibrant lion dance performance presented by APAPA (Eastern Iowa Chapter of Asian and Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association). Afterward, please stick around and help us make a special ICPL dragon using paper plates.
