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Monday, April 25, 2022 | View in browser
Both library locations will be closed this Thursday April 28, all day and evening for Staff Training.
TWO beautiful celebrations of children and reading are coming up:
1. Children's Day or Día de los Niños is a celebration that originated in Mexico and dates back to 1925. Celebrated each year on April 30, it's about recognizing the importance of children in society and promoting their well being, including the joy of reading. To celebrate come to our:
Encanto Viewing and Craft for Día de los Niños! Join us for a themed craft activity and stay for an interactive sing-along movie viewing of Disney's Encanto! Get free children's and tween/middle-grade books to take home after the event. These events are first come, first served.
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Friday, April 29, 3:30 pm, Community Meeting Room, Main Library: More information.
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Saturday, April 30, 5 pm, Robert Crown Programming Room, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
2. Children's Book Week, the annual celebration of books for young people and their joy of reading, runs from May 2-8! Every year, kids across the country attend events at schools, libraries, bookstores, and engaging with book creators. This year come to our celebration of Floyd Cooper, one of our favorite children's book authors:
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Children's Book Week Drop In Storytime: Floyd Cooper Mega Reading Celebration! Come to this a special tribute to the late Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and Caldecott Honor winner Floyd Cooper! EPL staff members will read a variety of Floyd's most beloved books on this early dismissal day. Check out our new Floyd Cooper booklist, too! Wednesday, May 4, 1:30 pm, Main Children's Room, Main Library: More information.
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Floyd Cooper Nature Storytime! We'll be celebrating the great outdoors and the great Floyd Cooper. Thursday, May 5, 10:30 am, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
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Congress originally selected just one week in May to commemorate two different events: the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States on May 7, 1843 and the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 because the majority of the railroad workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. Now, there's a whole month dedicated to all Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage! To get started on next month's celebration, select a book for your child from these rich and excellent award lists:
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Pajama Night Storytime: Bedtime Stories and Songs! (ages 3-7) Get in your jammies and come over to Crown to read and sing with us before bedtime! Drop-in, no registration required. Wednesday, April 27, 7 pm, Robert Crown Programming Room: More information.
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Spring Purple Crayon Players Storytime (ages 2 and up)! Come to the Main Library for the last rousing sing-a-long storytime with NU Theater students this spring. You'll go home with craft materials for a great craft. Friday, April 29, 10 am, Main Children's Room: More information.
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The Young and the Restless Outdoors (ages 0-2) Join our sing-a-long storytime outdoors at our local park! Being outdoors means we will sing in our coats and boots, but the clear air should make it a joy. Singing is one of the best ways for little ones to learn language. Thursdays, May 5, 10 am, Cornelia Lunt Park (between the lake and the Main Library): More information. (Not meeting on April 28 as the library is closed all day for training.)
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Crown Storytime (toddlers and preschoolers) We will sing together and share stories, old and new! Stories and songs are chosen for younger kids. No registration required, just drop in. Ongoing Mondays, May 2, 10 am, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
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Bilingual Storytime / Hora de cuentos bilingües! From now until July, we will be hosting a bilingual (English/Spanish) storytime at the Robert Crown Branch. Join us on every second Saturday of the month (May 14, June 11, and July 9) for stories, songs and fun! For preschoolers and toddlers, registration not required! Saturday, May 14, 1 pm, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
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Earth Month Rangoli with Evanston Association of Indians! Rangoli is a 7000 year old Indian folk floor art where colored rice powders are used to create auspicious designs outside the front door. We'll be creating art together in a workshop for all ages at the library's front door. Let's celebrate the earth with our beautiful designs! Saturday, April 30, 11 am, Main Library entrance. Registration with the Evanston Association of Indians required.
Community Art Building Workshop: Make art with Kids Create Change in response to the Bias Inside Us exhibit! Let's weave together our individual commitments to acknowledge and combat bias. The workshop will include an introduction to art making for social change and the opportunity to discuss themes explored in the exhibition. All materials will be provided and no previous art experience is necessary. Saturday, April 30, 1 pm, Main Library: Register; OR Saturday, May 7, 1pm, Main Library: Register.
Crown Puzzle Swap! Exchange or pick-up a puzzle with one of the many we have here! The exchange runs from 1-4 pm in the Robert Crown Branch Multipurpose Room; all are welcome to come in and grab a puzzle! Most available puzzles are 500 pieces or more, so may not be suitable for young children, but we welcome puzzles of smaller sizes. Climate action via recycling and reusing! Sunday, May 1, 1-4 pm, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
Minecraft Mania! Spend your half-day off from school hanging out and building in the world of Minecraft! No experience is necessary. A Minecraft account is required and should be set up prior to event. This event will take place in person. Bring your device and hop online to hang out! Wednesday, May 4, 4:30 pm, Community Meeting Room, Main Library: Register.
 National Arbor Day is April 29, the day for planting trees and celebrating the wonder of how trees support our world. Earth Month ends not with a bang but a Canopy!
Earth Day News! The Blueberry Award, which celebrates the best children's books that engender a love of nature and action for the planet, is in the news! Artists Book House interviewed Library Assistant Martha Meyer on Earth Day about the creation of the Blueberry Award!
More Earth Day programs:
Critter Visit with the Evanston Ecology Center! Did you know that Wednesday, May 4, is a half-day for District 65? Join Evanston Public Library and the Ecology Center at the Robert Crown Branch for a Critter Visit! Come experience some of the Evanston Ecology Center's live animals up close! We will learn about each animal, the groups they belong to, the senses that they use, and the adaptations that make them uniquely awesome!! Wednesday, May 4, 1:30 pm, Robert Crown Programming Room: Register.
How to Talk to Children About Climate Change! Genie Albina, former District 65 teacher, Earth Week Environmental Curriculum lead, and Parent Coach will show us how to bring compassion, understanding and action to this important conversation. Wednesday, May 4, 7 pm, Robert Crown Community Center, Multipurpose Room B: Register.
 Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, comes to a close on the evening of Sunday, May 1 with a big festival called Eid al-Fitr, which means festival of the breaking of the fast in Arabic. This holiday is also called Sweet Eid because so many sweet things are served at the festival. The greeting for Eid is Eid Mubarak!
 What's May Day? In 1889, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day for a Chicago reason! It was to commemorate the Haymarket Affair, a violent confrontation between police and labor protesters in Chicago on May 4, 1886, that became a symbol of the international struggle for an 8 hour work day.
Read about the long struggle for worker's rights in an age appropriate way with your child with our Worker's Rights Booklist for Kids! As Dolores Huerta says, Si, se puede!
 Parents' jobs got even harder due to the ongoing pandemic. So there is no way one day could carry the gratitude necessary to thank and support them. Not all children have either a "mom" or a "dad." Some have recently lost a parent. Not all folks who want to be parents have the opportunity to do so. So let's allow all families to celebrate what we call Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8) in whatever way is best for them, which can include skipping it. Read more about supporting LGBTQIA+ families on Mother's and Father's Day.
Library suggestions for celebrating together with parents or grandparents:
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