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By Robby McKittrick
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In the spirit of Halloween, the Sherborn Library hosted a fun performance for the kids by bringing in performer and musician Elaine Kessler. As the Sherborn Library is still under construction, the program was hosted in the nearby Sherborn Community Center.
Kessler, also known as the Friendly Witch, has performed multiple times for the Library in the past years, with her most recent show coming four years ago.
“She is really a lot of fun,” said children’s librarian Cheryl Ouellette. “We have a lot of great programming with various people who come here, but she is somebody I know is great for Halloween.”
Kessler, who thinks of herself as a “performer,” describes her typical performance.
“I do singing, music, dancing, and imaginative play,” she said. “I will engage the children with music, maybe some finger plays, simple songs, but then I will have them up and about pretending with me to be different things… I use different props to engage with children in a lot of fun, creative, imaginative play.”
Performer Elaine Kessler plays with a feather during her show for the kids at the Sherborn library.
The targeted demographic for Kessler’s shows are kids in pre-school.
“That’s the ideal,” she said. “I love that this age group will follow you wherever you take them creatively. If you want them to sing a song, they will sing a song with you. If you want them to pretend to be butterflies, they will be butterflies, and they will do it happily and then they will want more.”
Kessler explained that she puts a lot of thought into her show to keep the attention span of the younger kids.
“I really plan it out so they are not sitting for too long and get them up and going again,” Kessler said. “I keep it simple … and the kids love it.”
There were around 10 young children, ranging in age from two to eight years old, at the show. Throughout the event, the kids were laughing, jumping around, and creatively participating.
One mother explained why she brought her two young boys to the event.
Elaine Kessler performs a Halloween-themed show for the kids at the Sherborn Library.
“I thought it would be a fun Halloween-themed activity for them,” said new Sherborn resident Elizabeth Orvek. “This is a good way to spend an hour on a Thursday afternoon.”
The library hosts a variety of events throughout the year. Their next event is called “A Day of the Dead,” and it is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25.
Ouellette hopes that these programs will encourage people to come to the library.
“I am just hoping that people come and see the library, enjoy the library, and see our space while we are here,” she said.
