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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
With the weather outside being so nice this summer, even the most diehard bookworm is going to want to venture outside of the library.
So on Tuesday morning, July 9, the Wellesley librarians brought the library to Morses Pond with an event for children four years and under called “Beach Tales at Morses Pond.”
Designed to promote early literacy skills using stories, songs and rhymes, little kids in bathing suits and copious amounts of sunblock sat on blankets with their parents as they listened to Quincy Knapp read a variety of stories and sing a couple of songs. The decision to visit the pond was actually suggested by the Recreation Department.
Quincy Knapp reads from ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’ in front of Wellesley’s scenic Morses Pond.
“We love to work with other departments in the town, so the Wellesley Recreation Department invited us to do a storytime here," explained Knapp. "We were really happy to get outdoors and meet patrons; to bring the library outside.”
While some of the songs, like “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat,” made sense, given the setting (there were many young kayakers in the water), “Facing Your Fear” was the theme of the day. Knapp explained that the theme had nothing to do with the setting, but was just a common thing that happens to children.
“We have a lot of beach-themed books, but today was all about facing your fears. It’s a common childhood theme," she said. "But sometimes our themes are just fun, like next week, which will be all about cakes.”
Knapp deserves credit for her ability to keep the children engaged in such a stimulating setting as Morses Pond. There were lifeguards blowing whistles at kids in lifejackets, employees driving golf carts, and “The Harvester,” a giant rusted boat that works to eliminate weeds from the water - yet the children were captivated by the stories she read and participated in all the songs, from “Old MacDonald” to “Five Little Apples in a Bowl.”
Maybe the best thing about the event was that once it was over, the kids were at the beach. When the last song had been sung, most families simply turned around, walked to the water and went for a swim. The weather was beautiful, and the entertainment was over.
