By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff
Even the youngest visitors gain a great appreciation for reading through programming at the Westwood libraries.
Children’s Librarian Caitlyn Moore runs the Books and Boogie storytime at the Islington Branch on Monday mornings, and it has become a community staple. Adapted through the pandemic, the weekly event encourages all ages to sing, move, and read.
Last Monday, children and caregivers grabbed a seat in the meeting room of the Islington Branch, gathering on the floor and in chairs close to storyteller Moore. She began with a couple of sign language phrases for her opening “Hello, Friends” song that regulars have come to know and love.
This week’s theme was dinosaurs, and many toddlers in the audience could barely hide their excitement.
Incorporating movement and music, Moore brought along her ukelele for dinosaur songs and urged kids to sing along. Stomping their tails and roaring, kids were thoroughly amused by the immersive storytelling that had them learning the concept of counting through music.
Moore instituted a routine (and very helpful) “wiggle break” to allow kids to move and sing between stories. Moore also added scarves to the routine, switching things up further in case toddlers were prone to restlessness.
The group sang the goodbye song to conclude Books and Boogie, and a dinosaur-themed dot coloring page was offered as an optional bonus activity to wind down before going home.
Flooded with a large wave of gratitude in the wake of the morning’s events, Moore reciprocated the kindness to storytime participants.
“I hope, number one, is that the kids have fun. Number two, I hope they develop a love of learning and reading,” Moore stated.
Books and Boogie is just one way for children to fall in love with reading and stay hungry for knowledge. More information on programming at the Westwood Libraries is available online at www.westwoodlibrary.org.
