2006 Kansas Reads to Preschoolers Features Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells
From the Kansas State Library Newsletter
by Vikki Jo Stewart, Special Projects Coordinator, State Library
November 13-19, 2006 marked a second successful Kansas Reads to Preschoolers reading initiative from the State Library of Kansas. Literally thousands of Kansas children, aged birth to five years old, were read to by a family member, librarians or special readers such as Mayors and council members. One very special reader was a Kansas Appellate Court Judge.
I’ve received so many e-mails about how much fun this project has been the past two years. Last year, No Matter What by Debbi Gliori was a huge hit all over Kansas and was even read in Iraq by Kansas troops reading via webcam to children and siblings.
This year’s selection of Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells proved to be a wonderful tool for Early Childhood advocates raising awareness about the importance of reading to preschoolers.
There are so many stories to tell about Children’s Book Week in Kansas. Here are just a few:
Governor Kathleen Sebelius was honorary chair for a second year of the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers reading initiative. She read Bunny Cakes at the opening ceremonies of the first Kansas Book Festival at the end of September.
Judge Joe Pierron, a Kansas Appellate Court Judge, did a headstand to get the attention of a room full of preschoolers. They watched him and then did their own headstand. They listened intently as Judge Pierron read Bunny Cakes while wearing bunny ears that he’d just colored. The next day Joe read to preschoolers and a very large high school parenting class. Many of the students had children and/or were expecting a baby. He told them that reading to their babies was a priceless gift they could give right now that would be a huge benefit and help their children learn throughout life.
In Syracuse, at the Hamilton County Public Library, the plans were whirling but it was too cold to paint the bunny tracks to the library. The cold did not slow down the library staff who braved the elements to draw bunny tracks in chalk all over town. The idea being to follow the bunny tracks to the library. That was a good idea! Joyce Armstrong baked hundreds of bunny cakes for the special week’s activities.
Ottawa Public Library created a DVD of the Mayor reading Bunny Cakes to preschoolers. The DVD was very well done. It had an introduction to the reading initiative by the youth librarian that emphasized the importance of getting outside the library to reach children who don’t normally come to the library.
Rosemary Wells donated four original watercolors to the 2006 Kansas Reads Project. The watercolors will be given to libraries and an Early Childhood program by the end of December, along with ten autographed posters to participants posting on the www.kansasreadstokids.org website.
Watch for information about the next Kansas Reads to Preschoolers project coming in 2008!
by Vikki Jo Stewart, Special Projects Coordinator, State Library
November 13-19, 2006 marked a second successful Kansas Reads to Preschoolers reading initiative from the State Library of Kansas. Literally thousands of Kansas children, aged birth to five years old, were read to by a family member, librarians or special readers such as Mayors and council members. One very special reader was a Kansas Appellate Court Judge.
I’ve received so many e-mails about how much fun this project has been the past two years. Last year, No Matter What by Debbi Gliori was a huge hit all over Kansas and was even read in Iraq by Kansas troops reading via webcam to children and siblings.
This year’s selection of Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells proved to be a wonderful tool for Early Childhood advocates raising awareness about the importance of reading to preschoolers.
There are so many stories to tell about Children’s Book Week in Kansas. Here are just a few:
Governor Kathleen Sebelius was honorary chair for a second year of the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers reading initiative. She read Bunny Cakes at the opening ceremonies of the first Kansas Book Festival at the end of September.
Judge Joe Pierron, a Kansas Appellate Court Judge, did a headstand to get the attention of a room full of preschoolers. They watched him and then did their own headstand. They listened intently as Judge Pierron read Bunny Cakes while wearing bunny ears that he’d just colored. The next day Joe read to preschoolers and a very large high school parenting class. Many of the students had children and/or were expecting a baby. He told them that reading to their babies was a priceless gift they could give right now that would be a huge benefit and help their children learn throughout life.
In Syracuse, at the Hamilton County Public Library, the plans were whirling but it was too cold to paint the bunny tracks to the library. The cold did not slow down the library staff who braved the elements to draw bunny tracks in chalk all over town. The idea being to follow the bunny tracks to the library. That was a good idea! Joyce Armstrong baked hundreds of bunny cakes for the special week’s activities.
Ottawa Public Library created a DVD of the Mayor reading Bunny Cakes to preschoolers. The DVD was very well done. It had an introduction to the reading initiative by the youth librarian that emphasized the importance of getting outside the library to reach children who don’t normally come to the library.
Rosemary Wells donated four original watercolors to the 2006 Kansas Reads Project. The watercolors will be given to libraries and an Early Childhood program by the end of December, along with ten autographed posters to participants posting on the www.kansasreadstokids.org website.
Watch for information about the next Kansas Reads to Preschoolers project coming in 2008!