Celebrating Holiday traditions with your local library
It seems as though an unseasonably warm fall fooled me into the fact that winter is almost here and, along with it, the holiday season. As we pull out Christmas classics like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Grinch that Stole Christmas, keep in mind that there are other children’s books available to borrow that incorporate other winter holiday customs, beliefs and traditions too.
One of these books is Simon and the Bear: a Hanukkah story (Disney Hyperion Books, 2014), written by Eric Kimmel, and illustrated by Matthew Trueman. This story talks about Simon during his challenging voyage to America. While stranded on an iceberg on his way to America, Simon remembers his mother’s parting words and lights the first candle on his menorah while praying for a miracle, which soon arrives in the form of a friendly polar bear.
We also have My First Kwanzaa Book (Scholastic, 1999) available to borrow, written by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate and illustrated by Cal Massey. This beautifully illustrated picture book brings to life the Kwanzaa holiday during the last week of December as grandma brings special food, grandpa lights the candles, and the whole family celebrates their heritage.
Also available to borrow are a variety of books that talk about the Chinese New Year, and festivities and traditions associated with the holiday that falls on February 16, 2018. Gift-a-Book campaign, giving back to our libraries and communities for years to come PARL’s Gift-a-Book campaign is now in full swing at public libraries throughout Pictou and Antigonish counties. Personal bias aside, this is a great option for those who are hard to buy for and it benefits everyone. Just drop by one of our locations, or visit www.parl.ns.ca to view our holiday wish list of books and other items. Pick a title, make your donation, and the library will purchase your chosen book. Then we can personalize it with a book plate on the inside front cover, reserve it for them to read when they borrow it with their library card, and add it back to our collection when they’re done with it.
Your gift can also be location specific, so people can choose the library they would like their item to be placed in. Since the public library is a charitable organization, a tax receipt may be issued upon request for items valued at $10 or higher.
A few programs to get into the holiday spirit
Join the Westville Library as they get into the holiday spirit with the guitar, vocal and fiddle stylings of local musician, teacher and music therapist Heather Cameron on Dec. 6 at 2:30 p.m. Tea, coffee and light snacks will be served, all are welcome.
On Dec. 9 starting at 10:30 a.m., there will be a holiday party in the New Glasgow Library complete with songs, stories, a puppet show and more. Can’t catch the puppet show in New Glasgow? You can catch some in the Pictou library on December 13 at 10:30 a.m. and December 16 at 11 a.m.
At libraries throughout Pictou and Antigonish Counties, we have a variety of events going on that range from mitten trees to holiday-themed Saturday crafts. For a full listing of programs and listings for all libraries, visit www.parl.ns.ca/events