Tiny Tots have story hour in Wakefield

By TOM STANKARD

[email protected]

Wakefield - Tiny tots gathered around for a story hour at the Wakefield Public Library Tuesday morning.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, library volunteer Bella Schroeder read, "If You'll be My Valentine," to children sitting on a colorful, ocean-themed rug.

Written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Fumi Kosaka, the children's book celebrates the "true meaning" of Valentine's Day.

The children's book is about a little boy who makes and presents valentines to his pets, family members and even his teddy bear.

Schroeder put the book down and then read, "Press Here," by Herve Tullet.

Schroeder and the children followed the instructions within the book. Each page of the book instructed the reader to press dots, shake the pages and tilt the book.

While reading the book, Schroeder and the kids laughed and had fun as the dots multiplied, changed direction and growing in size.

Then Schroeder read, "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen. The children's book tells a tale of a preschool boy and his family who go on a traditional bear hunt. "We're going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day. We're not scared," Schroeder read aloud.

While on the bear hunt, they encountered long, wavy grass.

"We can't go over it," Schroeder said. "We can't go under it. Oh, no. We've got to go through it."

After they skidded down the grassy slope, the family swished across a river, stumbled through mud and finally saw the bear, which chased them all back to their home.

When Schroeder finished, everyone went on a bear hunt of their own inside the library. Like the family did in the story, they "skidded down" the grassy slope, "swished" across a river and "stumbled" through mud. Then they found the "bear" sleeping in a cave, and got "scared," so they ran back home to the rug.