November 20th is World Children’s Day. This is a UNICEF program to help with the wellbeing of children, and supporting children’s rights. I believe in the rights of children to learn and be loved. They get that in my library. I don’t talk down to kids that visit, but we might get silly or absurd, which is good…
November 20th is National Absurdity Day. One can be wacky and goofy. I have a great book on that, “A Hatful of Seuss: Five Favorite Dr. Seuss Stories”. I go to “If I Ran the Zoo”.
“But if I ran the zoo,” said young Gerald McGrew, “I’d make a few changes, that’s just what I’d do…”
And that is what Gerald McGrew does, finding crazy and absurd creatures to fill his zoo. This is a great book to read out loud to kids.
There is another ‘absurd’ book in the library, “How to tell the Birds from the Flowers” by Robert Williams Wood. It was first published in 1917. I have the twentieth edition, 1941.
The drawings are interesting by trying to make a bird and a flower rhyme, and look alike. It is silly, and absurdly fun. Here are a few:
There are other things to do in the library for kids. In fact, November 20th begins National Game and Puzzle Week. It ends on Thanksgiving Day. While I have the usual games, and my wife puts together the usual puzzles.
I have something a little different in the library. I have puzzles to take apart.
These puzzles tax everyone trying to take them apart. I have several there that we are having a hard time putting back together.
And I have another puzzle book, “Amazing Mazes” by Rolf Heimann, 1989. One has to start at the beginning of each maze, and make their way through to the end. Some are puzzling and tough.
All of this for the children. They need to cultivate their brains- to think, and laugh, and grow. What better place than in my library. Other than when we are actually eating on Thanksgiving, the kids and I will be hanging out in the library, working with puzzles and games. World Childrens Day is every day when they visit. Why not?
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 