The Bear and the Moon  w ritten by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Cátia Chien One of the best things about working in a library is being surrounded by other people who love books. The Bear and the Moon  is a gorgeous picture book that my colleague, Iris recommended to me and I'm thrilled to share it with you! Have you ever made a mistake? Lost something or someone you loved? Felt alone? Have you ever felt joy as well as sadness? The Bear and the Moon , a tenderly written story of a bear's friendship with a balloon that falls down from the sky, evokes all of these universal emotions and experiences. Bear's life is lit up as he dances and plays with the balloon but when it accidentally bursts, words can't express the pain he feels. Cátia Chien's depiction of the moon steadfastly glowing among velvet swathes of color, is just like being wrapped up in the warmest duvet. The words and art in the story soften the grit and roughness that bear feels and shows us that we...

10-Minute Engineering Projects by Sarah L. Schuette Some of the cool projects you can make with things around the house: -Flying Fish -Balance It! -Rooster Racer Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women   written by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet Just imagine what it would be like to live without these things: Maria Beasley: improved life raft Anna Connely: fire escape Alice Parker: gas-powered central heating Ruth Wakefield: chocolate chip cookie Marion Donovan: disposable diaper Betty Galloway (a ten year old!): bubble-making toy Thanks to these incredible women from throughout history, we don't have to. Unusual and Awesome Jobs Using Technology: Roller Coaster Designer, Space Robotics Engineer, and More by Linda LeBoutillier Maybe one day, you'll have cool jobs like these: Rock Band Sound Engineer ROV (remotely operated vehicle) Pilot Technician Nature Did It First: Engineering Through Biomimicry  written by Karen Ansberr...

The Worcester Public Library will offer a Fun with Math & Science for Little Kids program starting March 9! This storytime program introduces early math and science concepts to children ages 2-5 in a fun, interactive way using books, songs, and hands-on activities! In excitement for the program, I would like to share some picture books that include math and science concepts while also being great stories! Swim Swim Sink by Jenn Harney Round is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes  written by Roseanne Thong and illustrated by John Parra Over and Under the Pond  written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal Beehive by Jorey Hurley Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex and Laurie Keller One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read Square written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen Fun with Math & Science for Little Kids starts Tuesday, March 9 at 2:00 and runs for six weeks. Click here for more information or to register your little one. -Stacy

What would happen to animals if they got injured in the wild? What if a turtle lost a flipper or an elephant injured a foot? Can a bird still be a bird without a beak? Amazing people all over the world are saving these animals using science and technology and creating prosthetics (a device that replaces a lost body part) so animals can survive life-threatening injuries. Check out two new books highlighting the wonders of technology for these spectacular animals and the people who love them!  The Elephant's New Shoe : A True Rescue Story  written by Laurel Neme with a foreword by Wildlife Alliance's Nick Marx, and illustrated by Ariel Landy Have you ever seen an elephant wearing a shoe? Meet Chhouk, an Asian elephant. Chhouk was found in the jungle one day by a kind man named Nick who saw that Chhouk was in trouble. Chhouk lost his foot through a wire snare and could not survive in the wild. Nick knew that he couldn't help Chhouk on his own but he never gave up finding a way...

Have you checked out WPL's monthly virtual cooking program 5-Ingredient Cooking with Kids? You can practice your kitchen skills with simple, yummy recipes using mostly pantry staples! A new cooking video will be posted on our website in March, April and May! It's recommended for ages 7-11. March’s video will be all about making a delicious “rise and shine parfait.” If you are looking for more fun to make recipes, check out the books below: The Ultimate Kids' Cookbook: Fun One-Pot Meals Your Whole Family Will Love!  by Tiffany Dahle National Geographic Kids Cookbook: A Year-Round Fun Food Adventure by Barton Seaver -Kat

Have you been following NASA's new Mars rover, Perseverance? If not, you are in for a treat! NASA’s Perseverance rover has travelled over 291 million miles to Mars where it is very busy conducting all sorts of experiments. One very important experiment, investigating how to pull breathable air from Mar’s air, will help pave the way for humans to one day go to Mars!!   Here's a great  website  from NASA where you can learn more about the mission and get updates as Perseverance explores. You can also check out these great fiction and nonfiction books about Mars:  Nonfiction:  Mars by Elizabeth Carney  Mars by Julie Murray    Mission to Mars : Exploration of the Red Planet by David Baker    What is NASA?  by Sarah Fabiny  Fiction:  Rappy Goes to Mars written by Dan Gutman and illustrated by Tim Bowers   Mars’ First Friends: Come on Over, Rovers!  written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Elisa Pa...