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 can still find comfort even in the hardest of days.        

-Cara                          

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.

Maybe one day, you'll have cool jobs like these:

Rock Band Sound Engineer

ROV (remotely operated vehicle) Pilot Technician

That big, fancy word (biomimicry), which means copying what we see in nature in order to make new things, is something you can observe in your own backyard!

Reconstruct famous buildings and structures out of food!

-Leaning Tower of Pastries

-Edible Eiffel Tower

-Apple Igloo

-Cara

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!

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! 

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 for him to heal and survive. Follow along on Chhouk's amazing journey!

Like Chhouk in The Elephant's Shoe, the five different animals in Bionic Beasts, lost a vital part of their bodies through an accident or injury. Lola, the turtle who lost a flipper, Mosha, another elephant who injured a foot, Cassidy, a German shepherd who lost a leg, Vitória, a goose who lost a beak, and Pirate a pig who lost a leg. 

Special note: Students from WPI (Worcester!) designed Lola's new flipper! Who knows, maybe one day your amazing skills and talents could save an animal's life!

-Cara

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:

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: 

Fiction: 

-Rebecca