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Pumpkins are fun at fall library event
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Children learned about emotions while librarian Ashley Potopovich illustrated them with "Five Little Pumpkins."
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Librarian Ashley Potopovich read several pumpkin-themed books at an Austintown library program Oct. 23.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Children participated in various finger plays and songs at Fun Time for 4s and 5s at Austintown library.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Joann McNich (right) watched as her grandon Connor McNich decorated a paper bag pumpkin at an Austintown library program.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Piper Lucas added foam earrings to her pumpkin at an Austintown library event Oct. 23.
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
“Today is all about pumpkins,” librarian Ashley Potopovich told children at Fun Time for 4s and 5s at the Austintown library Oct. 23. The event offered developmentally appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities for children to help them become successful readers.
Potopovich first read “Pumpkin Trouble” by Jan Thomas. In the book, Duck decides to surprise Pig and Mouse by making a jack-o’-lantern, but Duck ends up stuck in the pumpkin.
“Uh, oh,” Potopovich told the children. “He’s walking around with a pumpkin on his head.”
In the end, Duck gets out.
“That was a fun book, huh?” Potopovich asked. The children agreed.
She read other pumpkin-themed books, including “Pumpkin Heads” by Wendell Minor and “It’s Pumpkin Time” by Zoe Hall.
“You all listen so well while I read,” Potopovich said.
Also included were various finger plays. In “Pick a Pumpkin,” sung to the tune of “London Bridge,” Potopovich asked the children, “Can you pretend you’re picking a pumpkin?”
Other finger plays included “I’m a Little Pumpkin” sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot” and “Found a Pumpkin” sung to the tune of “Oh, My Darling.”
Potopovich used a magnetic board to illustrate “Five Little Pumpkins.” Each set of pumpkins displayed a different emotion: smiling, pouting, yawning, crying and laughing.
The event ended with craft-making. Each child was given a stuffed lunch-size paper bag, painted orange and twisted closed to resemble a pumpkin. They were also given foam stickers to create a face on the pumpkin.
Connor McNich, of Poland, used his foam pieces to create ears and the facial features of a dog.
Piper Lucas, of Austintown, added foam earrings to her pumpkin.