It was a crisp and chilly spring morning, perfect for an indoor activity. Thankfully, Books on Broadway provided the ideal outing. Deborah Rowden, former store manager, now master storyteller, shares her tales with eager young listeners on the second and last Monday of each month. [I must interject here that I had mistakenly come the previous Monday for storytime, and upon seeing my son’s dejected face when he had learned we’d come on the wrong day, Ms. Deborah sprung into action and gave my son his very own private storytime right on the spot. Yes, she’s that magical.] The shop’s cozy interior beckoned to us through the ample display windows, and the cheerful tinkling bell announced our arrival. For those of you who have not yet visited Books on Broadway, you are in for a real treat! It's a wonderful, welcoming haven for book lovers. I'll be sure to devote another entry to the shop itself at a later date.
As for storytime, Ms. Deborah is delightfully devoted to wowing her audience. Today, she began with a passionate reading of The Grouchy Ladybug, by Eric Carle, most likely chosen to cater to what Ms. Deborah has noted as the group's love of "drama". Afterwards, there was a spirited discussion of what each listener had turned into. "I'm a grouchy T-Rex!" "I'm a grouchy parrot!" One mother mentioned that her daughter said she was going to be a "grouchy mommy". The second story of the morning was Bertie: Just like Daddy, by Marcus Pfister. It was a sweet story about a hippo who wants to be just like his dad.
As usual, storytime ended with Ms. Deborah doling out a small treat and big hugs for each of the kiddos. The welcoming environment made it hard to leave, and I stayed a bit longer to browse the books. I ended up purchasing a hardcover 1982 copy of Entertaining, by Martha Stewart for $11.95. What a bargain, and a rare find. I just searched Amazon.com for it, and it is currently unavailable. All in all, we had a delightful time, and we will certainly plan to attend the next storytime on Monday, April 13th at 10:30. Hope to see you there!