Community & Helping, Book Spotlight, Shelter-In-Place Activities  /  April 2020


Physical Distancing, but
Community Connection !
Children have many questions about what's going on around us now. It's natural--adults do too! Mr. (Fred) Rogers recounts his mother telling him to "look for the helpers" for comfort when chaos rules and scary news abounds.

We can apply this advice to the books we read and how we process the news. In addition to questions like "Why?" and "What if it happens to me?", books encourage us to see our unique value and ask ourselves "How can I help?"

Stories show us that, although an individual contributor may appear small, the contribution they make can have an immense, positive impact on the larger community. Even if drops of water from a parrot's wing can't quench a forest fire, the inspirational seed planted by the example to care and make an effort helps us realize that we too can be difference-makers!

- Kathy Balch, BookTree Founder
Book Spotlight: Community & Helping
The Moon Came Down on Milk Street, by Jean Gralley . The moon unexpectedly falls out of the sky into a quiet neighborhood, and the community teams up with rescue workers to put the moon back in its place; for ages 2 and up.

Look Where We Live!, by  Scot Ritchie. Finely illustrated with a map, this educational story follows five young friends as they travel around their neighborhood to raise money for the local library, learning about cooperation, community, and citizenship along the way; for ages 3 and up.

The Breaking News, by Sarah Lynne Reul. From the perspective of a  young girl yearning to help a community in dire straits, this inspiring and optimistic tale demonstrates the compounding effects of seemingly small acts of kindness; for ages 3 and up.

Officer Buckle & Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann. This award-winning, humorous, and playfully illustrated story skilfully combines important themes of safety and teamwork, for ages 4 and up.

The Brave Little Parrot, by Rafe Martin and illustrator Susan Gaber. In this vividly illustrated retelling of an Indian folktale, a small but dedicated bird provides the inspiration that ultimately saves the entire jungle from going up in flames, for ages 5 and up.
Online Activities for Children While Sheltering in Place

Read-aloud for 2's/3's:  25 minutes of story time, with Kevin Henkes reading 5 of his books.

Read-aloud for 4's/5's: 8 minutes of story time, with Alan Mandel reading The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler.

Read-aloud for 5's/6's:  21 minutes of story time with Wanda Sykes reading The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake, an early chapter book with illustrations, by Robin Newman and illustrator Deborah Zemke.

Yoga & Mindfulness: 15 minutes of stories, songs, and stretches, with Katie Scherrer.

Virtual Storytime at the Brooklyn Public Library. Daily programming via Facebook Live broadcasts.

Spanish children's stories: audio tales narrated by native speakers.

Make hand-washing fun with this Tinkercast  squishy soap dough project.

San Francisco-themed coloring pages, courtesy of the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy.

Please Vote for BookTree in Bay Area Parent's "Best of the Best" Contest!

In 2019 BookTree took silver in Bay Area Parent's "Best of the Best" awards in the "Tutoring or Education Support Program" category. We would be thrilled if you could take a minute and vote for BookTree in 2020 in SF/Marin and/or Peninsula. You can vote once per week prior to April 30th to nominate BookTree, and vote for the finalists in May. Thank you so much for your support in maintaining BookTree's visibility and reputation!
BookTree serves over 200 locations in San Francisco, the peninsula from Sunnyvale north,
Marin County,  and western Los Angeles County.
Like us on Facebook