Had two totally different storytime experiences Friday and Saturday. Friday was great, Saturday was…less than great.
On Friday, Dara Dokas (Muriel’s Red Sweater) and I went to the lovely Bookcase of Wayzata. Nancy Caffoe, the children’s book buyer there, had arranged for two classes from nearby schools to come for a mini-field trip. So we had about 40 K-2 kids to present our Animal Antics storytime to. At the end of storytime, we moved outside for our animal-comparison activities. It was a gorgeous day, the wind was blowing over the lake, the sun was shining. The kids were having a great time. And then a city worker came and had to get into a manhole right near us, and wow! "This is the best field trip ever!" An order form went home with the kids, and hopefully some of them will buy Stampede and/or Muriel’s Red Sweater. It was just a great event: well-organized, full of energy, terrific.
My wingspan is as long as an Indian Flying Fox. |
I can jump as far as a bullfrog! |
Then on Saturday, Dara and I did storytime at my home library. Unfortunately, it was another beautiful day. We had five kids listening, ages 1 to 3. Luckily, their four adults were enthusiastic and participated, too. Everyone sang along, did animal noises, and enjoyed poems and stories. Not a single book sold, though. Even though everyone had fun, they were basically walk-ins who did not come to the library expecting to buy a book. So that event did not go so well. My poems are school-related, and they’re a little old for 2-year-olds! I felt kind of stupid and like we somehow let the library down.
Oh well. That’s the way bookstore/library readings go. You just never know. And you shouldn’t expect anything! I’ve got two more bookstore storytimes planned, one in October and one in December. Then I’ll have to evaluate whether they’re really worth doing on a regular basis.