Story Time Wednesdays with the Natural World of Brower Park

In case of inclement weather storytelling will take place at the Brooklyn Public Library, Brower Park Branch, 725 St. Marks Avenue, 718-773-7208

This storytelling series focuses on learning about the natural world through stories and hands on activities that focus children’s attention on the natural life of plants and animals within Brower Park. This weekly summer series is being presented through a partnership of the Brooklyn Public Library, Brower Park Branch and the Friends of Brower Park, Inc.

Pre-schoolers and homeschooled children will have a hands-on opportunity to interact with Brower Park’s natural and landscaped plant and wild life. The natural world, the world in which we humans conduct our lives, often goes unnoticed. The change of seasons, birdsong, the work of worms, seems irrelevant to our everyday urban sidewalk lives. By bringing children into the environs of Brower Park’s natural ecosystems we hope to build on children’s natural curiosity about the world around them and to provide hands-on gardening activities that make the stories come to life. So be prepared to get your hands dirty. It’s the only way to experience and learn about the natural world.

We will begin our series with “Max Loves Sunflowers,” by Ken Wilson-Max, on July 5th at 10:30 AM. Followed by the planting of Mammoth Sunflower Seeds in park beds. These seeds were harvested in Brower Park’s Monarch Butterfly Garden. Gardening tools will be provided.

Children’s Books on Nature

• Max Loves Sunflowers, Ken Wilson-Max
• Katie and the Sunflowers, James Mayhew
• Planting a Rainbow, Lois Ehlert
• Seeds and More Seeds, Millicent E. Selsam
• Terry and the Caterpillars, Millicent E Selsam
• La Mariposa, Francisco Jimenez
• Hurry and the Butterfly, Antoine O Flatharta
• Gotta Go! Gotta Go!, Sam Swope
• The Butterfly House, Eve Bunting
• The Prince of Butterflies, Bruce Corville
• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Jacqueline Kelly
• Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian, Margarita Engle
• A Butterfly is Patient, Dianna Hutts Aston
• There Was A Tree, Rachel Isadora
• Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art, Thomas Locker
• The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein
• A Tree is Nice, Janice May Udry
• Be a Friend to Trees, Patricia Lauber
• A Log’s Life, Wendy Pfeffer
• Tell Me, Tree: All about Trees for Kids
• The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-ups, Gina Ingoglia
• Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World, Julia Rothman
• A Leaf Can Be, Laura Purdie Salas
• Compost Critters, Bianca Lavies (middle school)
• Rolypolyology,(middle school)
• Wonderful Worms, Linda Glaser
• Wiggling Worms at Work (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science books), Wendy Pfeffer (Make a Home for Red Wiggler Pet Worm)
• A Pill Bug’s Life (Nature Upclose), by John Himmelman
• Composting: Nature’s Recyclers (Amazing Science), Robin Koontz
• Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story, Linda Glaser
• Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth, Mary McKenna Siddals
• Grubs, Bugs, and Worms: Invertebrates of the Underground, Jody S. Rake
• The Little Composter, Jan Gerardi (board book)
• Ladybugs (Creepy Critters), Sian Smith
• The Bug Book, Sue Fliess
• 100 Backyard Activities, Colleen Kessler