This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Why not spend some time reading together with some wonderful children’s books that celebrate the miraculous bond between mother and child.

What Not to Give Your Mom on Mother’s Day By Martha S. Simpson

A little boy offers advice on what NOT to give your mom on Mother’s Day, unless she’s an animal. For example, don’t give her a rotting log unless she’s a salamander, or a bunch of flies unless she’s a spider! What would Mom like best?

We Love Our Mom! By Jan Beranstein

With Mother’s Day only a week away, Brother and Sister Bear are looking for the perfect present for Mama. After all, Mama Bear is always there for her cubs! When Brother scrapes his knees, Mama is there with bear hugs and kisses. When Sister Bear needs help with her homework, Mama always lends a helping paw. So what can the cubs possibly do to show their mom how much they love her?

The Marvelous Mother’s Day Brunch By Jane O’Connor

Nancy plans the perfect Mother’s Day in this fancy new lift-the-flap book!

Nancy pulls out all the stops to give her mom the best Mother’s Day celebration of all time–but will everything go according to plan? This book includes thirteen flaps that open to reveal hidden surprises that will delight all Fancy Nancy fans!

T. Rex and the Mother’s Day Hug By Lois G. Grambling

T. Rex wants do something very special for his mother for Mother’s Day. He has the perfect gift idea that he knows Mama Rex is going to love, at least he thinks she will.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mami!

Dora has decided to make a special cake for her mami for Mother’s Day, and while she is gathering all the ingredients she finds out what her friends made for their mommies.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. It is the world’s largest secular observance and promotes awareness of environmental issues and good stewardship of our planet.  It was first held on April 22, 1970.  Check out some of our wonderful titles below and start the conversation!

Let’s Celebrate Earth Day By Barbara DeRubertis

Focusing more on solutions than problems, this book celebrates the Earth heroes who created this important April holiday and explores the ways we can make our planet a safer and healthier place to live.

Earth Day Every Day by Lisa Bullard

On Earth Day, we find ways to help the Earth. Trina plants trees with her class. She forms an Earth Day club with her friends. What can you do to make every day Earth Day? Do your part to be a planet protector! Discover how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and more with Tyler and Trina in the Planet Protectors series, part of the Cloverleaf Books(tm) collection. These nonfiction picture books feature kid-friendly text and illustrations to make learning fun!

Every Day Is Earth Day By Jane O’Connor

When Nancy, the girl who loves to use fancy words, learns about Earth Day and “being green, ” her enthusiasm causes problems at home.

Earth-friendly Earth Day Crafts By Veronica Thompson

Crafty readers will delight in celebrating Earth Day by making age-appropriate, Earth-themed projects from odds and ends they already have! Turn recycled paper into a beautiful bloom barrette, give old shoes new life with painted shark portraits, and build a beehive out of used straws. Easy to follow steps and color photographs provide inspiration and guidance as you create all kinds of activities.

It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster! By Mary Lindeen

On Earth Day, people celebrate what makes Earth special. Follow Cookie Monster and his friends from Sesame Street as they learn to be kind to Earth, on Earth Day and every day! Learn who started Earth Day, why it’s important, and the different ways people celebrate it, from having a parade to cleaning up a park.

Did you know that March is National Craft Month?  Roll up your sleeves, get your glue guns and paints ready and dive into some of our newest crafting books for children! Make sure to check out our programming calendar at cpl.social/calendar to register for some of our upcoming craft based programs!  It’s going to be Full S.T.E.A.M Ahead this March break!

Crayola Nature STEAM Activities by Rebecca Felix

These projects and experiments show readers elements of STEAM they can see in nature every day. Build a sundial and a wind vane, and collect leaves, grass, and bugs for observation and exploration

Get Crafting for Your Delightful Dog by Ruth Owen

Do you have a playful pup? Love to craft? Why not get creative for your delightful dog?! Build a bed for your puppy in the jaws of a cardboard shark. Send them to space with a puppy jet pack costume. Bake a tasty treat for your pooch, and have fun with a terrific tug toy for your favorite pet

Mason Jar Crafts for Kids by Linda Braden

Accompanied by photo tutorials and helpful step-by-step instructions, these projects are kid-friendly and offer a variety of options for both beginning and more advanced DIY fans. Be inspired and discover the endless possibilities with the world’s most famous jar!

Super Squishies, Slime and Putty by Tessa Sillars-Powell

In the pages of this book, you’ll find 36 amazing projects that your kids will love making. Who needs a plain old fashioned craft project when you can create a narwal, panda, poop emoji, skull, cactus, or cake? Find a plethora of squee-gee worthy crafts to make, including: Instructions for making your own squishies: the hottest trend for kids under 12!

Fun and Easy Crafting With Recycled Materials by Kimberly McLeod

Kimberly McLeod, founder of the popular kids’ crafting blog The Best Ideas for Kids, creates inexpensive projects that upcycle common household objects. From Tin Can Planters and Cereal Box Aquariums to Toilet Paper Roll Flowers and Paper Plate Bunnies, kids will have their hands full with eco- and budget-friendly crafts.

Selecting a single player game video game for ourselves that we can sink many hours into and enjoy is rarely difficult. However, selecting a cooperative videogame for you and the group to play on a Friday night can be quite tricky. Here are a few suggestions that you can find in the video game collection at Caledon Public Library:

Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World is back with dozens of colourful levels. Mario and his friends can use power ups like the Super Bell, which grants cat like abilities such as climbing and scratching. Work together with up to three other players to reach the goal and see who can get the highest score. You will find all of the same great activities and stages in this one as you did in past Mario world games but you’ll also uncover so much more with your friends.

Splatoon 2

With Splatoon 3 set to release sometime in 2022, those looking for a change and something that isn’t Fortnite, can give this cartoonish yet vibrant 4 vs 4 action game a try. Splatoon 2 is wholesome, cutting edge experience that you would feel comfortable letting your kids play.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate  

Nintendo has been a dominant force when it comes to the fighting genre and this feat is in part to Smash Brothers. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings back every fighter ever to be featured in this series of games along with new characters crossing over into the Nintendo World. This multiplayer game, that can be played from the same Switch or by each person having there own Switch, players can join forces or fight against each other across new and exciting levels unlocking various achievements along the way.

Overcooked! 2

Overcooked! 2 and its predecessors are great local player games (when you just want to play with your family or a group of friends in one location). Work together with up to 3 other players in a kitchen cooking recipes that are prompted to you on screen. But beware, fail to cook your recipes in the given time limit and your whole team will fail! Earn access to better recipes and better kitchens as you progress together as a team!

Rocket League

In this futuristic game, racing cars are on the field taking on the role of a soccer player, chasing around a soccer ball and trying to steer it into the opponents net. With a group of friends, field a team of cars and perform whacky tricks together as you race around the field smashing the soccer ball around the arena. It’s a game that has a bit of a learning curve but once you master it you are guaranteed to have a ton of fun.

Every February, people in Canada are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. Check out this list of books that celebrate the achievements and explore the experiences of Black people in Canada and elsewhere and get the conversation started.

The Kids Book of Black Canadian History by Rosemary Sadlier

From the first Black person who came to Canada about 400 years ago to the most recent wave of African immigrants, Black Canadians have played an important role in our country’s history. In this informative overview, kids will discover the inspiring stories and events of a people who fought oppression as they searched for a place to call their own.

Featuring fact boxes, mini-profiles, a timeline and more, this book in the acclaimed Kids Book of series offers a glimpse into an often-overlooked part of Canadian history.

Black Women Who Dared by Naomi Meyer

Inspirational stories of ten Black women and women’s collectives from Canadian and American history. Included are leaders and groundbreakers who were anti-slavery activists, business women, health-care activists, civic organizers and educators. Celebrate these remarkable women, some of whom you may be hearing about for the first time, and the profound impacts they’ve made.

 

 

 

 

 

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia

From seventeen acclaimed Black male and nonbinary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Black Girls by Nicole Shanice

Dear Black Girls is a letter to all Black girls. Every single day poet and educator Shanice Nicole is reminded of how special Black girls are and of how lucky she is to be one. Illustrations by Kezna Dalz support the book’s message that no two Black girls are the same but they are all special–that to be a Black girl is a true gift. In this celebratory poem, Kezna and Shanice remind young readers that despite differences, they all deserve to be loved just the way they are.

If a Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold

From a Caldecott Honor Award and Coretta Scott King Award–winning illustrator comes a bright and offbeat picture book with a unique perspective on the story of Rosa Parks.

A young girl named Marcie has a magical bus ride where the bus itself tells her the story of the mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks. Because she was black, Rosa had to walk miles to a one-room schoolhouse while white children could take the bus, and as an adult, Rosa could only sit in the back.

But when the day came that Rosa refused to give up her seat, she helped set the wheels in motion for black people to sit where they wanted. Marcie learns all this and more then gets a special surprise at the end of her trip!

 

 

The winter break is fast approaching and kids are looking forward to the end of the week. Here are some board game suggestions to keep learning fun while they are home for the holidays.

Great for Disney fans and families, this quick yet strategic game let’s you pit classic Disney villain’s against each other in a race to reach your secret objectives. Disney Villainous is a light strategy game for up to 6 players that uses easy and clear instructions.

Apples to Apples Junior is the younger version of the classic Apples to Apples game where players match words to pictures instead of words to a word. Lots of fun can be had while enhancing vocabulary and most importantly this version of the game is best suited for youngsters who may not be able to recognize all the words that come within the main game.

Werewords is the ultimate guessing game. Players race to guess the magic word before time is up to win. While you race against the clock,  a secret Werewolf who already knows the secret word is working against you to identify the Seer before you can guess the secret word. Who is going to win?

Century Spice Road provides players with a bit of history and throws players into the 16th and 17th centuries, depicting major trading routes through those eras. The game is quick and easy to learn while allowing players to discover the beauty of the spice trading roads and its colourful markets. Wrap your mind around simple game mechanics and develop the many strategies that come from a basic deck building mechanic.

Happy Salmon is a fun, fast paced, competitive card game with no turns. Players call out the actions written on their cards as fast as they can. When two players yell out the same action they perform them at the same time. Actions are simple, and easy to learn. Some of these actions include the classic “High Five” or the unifying “fist bump”.

While the weather outside maybe frightful, reading is so delightful! Reading is snow much fun!  Bundle up and check out some of these fun wintry picture books!

Exciting News! We are switching to a new catalogue as of December 20^th. Check it out with these blog links and create your account to place holds on these titles.

Snow Days by Deborah Kerbel

For small children, snow is a wonder. It sparkles and glitters. It transforms the outside world. Every kind of snow brings its own magic. It invites snow angels, skating, fort-building, and snowballs. Even blizzard days are exciting, when routines are overturned and everyone bands together to clear the snow away. For the youngest among us, winter is magical.

In Snow Days, author Deborah Kerbel captures that magic with nimble couplets that celebrate every kind of winter pleasure. Illustrator Miki Sato’s fascinating textural collage art looks intimately touchable. She recreates the coziness and spectacle of the season in paper, felt, and embroidery silk, creating masterpieces that invite readers to look again and again.

I’m Going to Give You a Polar Bear Hug by Caroline B. Cooney

Let’s get ready to snuggle! This highly engaging sequel to the bestselling and beloved I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! imagines all the cozy, warm hugs little ones love to receive on cold, blustery days.

The story encourages parents and grandparents and their children and grandchildren to giggle and play as they cozy up for their own celebration of the winter season. Imagine who might stomp, sled, and swish through the snow to give a warm hug in these whimsical rhymes and sweet, playful illustrations.

Raven, Rabbit, Deer by Sue Farrell Holler

In an intergenerational winter’s story full of quiet wonder, a little boy takes his grandfather for a walk down a forest trail. The boy shows Grandpa how to jump in the snow and how to make it splash into the creek. Grandpa shows the boy rabbit tracks and deer hiding among the trees. They greet their animal neighbors by name: Raven, Rabbit, Deer, Sparrow. Back home, the little boy sets the table with cookies while Grandpa pours the milk. It has been a glorious afternoon, and soon there will be books and blankets and the big armchair by the fire.

In Raven, Rabbit, Deer, Governor General’s Award-nominated author Sue Farrell Holler casts a spell of simple wonder as small child earnestly sets out to take care of his grandfather for the day. Grandpa wisely gratifies this sweet self-importance while passing on important lessons: how to greet a raven…how to know a deer’s tracks…how to be family.

My Winter City by James Gladstone

A boy, his father and their dog have a perfect day in a snowy city, illustrated by Governor General’s Literary Award winner Gary Clement.

A young boy wakes up in the early light of a winter morning, pulls on his boots and mittens, and steps out into the snowy city with his dad. They trudge through the snow, their dog bounding along beside them, then a slushy, steamy bus ride takes them to the tobogganing hill for some winter fun. The boy describes all the sights and sounds of the day, from the frost in Dad’s beard and the snow “pillows” in the park, to the noisy clunking snow plows and the singing buskers they pass on their way home. That night, the boy lies awake under cozy covers, reflecting on the day, as snow blankets the world outside his window.

All the Little Snowflakes by  Cindy Jin

Celebrate winter in this rhyming board book featuring die-cut snowflakes on every page!

All the little snowflakes fall down to the ground
As bright city lights twinkle all around.

A wintry celebration full of snow and all things that sparkle, this novelty board book reminds us that everyone is one of a kind–just like each special snowflake that falls from the sky.

One of the biggest games being released for XBOX Series S/X is Forza Horizon 5, set to release this month. Arguably the top competitor for Sony’s Grand Turismo Series, Horizon 5 will showcase the capabilities of the Series S/X. Racing game fans are eagerly anticipating this release and the developers promise to deliver something different from previous Horizon releases. Early glimpses promise a shorter start-of-game experience with less cut scenes and more game play to enable the player to play cooperatively that much faster. Visually Horizon 5 promises to be exceptional, while mechanically early previews seems to offer promising changes from Horizon 4 to enhance that feeling of being right inside the car you are driving throughout your campaign.

If you’re excited for Forza Horizon 5, don’t waste any time and place a hold on your copy now. While you’re waiting for your copy to become available consider checking out these other titles to hype you up for Forza Horizon 5’s gameplay:

Forza Horizon 4 will give you an understanding of the games mechanics and a visual feel for what improvements you can look forward to in Horizon 5, which promises to offer a wider range of car upgrades and tune options.

If you really like the classic cars, you can go as far back as Horizon 3 and play through the past 2 titles of the series just to experience how far along the XBOX Series S/X is and understand the detailed progression from title to title. From as simple as customizing your driver character and selecting the horn sound you want your first car to have, to creating license plates and driving to the music of your choice. Forza 3 introduces the games campaign for the first time in series history and progressing through the subsequent titles will give you a feel for just what’s in store for you with Horizon 5.

Learn about some of the cars featured in the games above by checking out some of these books in our collection:

Learn about every day types of cars. This non fiction book includes sports cars and luxury cars.

Kids love to be experts! Explore full page illustrations and learn about SUVs, limos and sports cars in this book from the Be An Expert Series.

Simple text and full color pages briefly describe the history and unique features of Muscle Cars.

In the midst of Holocaust Education Week (November 1st – 7th), we remember those who were impacted by the events of the Holocaust and the millions of lives that were lost. Learn more about the Holocaust and those who experienced it by reading some of the following children’s books available in our collection.  Beginning on Monday, November 1st, the Sarah & Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre will be hosting a series of events to preserve the memory of the Holocaust.

From the series Uncovering the Past, The Holocaust presents evidence in the early 1900s of intolerance and racism within Germany during World War II.

From the series Moments in History, Why did The Holocaust Happen explores how and why the event began and details the impact this event had on the world. Using well-researched information that has been supplemented by personal accounts from the time-period, readers are able to grasp the devastation of the event.

Holocaust: The Events and Their Impact on Real People takes a look at the complex issues in the world that allowed the Holocaust to occur.  The first hand accounts provided within this literature enables readers to appreciate the impact that the Holocaust had on real people and their families.

Despite the tragedy surrounding the Holocaust, Jars of Hope portrays to the reader an unlikely heroin who risks her life for the children stuck within the Nazis grasp. Risking her own life, Irena Sendler buried the names of children in a jar and hoped that one day she would be able to reunite these scared children with their families. This is an account of a true story, where we see our heroin save upwards of 2,500 children in the midst of chaos.

In My Heart is At Ease 15 year old Gerta Solan dreams of the normal life that has just been stripped away from her. Deported with her parents from Prague to Theresienstadt “model camp” Gerta describes the lengths in which the Germans went to deceive the International Red Cross about their treatment of the prisoners. Gerta’s story is a tale of how she learns to cope with the devastation and corruption that is all around her.