Lincoln Public Library summer reading program launches: Children get pumped up at story of blue vs. yellow

 

[June 12, 2021] 

June 10, on a bright and sunny Thursday morning, the Lincoln Public Library held its first story time on the steps for summer 2021.



The theme for the Summer 2021 reading program is Reading Colors your World. Each week a different color will be the focus.





As around 22 children waited for story time, they looked at posters with yellow, green or blue items on them and talked about which colors they liked best.

Miss Tegan Follis from the youth services section of the library welcomed everyone to the program and said she was excited to have everyone there for story time.



The story for the week was Blue vs. Yellow by Tom Sullivan. Miss Tegan and Youth Services Director Donna Cunningham read and performed the story. Yellow was played by Miss Tegan and blue was played by Miss Donna.



The story tells about blue and yellow arguing over which one of them is the best color. Blue argues that she is the color of the whole sky and has its own music. Yellow argues that she is the color of the bright yellow sun and is the color of many instruments. Yellow says blue means you are sad, and blue says yellow means you are a scaredy-cat.



Yellow then argues she is the color of the fastest animal, the cheetah. Blue argues back that she is the color of the biggest animal, a whale.
After arguing which color has the best foods and cars, the colors collide.

 

Together they become green and realize all the cool items they can both be when they are green. They agree that blue and yellow are best together.



When red comes in to say that everyone can agree that red is the best color, blue and yellow again argue they are the best.

Once the story ended, Miss Tegan talked about primary colors like blue, yellow and red and how secondary colors like green are made from mixing primary colors.



Story time was followed by music and movement. Miss Tegan led the kids in getting their wiggles out through jumping and wiggling their arms, legs, head and then their whole bodies.

Kids were next asked to stand up and shout hooray when Miss Tegan yelled out the color they were wearing.



To get more movement in, the kids were told to jump up and down, run in place and jump from side to side. They ended by all excitedly shouting their favorite color at one time.

The morning’s activities ended with Miss Tegan chanting “bread and butter, marmalade and jam, let’s say goodbye as loud as we can.” As Miss Tegan repeated the chant several times, the kids had to say goodbye quietly, in high pitched voices, in low pitched voices, slow voices and fast voices.

Kids were reminded to bring their book logs and turn them in each week to get bonus prizes.

Next Thursday, Pete the Cat from the book series will join the kids for story time and a photo op.

Children from kindergarten through 12th grade are participating in the reading program by keeping logs of their reading and doing activities from home. Each Monday, they can pick up kits with activities related to the color theme.

For week one, kindergarten through fifth graders were given tissue paper with instructions to use yellow, blue and red to make a walking rainbow. Sixth through 12th graders received rainbow shaped ceramic box to paint.

The youth services library is decorated with rainbows and colors that go with the theme of Reading Colors Your World and the shirt they will receive for completing the program. After the morning program several kids were checking out new books to read.

[Angela Reiners]