All Creatures Great and Small
All Creatures Great and Small Series
We are thrilled to collaborate with Lisa Browning from One Thousand Trees on “All Creatures Great and Small,” a series of events at the Children's Reading Room in Guelph between March and October. Each Craft & Storytime session will feature a guest author who will read a story about an animal, followed by a craft activity inspired by that book.
Saplings, a branch of One Thousand Trees, sponsored the craft portion of these sessions alongside Guelph Today.
Please see the schedule below for upcoming guest authors and dates, or click the link here.
Margaret-Ann Brix - June 5th & 6th
About the Book - Grampa’s Butterfly
Lilly and her Grampa love to spend time together. While walking through the woods, Grampa tells Lilly the story of the butterfly, through which she learns the importance of being kind to others. One day Grampa encourages Lilly to take a caterpillar home so that she can watch the butterfly emerge from its cocoon. Unfortunately, while Lilly is waiting for her butterfly, Grampa becomes ill. While in the hospital Grampa reminds Lilly to be patient; the butterfly will fly free soon. On the morning that her butterfly finally appears, Lilly learns the true meaning of the "story of the butterfly."
About the Author
Margaret-Ann Brix was born and raised in Guelph and obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University. She currently lives with her husband, Andrew Brooks, and their three children Jaimie, Liam and Adam in Metcalfe, Ontario. Margaret-Ann has always dreamed of writing a children’s book and Grampa’s Butterfly is the fulfillment of that dream. After losing her father and grandmother, two people who greatly influenced her life, within 8 months of each other, she found herself telling the story of the butterfly to her own children to help them cope with their sense of loss and grief. Writing this story has been such a positive experience that Margaret-Ann hopes to publish more children’s books in the future.
Jeanette Clarke - May 1st & May 2nd
About the Book
Keira is a little girl who likes to talk, a lot ... so much so that her grandma told her she could “talk the hind legs off a donkey.” Keira thinks this is funny, but after a donkey ride on a hot day she thinks she has actually caused the donkey to collapse. Keira is so upset that she stops talking.
About the Author
In order to encourage her granddaughter, Keira, to read during Covid, Jeanette Clarke wrote this story for her. Scottish born, but now living in Fergus, Ontario, Jeanette is an avid reader, especially of murder mysteries. As a member of a local creative writing group, she is known for committing many murders, at least on paper! Jeanette has had short stories published in the U.K. and U.S.A.
Donna kaye and Nancy cronin- April 25th & 26th
Donna did an amazing job presenting her and Nancy’s books to the families who attended. We loved that she incorporated sign language into her storytelling and was very engaging with the children. We hope to invite Donna to come see us in person in the future to share their beautiful books with more families in the Guelph community.
Lisa Browning supplied the materials for the craft, which was sponsored by Guelph Today. We created a nature collage with mixed images around the “Holy Moly…. What’s that?” tree.
About the Book
“Holy moly, what’s that?”
Come along on an adventure with Huxley and Roscoe, two curious characters who meet new friends as they explore and learn about the forest. A lively story to read aloud on its own or with fun forest facts offered when you peek through the magnifying glasses.
About the Authors
Donna Kaye has been an Early Childhood Educator, Early Literacy Specialist, and Forest and Nature School Facilitator for over forty years. She lives in Cherry Valley, where she enjoys long walks in the woods, gardening, and exploring the beauty of the natural world.
Nancy Cronin recently retired from working with children and youth after 35 years. She resides in Oshawa. She loves sports, spending time with family and friends, and exploring the area’s green spaces with Huxley and Roscoe.
Arlene Davies-Fuhr - March 6th & 7th
Author Arlene Davies-Fuhr donned a pig costume and joined us for Story and Craft Time on Thursday, March 6th, and Friday, March 7th, at 11:00 AM. She read her book about a zippy and zealous pig named Zola. The families enjoyed the story and all the little pigs Arlene brought them to play with.
Lisa Browning supplied the materials for the craft, which was sponsored by Guelph Today. We created Zola using paper plates and other materials.
About the Book
This is the story of Zola, an ambitious, zealous pig who wears aviator glasses and designs over-the-top adventures for herself. Her zany personality sparkles in the sequined outfits she adores. Zola is an inspiration as she overcomes obstacles and discovers a way to accomplish her dreams.
About the Author
Arlene Davies-Fuhr has worked as an English as a Second Language teacher, a community college English instructor, and a Mennonite pastor. She enjoys playing the ukulele, dulcimer, and djembe drum. Arlene is quite unconventional and has been called the Queen of Razzmatazz. It’s not a stretch to see ways that Arlene and Zola are similar.
