Bilingual Storytime Idea - ¡Arroz con Leche!

What's my professional New Year's resolution? 

To embody the spirit of Día and help foster a culture of literacy throughout the year at the Village Branch library.  How am I doing this?  Well, one way involves our Bilingual Family Storytime program.  I am tweaking the format of this program a bit so that it is a monthly family literacy event, drawing on themes relevant to the Latino community.  Our first program is Wednesday, January 11 at 6 PM on the theme of "Arroz con Leche" - ¡que sabroso!

We will be sharing The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha Vamos and illustrated by Rafael Lopez along with Jorge Argueta's Arroz con leche / Rice Pudding, which is a bilingual recipe/poem illustrated by Fernando Vilela.  We'll be turning this book into a creative dramatic to further narrative skill development as we move through each of the steps in the recipe, as well as practicing some math concepts as we measure the appropriate amounts of the ingredients.  This activity will exercise our imaginations as well!  Of course we will also be sharing the traditional song "Arroz con leche."  We will be using the version on the CD Juguemos a cantar as we sing and dance and play musical instruments.

Following the program, parents and children will have the opportunity to interact together at three discovery centers designed to reinforce further skill development in fun ways.  One station will be a tasting of real arroz con leche - a table top poster will prompt parents to ask their children specific questions as they try the tasty treat.  The other two are activities from the "Para los Niños" program out of the Houston Children's Museum.  And the cinnamon on top?  Every family who comes will get to take home their very own copy of Arroz con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America by Lulu Delacre, courtesy of the Friends of the Lexington Public Library and Scholastic Literacy Partners.

I am so very excited for this tasty program and hope to see many families in attendance.  ¡Nos vemos en la biblioteca!