Once Upon a Reader (OUR)
The focus of the program is to encourage young children and their parents or caregivers to read together and will be a featured initiative in public libraries throughout Minnesota. The author/illustrator team will travel throughout the state offering a “Trunk Show” in each of the twelve public library regions. In addition to this show a variety of unique, fully realized program options will be available to libraries allowing almost anyone to participate in the program. As part of the pilot year program, Once Upon a Reader will be giving a copy of Moo! to each Head Start student in Minnesota along with reading and programming guidelines. An interactive website with additional resources and an engaging social media presence will be developed.
This innovative and interactive statewide early childhood program was a huge hit with youngsters across Minnesota. Each of the 12 regional public library systems hosted a “Trunk Show” program with the author and illustrator. An additional 45 “Trunk Shows” were hosted around the state, supported by local library Legacy funds. An interactive website http://onceuponareader.org/ was developed, as well as an engaging Facebook page recounting Cow’s escapades across Minnesota. https://www.facebook.com/onceuponareader?_rdr=p
Original music by Minnesota composer Tom Lieberman was commissioned; a puppet show was commissioned and fabricated by Hunter Marionettes. Libraries circulated 24 take-home play kits and each of the 12 regional public library systems hosted Moo! Story Walks at their libraries. This project garnered national attention in the spring 2015 issue of The Puppetry Journal.
Adult attendees at trunk shows filled out an evaluation form that asked them to list one new thing they learned about reading with their children. Responses included: everyone can write a book, books don’t need a lots of words to be fun, we learned how to explore a book in several ways – reading, acting and illustrating, be silly and make up stories with the kids, how to use different voice inflections to read, how to read books to make them more inviting for kids, how expression helps to tell a story, how your tone affects the entire book, techniques for interacting with children when reading to them, use of puppets with storytelling, how to make a story fun, using your voice to animate stories and a book can be simple.
This program was launched in October 2014 with a robust website http://onceuponareader.org/ and a special appearance by the author and illustrator at the Minnesota Library Association Conference in Mankato, in front of 400 librarian attendees as well as 50 Head Start children and their teachers. The website includes interviews with the author and illustrator, an animated version of Moo!, resources for parents and librarians, and original music created to enhance young people’s enjoyment of Moo!