Blog post by Erin Lucero, Old Town Library
Bells will be ringing at the Old Town Library in January as we celebrate the CLEL Bell Awards, recognizing the year’s best picture books for children.
The Poudre River Public Library District recently kicked off Bells and Books, a month-long celebration of award-worthy picture books and early literacy. From now until February 6, Old Town Library will host a series of activities designed for families to read with their little ones and explore picture books.
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy organizes the annual CLEL Bell Awards which are given to storybooks that support early learning. Nominated books are judged in five literacy categories based on the Every Child Ready to Read initiative: Reading, Talking, Singing, Writing, and Playing.
Bells and Books is a perfect opportunity for families to read together and find new storybook favorites. From January 9 to February 5, we encourage you to read any or all of the 25 CLEL Bell finalists and vote* for your favorite stories at the Old Town Library children’s voting booth located in the Children’s section on the first floor.
Children can vote as often as they like and for as many books as they like. A complete list of titles is available for parents to take home, along with plenty of top quality picture books to check out.
Then come to our special Bells and Books Storytime event to learn which books won the Old Town Library vote and the official vote. We’ll be reading the 2016 winners and announcing the 2017 winners, and of course there will be lots of singing and ringing of bell songs. Children can also create a booklet and illustrate their own stories.
The Bells and Books Storytime is scheduled Monday, February 6
from 9:30-10:15AM in the Old Town Library Storytime Room.
2017 CLEL Bell Award Nominees
READ
- ABC: The Alphabet from the Sky by Benedikt Gross and Joey Lee
- Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies by Carmen Oliver; illustrated by Jean Claude
- Lines, Squiggles, Letters, Words by Ruth Rocha; illustrated by Madelena Matoso
- The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley; illustrated by Kate Berube
- Surf’s Up by Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Daniel Miyares
TALK
- Can One Balloon Make an Elephant Fly? by Dan Richards; illustrated by Jeff Newman
- Maggie and Michael Get Dressed by Denise Fleming
- Puddle by Hyewon Yum
- A Small Thing . . . but Big by Tony Johnston; illustrated by Hasley Hooper
- Tell Me a Tattoo Story by Alison McGhee; illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
SING
- Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
- Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge
- Old MacDonald Had a Truck by Steve Goetz; illustrated by Eda Kaban
- Rock-a-Bye Romp by Linda Ashman; illustrated by Simona Mulazzani
- Sing With Me! Action Songs Every Child Should Know by Naoko Stoop
WRITE
- Alphonse, That is Not OK to Do! by Daisy Hirst
- Frida and Bear Play the Shape Game by Anthony Browne; illustrated by Hanne Bartholin
- It Came in the Mail by Ben Clanton
- Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campo and Theresa Howell; illustrated by Rafael López
- A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen; illustrated by Mike Lowery
PLAY
- Box: What Would You do with a Box? by Min Flyte; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
- Bringing the Outside In by Mary McKenna Siddals; illustrated by Patrice Barton
- Cat Nap by Toni Yuly
- Clive and His Babies by by Jessica Spanyol
- Gator Dad by Brian Lies
*Your vote will be included in the Old Town Library’s vote results, which is separate from the official CLEL results.