BonnerSprings.com

With the help of a large, orange, furry friend, librarian Jeanne Dunbar instills a love of letters and books into the hearts of young children.

She does this each week during an event called Alphabet Express Storytime, where toddlers and preschoolers get the chance to learn about letters and numbers and hear the sound of Dunbar’s animated voice bringing alive whatever adventure happens to be in the pages of that day’s selected book.

After five years of serving as the Bonner Springs City Library’s Alphabet Express Storytime coordinator, Dunbar said her feelings regarding her job were as strong as ever.

“I hate it, can you tell?” Dunbar said with a laugh. “I love it, I love these kids. I love doing this. It is an immense joy to me. I see these little kids … that don’t know how to sit (still). This is their first experience learning how to sit and listen to a story. So just seeing them grow and learn how to listen and how to learn. I love my job.”

Dunbar offers Storytime sessions several times a week at the library and also travels to preschools in Bonner Springs throughout the week. Her helper in this endeavor is Bill — a large stuffed gorilla that Dunbar often refers to throughout the 45-minute session and that the youths can interact with.

Alphabet Express Storytime opens with a song, “Sunshine Smile,” the young participants can sing along with and then Dunbar fires away with that day’s theme, which is always a letter from the alphabet. She said she uses a letter each week to help her pick out a subject matter for the book she will read and the craft project the children will take part in following the reading.

Last Tuesday, the chosen letter was ‘M,’ and Dunbar read a book about what happens when you give a moose a muffin.

Every week, Dunbar also asks the children to help her recite the alphabet; numbers are also reviewed. After the craft project, the session closes with “The Wheels on the Train Go Round and Round,” where Dunbar leads the children in a circle around the room.

Consistency, she says, is a vital part of a child’s upbringing, and this is why the Alphabet Express routine is the same every week.

Due to the childrens’ ages, parents and caregivers are asked to attend the storytime. Dunbar said the point of Storytime was to get children ready for school and reading, but to also create an environment where children can bond with the adults in their lives.

“This is just a wonderful way to bond with your child … and have fun,” Dunbar said.

Anyone interested in attending Alphabet Express Storytime with their child can simply show up at the scheduled time. There is no registration required, Dunbar said. The schedule is as follows:

• 10 a.m. Tuesdays: toddler Storytime for ages 1-2

• 11 a.m. Tuesdays: preschool Storytime for ages 3-5

• 10 a.m. Wednesdays: preschool Storytime for ages 3-5

• 11 a.m. Wednesdays: family Storytime for ages up to 6 years.

Comments