Some of our favorite books have images that literally pop off the page. If you've ever wondered how pop-ups work, join us for a session making a few simple examples.

We began by enjoying The Wide Mouthed Frog and other examples of pop-ups from the library collection.

One of the patterns we used is from Robert Sabuda, paper engineer extraordinaire. If you'd like to give it a try, click here for a link to the pattern or here to visit his website.  

Other ideas came from Joan Irvine's book How to Make Pop-Ups. You can borrow a copy of the book at the library and learn how to make a talking mouth, things on springs, as well as other pop-up mechanisms.  

Kids with sticks are not usually found, let alone welcome, in the library but it was knitting day! After reading Mr. Putter and Tabby Spin the Yarn, participants made their own set of knitting needles. A little bit of sanding and a coat of mineral oil turned dowels, previously trimmed and shaped, into a servicable pair of knitting needles.

A local craftswoman showed each child how to cast on and knit a row with a donated ball of yarn.

Children also got to try out and take home handmade knitting spools. Everyone learned the basics of a new craft.

The afternoon began with a  reading of the story In the Woods: Who's Been Here?  by Lindsey Barrett George.

Afterward we examined a number of items a nature detective might come upon here in the woods of Northeast Pennsylvania, such as a shed antler, snake skin, wasp nest, comb from a bee hive, etc.

We were then ready to take a hike and test our powers of observation. Students kept track of the various kinds of animal signs they encountered on a checklist. Chipmunks were the only mammals sighted as we walked but there were deer tracks, a groundhog hole, and a squirrel nest that offered clues to other animals in the area.

Further along the trail we used the sweep nets to glimpse the varied insect life of an overgrown meadow. This time students tallied how many creatures they caught and how they moved. In general, more crawlers were counted than either hoppers or fliers.

Besides being a pleasant way to spend an afernoon, we learned how many different animals, big and small, live around our homes. We just need to look more carefully to see the evidence. Take a walk in your neighborhood and see what you can find. Here is a checklist to take with you.