Eagles and Owls and Hawks--Oh My!

If you think your local public library is just a place that houses books and other items for checking out, think again. On Saturday, March 13th @ 11:00, the Marysville Library will come to life with an array of raptors in a program presented by Kestrel Skyhawk, one of many individuals who have made the care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife a priority. Located in Arlington, WA, the Sarvey Wildlife Center cares for more than 4,000 animals annually, owns and operates the only wildlife rescue ambulance serving 4 nearby counties and provides informational programs for the public in an effort to educate people about wildlife. Just click on the highlighted entry above to read more about Sarvey and the great work being done locally for animals. So forget Saturday morning cartoons and bring the family to the Marysville Library for this very special event. Children under the age of 5 must be accompanied by an adult.

Do You Do Mother Goose?

Nursery rhymes are more than foolish nonsense verses or simple fun children’s songs. For young children, they provide the basic rhythms in the English language. They help build pre-reading skills that children need to master before they try and master the complex process known as reading. For instance, they provide ways to play with language and begin to figure out that words are made up of different sounds; “One TWO, buckle my SHOE”. They help build vocabulary; Where else would they ever hear about a tuffet or curds and whey? For adults, they provide cultural touch-stones that most remember from their childhood.

But did you know that they refer to actual events and people? Usually the events were bloody or unpleasant to modern ears. The “Ring around a rosie” song refers to the Black Death where many people were falling down dying. Humpty Dumpty refers to a powerful cannon that fell off the town wall where it had been helping to defend the town of Colchester during a siege in the English Civil War. "Three blind mice" refers to Queen Mary killing three Protestant bishops when she tryed to turn England back to Catholicism. Many times these nursery rhymes were political commentary when politics was a dangerous business.

For further fun looking into the secret codes of these seemingly nonsense nursery rhymes, check out “Pop goes the weasel: The secret meanings of nursery rhymes” by Albert Jack. And don’t forget to read them and sing them to the children in your life!

-Kathy, Children's Librarian