Little-Known Perks of a Long Island Library Card

January 21, 2021/in Guide, Read/by Shine

Here on the East End, we’re blessed with bountiful, beautiful libraries. But did you know your Long Island library card gains you access to much more than books? Free perks for the whole family include museum passes, access to technology, rentable toys, cookware on loan, downloadable content, and access to ancestry historians.

Free Museum Passes

Access to free family museum passes varies from location to location, but what a cool benefit!

The Westbury Memorial Public Library allows you to take out complimentary passes for:

Cradle of Aviation
Empire Pass (1 Day)
Firefighter’s Museum and Education Center
Long Island Children’s Museum
Nassau County Museum of Art
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Old Westbury Gardens

The Hicksville Public Library offers passes for:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Cradle of Aviation
Empire Pass
Heckscher Museum of Art
Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Long Island Children’s Museum
Museum of Modern Art (also get a 10% discount in the MoMA store!)
Nassau County Firefighters Museum
Nassau Museum of Art
New York Hall of Science
NY Transit Museum
Old Bethpage Restoration
Old Westbury Gardens
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
Welwyn Preserve

Hours and availability may be affected due to COVID-19 restrictions, but there are plenty of options to choose from. Some passes may be printed from home, while others must be picked up and returned at the library service desk.

Other participating libraries to check out include: Babylon, Farmingdale, Great Neck, Island Trees, Levittown, Mineola, Port Jeff, Port Washington, or just visit your local public library’s website for details. Bringing your children to a local museum can cultivate a love of science, history, different cultures, and hands-on learning. We couldn’t think of a better gift to give.

Access To Technology

High-tech gadgets are available under normal circumstances. The governor’s current orders have put the squeeze on these programs, but as restrictions ease, we can expect to be back exploring in no time.

Merrick Library’s Walter Mintz Makerspace has a collection of neat creative tools available for kids ages 12+ to use (under the watchful eye of a responsible guardian), including:

A 3D printer
The 3Doodler (3D pen)
Ozobots (robot)

Innovation Station at the Levittown Public Library offers:

3Doodler
Button makers
Cricut machines
Diecut machines
Embroidery machines
iMacs
LittleBits inventor kits
MakerBot 3D scanner and printer
Sewing machines

Other communities to check out for access to innovative gadgets include: Jericho, Middle Country Public Library, Sachem Public Library, and Smithtown.

Toy Rentals

Brentwood library has 12 American Girl dolls, period-specific clothing, and books that can be checked out for two weeks at a time. Other “Toys To Go” include Lincoln Logs, electronic baby toys, xylophones, and trucks. You can check out telescopes in Port Washington and Lynbrook, or kid-friendly tablets with downloaded learning apps at Lindenhurst or Massapequa.

Cookware

Love to bake? Have a birthday coming up? Comsewogue and East Rockaway libraries loan out Wilton pans shaped like a guitar, soccer ball, dinosaur, bunny, flower, firetruck, Cars, paint palette, heart, Arial, Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, and Thomas the Train. You can take the pan out for up to a week before handwashing and returning it.

Digital Downloads

Stream movies using a Roku stick full of free content through Farmingdale, Massapequa, Merrick, Oceanside, Port Washington, or Westbury libraries. Garden City, West Babylon, and a dozen other libraries allow music streaming and downloads using the digital music service Freegal; a certain number of titles can be kept each week for your listening pleasure.

Ancestry Research

You can get free in-library access to family tree building site Ancestry.com at Long Beach, Mattituck-Laurel, and Uniondale. For a more robust experience, bring the kids to West Hempstead and sit down with a genealogy librarian to dig into your lineage.

At a time where we may feel closed off from the world, it’s a great blessing that we have access to resources that enrich the spirit, ignite our passions, and give the family something to do together. For more creative, enjoyable activities, contact SHINE for information on upcoming workshops, classes, outings, camps, or private parties. We are still open and following every CDC protocol for safe interactions.

Little-Known Perks of a Long Island Library Card

January 21, 2021/in Guide, Read/by Shine

Here on the East End, we’re blessed with bountiful, beautiful libraries. But did you know your Long Island library card gains you access to much more than books? Free perks for the whole family include museum passes, access to technology, rentable toys, cookware on loan, downloadable content, and access to ancestry historians.

Free Museum Passes

Access to free family museum passes varies from location to location, but what a cool benefit!

The Westbury Memorial Public Library allows you to take out complimentary passes for:

Cradle of Aviation
Empire Pass (1 Day)
Firefighter’s Museum and Education Center
Long Island Children’s Museum
Nassau County Museum of Art
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Old Westbury Gardens

The Hicksville Public Library offers passes for:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Cradle of Aviation
Empire Pass
Heckscher Museum of Art
Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Long Island Children’s Museum
Museum of Modern Art (also get a 10% discount in the MoMA store!)
Nassau County Firefighters Museum
Nassau Museum of Art
New York Hall of Science
NY Transit Museum
Old Bethpage Restoration
Old Westbury Gardens
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
Welwyn Preserve

Hours and availability may be affected due to COVID-19 restrictions, but there are plenty of options to choose from. Some passes may be printed from home, while others must be picked up and returned at the library service desk.

Other participating libraries to check out include: Babylon, Farmingdale, Great Neck, Island Trees, Levittown, Mineola, Port Jeff, Port Washington, or just visit your local public library’s website for details. Bringing your children to a local museum can cultivate a love of science, history, different cultures, and hands-on learning. We couldn’t think of a better gift to give.

Access To Technology

High-tech gadgets are available under normal circumstances. The governor’s current orders have put the squeeze on these programs, but as restrictions ease, we can expect to be back exploring in no time.

Merrick Library’s Walter Mintz Makerspace has a collection of neat creative tools available for kids ages 12+ to use (under the watchful eye of a responsible guardian), including:

A 3D printer
The 3Doodler (3D pen)
Ozobots (robot)

Innovation Station at the Levittown Public Library offers:

3Doodler
Button makers
Cricut machines
Diecut machines
Embroidery machines
iMacs
LittleBits inventor kits
MakerBot 3D scanner and printer
Sewing machines

Other communities to check out for access to innovative gadgets include: Jericho, Middle Country Public Library, Sachem Public Library, and Smithtown.

Toy Rentals

Brentwood library has 12 American Girl dolls, period-specific clothing, and books that can be checked out for two weeks at a time. Other “Toys To Go” include Lincoln Logs, electronic baby toys, xylophones, and trucks. You can check out telescopes in Port Washington and Lynbrook, or kid-friendly tablets with downloaded learning apps at Lindenhurst or Massapequa.

Cookware

Love to bake? Have a birthday coming up? Comsewogue and East Rockaway libraries loan out Wilton pans shaped like a guitar, soccer ball, dinosaur, bunny, flower, firetruck, Cars, paint palette, heart, Arial, Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, and Thomas the Train. You can take the pan out for up to a week before handwashing and returning it.

Digital Downloads

Stream movies using a Roku stick full of free content through Farmingdale, Massapequa, Merrick, Oceanside, Port Washington, or Westbury libraries. Garden City, West Babylon, and a dozen other libraries allow music streaming and downloads using the digital music service Freegal; a certain number of titles can be kept each week for your listening pleasure.

Ancestry Research

You can get free in-library access to family tree building site Ancestry.com at Long Beach, Mattituck-Laurel, and Uniondale. For a more robust experience, bring the kids to West Hempstead and sit down with a genealogy librarian to dig into your lineage.

At a time where we may feel closed off from the world, it’s a great blessing that we have access to resources that enrich the spirit, ignite our passions, and give the family something to do together. For more creative, enjoyable activities, contact SHINE for information on upcoming workshops, classes, outings, camps, or private parties. We are still open and following every CDC protocol for safe interactions.

Storytelling Activities for World Storytelling Day

March 16, 2020/in Celebrate, Guide, Learn, Read/by Shine

World Storytelling Day is celebrated on the spring equinox and during the following week. This year’s festivities kick off Friday, March 20^th and the 2020 theme is “Voyages.”

Storytelling has played an integral role in passing on cultural knowledge, beliefs, and traditions from one generation to the next. Without cave paintings, Bard stories, or recorded myths, so much human history would be lost forever.

Consider the many ways storytelling enriched the lives of people around the world:

Thanks to early storytellers like Aesop and Homer, the ancient Greeks were familiar with stories dating back to 12th century BCE.
Ancient Egyptians told detailed narratives about life, death, and their belief in an afterlife in picture form, as preserved hieroglyphics show.
In medieval Europe, troubadours relayed histories and information about neighboring communities, as well as presenting topics for political debate.
The Norse Viking sagas were the culmination of nearly 300 years of oral storytelling tradition by the time they were finally published and shared with the world.
Storytelling saved the life of Scheherazade, the heroine of 1,001 Arabian Nights.
In West African regions, griot storytellers served as historians and politicians – a tradition still thriving in Mali, Senegal, and Gambia.
In Australia, Aboriginal storytellers were performance artists who entertained during the long, dark winter months.
The Native Americans used stories as a way of imparting values, character traits, and tribal identity upon their young.

What started as Sweden’s “Alla Berättares Dag” (All Narrators Day) in 1991 has now spread around the globe from South Africa and Singapore, to Canada and Croatia. As Indian storyteller Vyasa said in the poem Mahabharata: “If you listen [to a story] carefully, at the end, you’ll be someone else.”

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate World Storytelling Day in 2020, consider one of these activities…

1. Learn the art of storytelling.

The Art of Storytelling by Pixar was produced with Khan Academy to take students on a full curriculum of using human interest and emotion to tell a story. Filmmakers from Pixar share insights into how to develop storytelling skills that can be particularly useful in the elementary school years. The videos are just three or four minutes long per section and are followed by writing prompts and activities that facilitate learning. The idea that “we are all storytellers” is a meaningful point to share with our children.

2. Play a game.

The award-winning “Tall Tales” game inspires your family’s storytelling by providing thought-provoking settings and characters. The rest is left to your imagination! Younger children will immediately launch into free play, while older kids might find inspiration in the five rule variations. Small figurines come with the game, so it is recommended for children past the age of putting random objects into their mouths.

3. Write your own creative “voyage” story as a group.

Folding stories were classic 80s sleepover games. The story begins with a title or opening line prompt. Each person writes two lines of text. Ideally, the last sentence will end abruptly to leave a thought-provoking start for the next player. The paper is folded so each of the players can only see what the person immediately before them has written. Once the paper gets around the group a few times, the first writer will read the whole story from start to finish.

Here are 15 story prompt ideas to get you started…

I don’t know how I am going to get home. Worse yet, I am alone and have to…
The water is always calm when I go out at 4 a.m…
Many things get the hair on the back of my neck up, but nothing more so than…
From behind a lacy curtain she watched as four riders galloped toward the house…
There are a few rules to live by if you want to survive an overseas voyage on this ship…
When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting…
The rain fell hard, for the third week in a row…
The moment I stepped out of the plane, I knew I had come to the wrong place…
I don’t know the first thing about flying a hot air balloon, and yet, here I am…
My hair blew back in exhilarating fashion with each beat of the Pegasus’ wings…
The only thing that could get me back to that island is gold… well, and love for adventure…
The entire city was in ruins…
“Pssst, wake up,” someone said into my ear in the dead of night. “I have a mission for you…”
There’s an island where all lost items turn up. I woke up, cold and wet, on the beach…
Humans return from Mars for the first time. But something is not quite right about them…

4. Read with your children.

There are countless literary “voyages” you can take with your children. Perhaps you have favorite stories you read in your childhood you’d like to share with your children. The New York Public Library’s list of most-checked-out books of all time is likely to remind you of a few! Otherwise, try these:

Usbourne’s Illustrated Stories from Around the World

Why: Dive into 10 classic folk tales from India, China, Japan, the US, England, Scandinavia, Russia, Greece, the Middle East, and South Africa, which feature interesting characters like a talking tree, an ill-tempered genie, and a greedy witch. Kids will love the bold, colorful illustrations that accompany each story.

Ideal Ages: 3-8

Geronimo Stilton’s The Amazing Voyage (Kingdom of Fantasy #3)

Why: Geronimo Stilton is the publisher of The Rodent’s Gazette newspaper. In this colorful, 320-page adventure, he returns to the Kingdom of Fantasy to find the land plagued by endless winter. He travels by magical talking ship, hoping to restore peace and springtime to the land by contending with a threatening volcano and rescuing the Queen of the Fairies.

Ideal Ages: 5-8

Miroslav Sasek’s children’s classics: This Is Ireland, This Is Munich, This Is Israel, This Is NY, etc…

Why: These picture books combine charming illustrations with simple explanations of the sights, character, and traditions of each region covered.

Ideal Ages: 5-8

Hugh Lofting’s The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

Why: In this chapter book, the voyage of Doctor Dolittle is told by 9-year-old Tommy Stubbins, a crewman and naturalist accompanying the animal healer to Spidermonkey Island. After surviving a perilous shipwreck, Doctor Dolittle, Polynesia the parrot, and Chee-Chee the monkey meet a wondrous sea snail who holds the key to a great mystery. Parents and children alike will enjoy this adventure from start to finish. Afterward, you can watch the movie!

Ideal Ages: 8-12

Choose Your Own Adventure books OR Oregon Trail “choose your own adventures.”

Why: The reader is not just a passive entity in these unique books. The reader acts as decision maker and storyteller as well, choosing which actions the characters should take to determine the end of the story. With the original R.A. Montgomery series, you and your child can journey through the jungle, Mayan ruins, under the sea, the highest mountain peaks, and even out of this world, into space. With the Oregon Trail books, you can voyage across America in a covered wagon circa 1850, while trying to avoid perilous conditions from wild animals and natural disasters, to strangers, and sicknesses – with 22 different endings to choose from.

Ideal Ages: 8-12

Angela McAllister’s A Year Full of Stories: 52 Classic Stories From All Around the World

Why: This treasury combines myths, fairy tales, and legends from around the globe with a story for every week of the year. The 12 chapters correspond with the 12 months of the year and match stories to important holidays, festivals, events, and seasonal themes.

Ideal Ages: 8-12

5. Speak with an elder.

If your child has grandparents living, plan a day to visit and hear stories from the older person’s life.

You can use these prompts to get grandma or grandpa recalling childhood memories:

What’s your earliest childhood memory?
Who was your best friend? What did you do together?
What places do you remember fondly?
Describe your mother’s kitchen. What were family dinners like?
Describe the most unusual place you have lived or visited.
Were you ever injured or ill during your childhood? What was that experience like?
Do you have any quirky relatives in your family tree? Tell us about them.
What values did your parents try to instill in you as a child?
What sayings or expressions did you hear often while growing up?
Describe your most memorable family vacation.
Describe your favorite holiday traditions.
What was your most beloved toy like?
How are you and your parents alike or different?
What personal achievements made you proud?
What was one lesson you learned the hard way?

All and all, World Storytelling Day is the ideal opportunity to focus on reading, writing, and recollecting. You can find many, many more ideas at StoryArts.org that are ideal for the classroom or at home. If you’d like to carry on the tradition, consider joining one of Shine’s workshops or year-round classes, where we combine storytelling, music, art, cooking, and play from cultures around the world.

Check Out These Top Children’s Books for Library Lover’s Month

February 10, 2020/in Guide, Learn, Read/by Shine

Last month, the New York Public Library released their list of the “most checked-out books of all time.” While you might expect classic school reads like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and To Kill A Mockingbird, it may surprise you to find so many children’s books dominating the top 10.

“This list tells us something about New Yorkers over the last 125 years — what moves them, what excites them, what stands the test of time,” said NYPL President Anthony W. Marx. He adds, “The books on this list have transcended generations and, much like the Library itself, are as relevant today as they were when they first arrived.”

NYPL’s ‘Most Checked-Out’ Children’s Book

The most-wanted book of all-time was, in fact, a children’s book:

#1 – The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Readers checked out the Caldecott Medal award winner a total of 485,583 times since it was published in 1962. At face value, The Snowy Day is about the delight of simple childhood pleasures – narrating the experience of a young boy playing in the first snowfall of the season – bundling up in his red snowsuit, knocking white powder off the trees, making snow angels, watching his footprints follow, building a snowman, and keeping a trusty snowball in his pocket.

This relatability combined with the beautiful illustrations makes it a favorite. Keats cut pieces of paper from America, Japan, Italy, and Sweden, gluing the collage together to make images that could withstand the test of time: gum eraser snowflakes, spattered India ink backgrounds, watercolor bubbles, and checkered oilcloth dresses.

At the time it was published, “Peter” was one of the first non-caricatured African-Americans featured in a children’s book. Keats wasn’t on a crusade: he simply wanted to make that point that a good frolic in the snow transcends all race, color, creed, or division. One Florida teacher wrote to Keats to say, “The kids in my class, for the first time, are using brown crayons to draw themselves. These are African-American children. Before this, they drew themselves with pink crayons. But now, they can see themselves.”

Other NYPL Top Ten Children’s Books

Also among the Top 10 most-borrowed books of all-time:

#2 – The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (469,650 check-outs)

#4 – Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (436,016 check-outs)

#6 – Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (337948 check-outs)

#9 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (231,022 check-outs)

#10 – The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (189,550 check-outs)

List-makers gave Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon an honorable mention. Influential Librarian Anne Carroll Moorewas said to have disliked the book so much, she refused to carry it from 1947 to 1972. A fan of “more sophisticated” Beatrix Potter stories, the librarian dismissed the story as “an unbearably sentimental piece of work.” Despite her disdain and a 25-year absence from the shelves, the book has been checked out more than 100,000 times.

Where To Check Out Children’s Books in NYC

The American Library Association has designated February as “National Library Lover’s Month,” so what better time to curl up with your child, a blanket, a cup of cocoa, and a great book? We are blessed with many idyllic libraries, complete with inspiring architecture, a wide selection of children’s literature, and innovative free programming.

Consider some of the best NYC libraries for kids:

Children’s Center at 42nd Street, The New York Public Library (Midtown East)
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, The New York Public Library (Midtown West)
Middle County Public Library (Centereach)
Children’s Library Discovery Center (Queens)
Hunter’s Point Library (Long Island City)

Be sure to check out NYPL’s regularly updated calendar of events. Whether your child is less than 18 months or a teen, you’re bound to find something fun happening today at one of the area libraries. If you have a little aspiring reader or writer you’d like to encourage, consider one of our classes or workshops for fun, educational programming that takes your child to new heights.

Passover Activities For Kids

March 25, 2018/in Celebrate, Learn, Make, Party, Read, Taste/by Shine

Passover Activities For Kids

Passover is one of the most beloved religious holidays, celebrated by more than 70% of Jewish Americans. The story of Moses provides rich lessons about “standing up for equality, pursuing justice, and standing up for the rights of the marginalized… core Jewish commitments,” as Rabbi Rick Jacobs put it. Children are central to the Passover proceedings as a symbol of the continuity of the Jewish people, but the significance is likely to pass them by if we don’t go out of our way to include them in the family rituals. Incorporate some of these Passover activities to engage the youngest members of the faith.

Passover Pretend Play

The Big Clean – In preparation for Passover, families keeping Kosher kitchens remove all Chametz. Involve kids in the search party with a scavenger hunt to find hidden cookies under the bed, in pockets, closets, drawers, school bags, and toy chests.

Plagues – Scatter squishy green frogs or plastic locusts across the table to represent the plagues. Rite Lite Judaica sells Plague Masks that represent terrors like darkness, boils, wild animals, frogs, and cattle plague – or you could just as easily make your own out of construction paper.

Seder Set – Particularly from ages 3-5, children become fascinated with “playing adult.” KidKraft sells toy versions of the Seder plate, wine goblet, bottle of wine, matzo, afikomen and matzo covers, and a prayer book.

Passover Crafts

A Cup For Elijah – Families put out a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah at the Passover Seder. Toward the end of the dinner, they open the door to symbolically “let Elijah in.” For this craft, take a plastic Dollar Store wine goblet, paint a liberal strip of white craft glue around the top, and wrap a colorful piece of wool or jute string around the cup. Alternate with more glue and different colored strings for a rainbow look. Add sequins or gems.

Red Sea Diorama – The parting of the Red Sea makes for a great mini scene. Upcycle cardboard by cutting it into at least six curvy wave shapes in a variety of sizes, covering them in blue tissue paper. Affix the waves into slits cut into a cardboard base, using glue to secure them. Don’t forget to leave a path down the middle. You can make little people out of corks, dressing them in felt clothes, bottle cap hats, and yarn hair, and drawing faces with black marker.

Matzo Cover – Use a plain white handkerchief or cut a square out of a choice piece of fancy fabric. Just be sure it’s bigger than a piece of matzo. Decorate the cloth with oversized gems, embroidered grapes or spring flowers, and puffy paint border embellishments. Paint the Hebrew word for Passover to make it extra relevant.

Passover Cooking

Shine’s Favorite Jewish Recipes – We’ve rounded up five delicious, easy Jewish recipes to make with kids, including Potato kugel, Soup Dumplings with Minced Brisket, Kookoo-e Sabzi, Braised Short Ribs with Squash Puree and Roasted Corn Salad, Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachio.

Passover Pizzas – What kid doesn’t love pizza? Pre-heat a baking stone at 500 degrees for a half hour. Mix 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose white wheat flour, ½ tsp. sea salt, and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor. Add ½ cup of water. Form into 12 dough balls and roll on a floured surface until cracker-thin. Prick holes with a fork to prevent bubbling. Cook for one minute per side. Reduce heat to 250 degrees. Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and your favorite toppings or seasonings, cooking for 15 minutes more.

Macaroons – Widely considered thee flourless dessert of Passover, macaroons come in many designs from almond to raspberry, but we like this basic chocolate-dipped coconut recipe. Whisk together 1 large egg white, 2 TBSP honey, ¼ tsp pure vanilla, the grated zest of one lemon, and 1/8 tsp of coarse salt. Stir in 1.5 cups of fine-shredded unsweetened coconut. Make 15 balls with a 1.5” ice cream scoop and bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 12 minutes at 375 degrees, rotating halfway through. Before serving, drizzle with 2 ounces of melted dark chocolate and refrigerate 15 minutes to set.

If you’re looking for more ways to incorporate Jewish culture into the lives of your children, ask us about our Vitamin J Jewish art and cultural class for kids of all ages. We explore basic Judaica in a variety of fun, creative ways.

Additional Children’s Passover Resources:

USA Today – Passover Holiday Explained, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/22/passover-jewish-holiday-explained/83387514/

Amazon – KidKraft Passover Set, http://amzn.to/2HBNsce

Tori Avey – Elijah’s Cup Craft, https://toriavey.com/home-garden/family-fun-elijahs-cup-passover-craft

Creative Jewish Mom – Splitting of the Red Sea Diorama, http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2010/03/kids-crafts-for-pesach-krias-yam-suf-the-splitting-of-the-red-sea-diorama.html

Cooking with my Kid – Mighty No-Sew Matzah Cover, http://cookingwithmykid.com/2011/04/12/mighty-matzah-cover

Martha Stewart – Coconut Chocolate Macaroons, https://www.marthastewart.com/1098219/coconut-chocolate-macaroons

Disgustingly Good – Matzo Pizza, http://disgustinglygood.com/2012/03/31/matzo-pizza/

Top 5 Irish Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

March 9, 2018/in Celebrate, Fun, Make, Play, Read, Taste/by Shine

International Kid-Friendly Food:

Top 5 Irish Recipes For St. Patrick’s Day

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held, not in Ireland, but here in New York City in 1762. Corned beef and cabbage is a culinary tradition started by Irish-American immigrants who were able to purchase expensive kosher meats from their Jewish neighbors. They threw the flavorful salted meat into a pot with beloved potatoes and affordable cabbage – and the rest is history. Contemporary St. Patrick’s Day menus in the homeland include dishes like fried lamb belly fingers, slow-poached organic chicken with tarragon, colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale), roasted carrots, and herbed Irish cheddar croquette.

Whether you’re in New York or Ireland, cooking a meal together as a family is a beautiful tradition. Your menu doesn’t have to be fancy. We’ve dug up five good old-fashioned Irish recipes to enjoy cooking and eating with your children this St. Paddy’s Day. Before you get started in the kitchen, take the kids down to The Butcher Block in Sunnyside, Queens for authentic Irish provisions, including back bacon, rashers, black pudding, Irish teas, Kerrygold cheese, sweets, sauces, spreads, and breads.

Irish Soda Bread

From Chef Darina Allen, courtesy of National Geographic

Homemade soda bread is a staple in any Irish pantry. White soda bread is made with white flour, while brown soda bread is made with buttermilk and whole-wheat flour. It’s traditionally fashioned into a round loaf with a cross etched in the middle – to keep out the fairies, naturally! Allen’s basic recipe takes just two minutes to put together and 40 minutes to bake. “Your soda bread is not a soda bread we would recognize,” she explains. Americans “gussy up” their soda breads with raisins and caraway seeds – which appeals to our youngsters, no doubt — but over in Ireland, they call that type of bread a “spotted dog.”

Get Chef Allen’s recipe or, if you prefer adding goodies, try this third-generation recipe from NYC Chef John Mooney.

The Full Irish Breakfast

From Chef Joe Mallol from the Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog in Manhattan

Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog won countless awards for their cocktails and was ranked “The World’s Best Bar” in 2016. Drinks aside, the restaurant’s weekend brunch became so popular, they offer it all week long to keep up with demand. The Irish Breakfast is designed to be comforting and filling. Chef Mallol’s take on the classic formula involves a few extra herbs and spices, but remains pretty true to what you would find in Ireland. Even the pickiest of eaters will find something to devour on this plate of eggs, Irish sausages (Bangers), back bacon (Rashers), blood and oatmeal sausages (Black and White Pudding), toast, sautéed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and baked beans. Adults can pair this meal equally well with Guinness or Irish coffee, while kids can enjoy a craft apple juice blended with strawberry, raspberry, or black currant.

Get the recipe.

A Proper Stew for St. Patrick’s Day

By David Tanis, NY food writer, former Chez Panisse chef, current chef at the Monkey Bar in Midtown

Rich, hearty Irish stew contains a handful of ingredients like mutton or young lamb, onions, and potatoes. The further south you go, the more vegetables you’ll see – like carrots or even turnips. Irish stews can be a broth served in a bowl or thickened with flour and served over mashed potatoes. Adorned with just a sprig of thyme, the natural food flavors take center stage in this recipe that is simple enough to cook with kids.

Get the recipe.

Smoky Cheese & Potato Soup with Pesto Shamrock Toast

From Better Homes and Gardens

You’ll need a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter for this fun-looking dish that combines the smokiness of gouda cheese and paprika with the creaminess of mashed potatoes and carrots. It’s an easy 25-minute dish that warms the heart in less than 400 calories. We’ve seen similar recipes with the addition of four ounces of finely chopped ham for added protein. The floating green pesto-topped shamrock toast will be the showstopper for the kids who may get a little messy figuring out how to best eat it. You can try Orwasher’s Bakery or Amy’s Bread for a great artisanal Irish sourdough worthy of your soup.

Get the recipe.

Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

From Irish American Mom, Adapted by Kailey at The Kitchen McCabe

Finding an Irish dessert that doesn’t use Guinness, Bailey’s, or Irish whiskey can be a challenge, but the crunchy sugary crust and Grandma’s creamy custard sauce provide plenty of sweetness to this apple cake recipe — without the booze. You’ll need a round 8″ or 9″ pan, ideally a springform. You can use Golden Delicious apples if you find Granny Smiths too tart. While most cakes are spiced with cinnamon, this version borrows cloves and nutmeg for a European twist.

Get the recipe.

Additional Irish Recipe Resources:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-st-patricks-day-parade

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/is-corned-beef-really-irish-2839144/

http://www.thebutchersblock.com/

http://dish.allrecipes.com/irish-recipes-for-st-patricks-day/

https://www.deadrabbitnyc.com/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-06/the-dead-rabbit-grocery-grog-is-named-the-world-s-best-bar

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/ireland-food-and-drink/

http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/02/david-tanis-new-monkey-bar-chef.html

https://www.orwashers.com/

http://www.amysbread.com

Making 2017 The Thank You Year

December 23, 2016/in Fun, Guide, Read/by Shine

As I reflect on 2016 — its crazy turns, speed bumps that turned out to be potholes and the unexpected dead ends — I am truly thankful. I’m thankful for my love, my home, my job, and for quiet Sunday afternoons when I get to write about my childhood, new and old picture books, and admire the creativity in kids. I am thankful for this open, magical and welcoming space right here. And I plan on taking these feelings of gratitude with me as I start my journey into 2017.

I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye to 2016 than by saying a proper farewell to some chums, Gerald and Piggie. I know. Say it ain’t so?! It’s sad but true. The 25th and final book in Mo Willems’ “Elephant & Piggie” series came to an end this year with “The Thank You Book.”

For one last time, the comedy team of Gerald the Elephant and Piggie’s spirited banter is in full bloom as Piggie thinks, “I am one lucky pig.” And decides to “get thanking.” This peaks Gerald interest as he glumly tells her he’s sure she’ll forget someone. But Piggie won’t have it. She grits her teeth and replies, “I. Will. Thank. EVERYONE. It will be a THANK-O-RAMA!”

In true Willems fashion, the parade starts as he brings back every character who has ever made an appearance in an Elephant & Piggie book.

Piggie thanks the Squirrels for their great ideas, Snake for playing ball, and the Pigeon “for never giving up,” while adding “sorry you do not get to be in our books.” Of course fans know the mischievous bird photo bombs the endpapers of all the Elephant & Piggie books. So he slyly replies, “That is what you think.”

Piggie thanks, thanks, thanks! She is a “thanking machine!” She continues to thank the Whale, the Ice Cream Penguin, Doctor Cat, and Brian Bat. But Gerald continues to interject that she’ll forget “someone VERY important.” It’s only when Piggie finally runs out of thanks that she gets it, and Gerald is straight up mad. “I goofed,” Piggie concedes before thanking Gerald.

But unfortunately it’s not Gerald whom Piggie forgot to thank! He reveals the “someone important” is…“Our reader.”
This is a fun and heartwarming, a family-reunion that perfectly brings an end to a beloved series. I don’t know about you, but I think Piggies is on to something! I’m going to start this New Year with a THANK-O-RAMA! I hope you do too.

By Claudia Chung for Shine

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet, Give Me Something Good to Read!

October 25, 2016/in Celebrate, Guide, Read/by Shine

Shine’s Picture Book Picks for a Fun and Spooky Halloween

Ever since I learned that one day each year, I can knock on a stranger’s door, yell “Trick or Treat!” and get a candy bar, I’ve been all about Halloween. My costumes varied over the years, but throughout grade school, they all had one thing in common: they all featured the dead! A dead prom queen, the corpse of 50s girl, and a bride that never made it to her wedding because, well… she was dead.

I just didn’t understand the pretty fairies, princesses, or kitty cats that weren’t dead. I mean, after all, it was Halloween. Weren’t we all supposed to be spooky? I have a vague recollection of going to my best friend Grace’s house to go trick or treating together. When she came to the front door, I was stumped by her costume. Grace was dressed as a doctor. And not the psycho kind that used a butcher’s knife instead of a scalpel, but the kind you go see when you have a tummy ache. Me? I was dressed as a dead Checker Girl.

While she had on a pristine white coat, I was dressed like a checker-pattern wearing hobo. Grace had a stethoscope around her neck. I had fake blood down the sides of my mouth. She was wearing pretty make-up that accentuated her delicate features. I painted my entire face with black and white checkers that smeared with my fake blood. But that’s the beauty of Halloween—everyone interprets it differently. No matter what you chose to be, it’s a holiday that can be full of magic!

Here are Shine’s Picture Book Picks for a Fun and Spooky Halloween:

Creepy Carrots By Aaron Reynolds, illus. by Peter Brown

This Caldecott award winning book does it all. A spot-on-parody of 50s classic horror films, Jasper Rabbit suspects mean and spooky carrots are following him. He hears the “Soft… sinister… tunktunktunk of carrots creeping.” This Hithchcock-esque story for the 4-to-8 set is a good read all year round. You may even want to add the Twilight Zone theme music to your readings to take it to the next level.

Miss Nelson Is Missing! By Harry Allard, illus. by James Marshall

My childhood favorite, this was my first mystery book. The kids in Room 207 were the worst behaved class in the whole school. They were rude and nasty and they didn’t pay any attention to their sweet-natured teacher Miss Nelson. Then one day, Miss Nelson does not come to school! In her place is the nasty, mean, foul-tempered witch Miss Viola Swamp. Uh-oh…

It was only after reading this charming book over and over and over again that I realized how the story unraveled. It was thrilling to be in on the secret.

The Dark By Lemony Snicket, illus. by Jon Klassen

A match made in heaven. Snicket and Klassen hit all the right notes on—what else?—the universal kids’ fear of the dark. Laszlo lives in a house with “a creaky roof, smooth, cold windows, and several sets of stairs.” There is darkness everywhere! With an uncharacteristic end, this is a good introduction to suspense storytelling and what it means to confront your worst fears.

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? By Margaret McNamara, illus. by G. Brian Karas

If your families are not that keen on mysteries, thrillers or suspense, have no fear! How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin will do the trick. The smallest boy in the class, Charlie, has a teacher who presents the students with three pumpkins: small, medium and large. They predict how many seeds are in each one. Then the class does the messy but fun work of removing the seeds and counting the contents.

A sweet lesson intertwined with some good old fashion math, this pumpkin tale can easily come to life with real pumpkins and a little elbow grease.

The Monster At The End Of This Book by Jon Stone, illus. by Mike Smollin

I love Sesame Street in all kinds of ways. But I am afraid I am one of those teachers who steers clear from the overly saturated commercial characters—with the exception of one. The one and only truly successful Sesame Street book to touch the young hearts and minds of readers everywhere, Monster is a perfect Halloween book for fans of the Pigeon books by Mo Willems and for the younger set, 3 and up. It’s interactive, engaging and fun!

By Claudia Chung for Shine

Too Poohtastic to Pass Up!

July 22, 2016/in Read/by Shine

He has the most recognizable face. He’s a style icon in his own right. And he greeted the President of the United States in his robe and slippers.

Yes! It’s little Prince George!

And now, the poshest little Prince is getting immortalized again with a cameo in the latest Winnie-the-Pooh book. Available for free here http://winniethepooh.disney.com/.

The Queen and Winnie-the-Pooh have been close friends since birth. Not only were they both born in 1926 – making them ninety years old—author A.A. Milne dedicated a book of songs featuring Pooh, “Teddy Bear and Other Songs,” to the newborn Princess Elizabeth. Rumor has it the Queen is just nutty for the good-hearted bear.

In the new adventure, “Winnie-the-Pooh and the Royal Birthday,” Pooh and his friends receive the “most urgent” letter informing them of the Queen’s big birthday. They decide to travel to Buckingham Palace to present the queen with what he calls “a hum.” It goes a little something like this…

The Queen lived in her palace, as Queens often do.
Doing all those busy things that busy Queens do.
But The Queen could never know, as you and I do,
That doing nothing much can be the BEST thing to do.
So from a forest far away, for your special day,
We’re sending you some quiet and a little time to play.

With the hum in tow, the honey pot-loving bear, Christopher Robin, and his woodland friends Eeyore and Piglet, set off for London. They encounter big-city sights in London, including the Tube and Trafalgar Square. And when they get to Buckingham Palace and see the Queen’s Guard, Piglet wonders, “What do you think they keep under their hats, Pooh?”

When they finally meet the Queen, she is with a little boy “much younger than Christopher Robin and almost as bouncy as Tigger.” Can you guess to whom who they were referring? It’s Prince George! The story appropriately ends with Pooh saying, “It must be a very great thing to be 90 years old.”

Written by Jane Riordan, Mark Burgess illustrated, and Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent (Professor Horace Slughorn of Harry Potter and Bridget Jones’ Dad) narrates the audio story.

It’s all perfectly charming—right down to Piglet handing his iconic red balloon to the little Prince.

By Claudia Chung, Assistant Teacher

All Kinds Of Love: Shine’s Picture Book Picks for Valentine’s Day

January 27, 2016/in Celebrate, Guide, Learn, Read/by Shine

At the tender age of four, I fell madly and deeply in love. His big brown eyes made my heart pitter, and his round button nose made it patter. My guy was warm, tender and fuzzy. And yes – he was a stuffed monkey named George. No relation to Curious George.

When George had to take a spin in the washing machine and dry out in the sun, I often sang to him knowing that the process of getting clean was a dizzying ordeal. Love is comforting. When the mischievous boy down the road tried to steal George away, I bit him and ran as fast as I could with George in tow. Love is fearless. And finally, when his plastic eyeballs fell off his face, I stuck them back on with black electrical tape and pretended they were super cool shades for my super cool guy. Love is blind.