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By Natalie McClane, KSDE early childhood team
Kansas Reads to Preschoolers is an annual event, since 2005, that promotes reading to all Kansas children from birth through age five in the month of November. Through the statewide program, parents, librarians, teachers and caregivers are encouraged to read the chosen title during a selected week and month.
A committee of librarians, library consultants and childcare professionals identify picture book titles well-suited to story time and children’s programs. The State Librarian reviews the committee’s three suggested titles then makes the final selection of one book to feature during the month of November.
This year’s selection for Kansas Reads to Preschoolers is “Little Nita’s BIG Idea” by Anna W. Bardaus and illustrated by Carolina Farias.
You’ll meet Little Nita who has a BIG and delicious idea to serve her community. To make her idea a reality, she invites her neighbors to help, and the fun begins. "Reading with children fosters more than just bonding among readers; it builds language, social-emotional skills, imagination and world awareness,” said Deputy State Librarian and Center for the Book Coordinator Valarie Lamoreaux. “The State Library of Kansas supports parents, educators, librarians — everyone who reads books with children.”
Earlier this year, the State Library of Kansas offered each public library across the state a free copy of “Little Nita’s BIG Idea” so libraries could add the title to their collections and use it throughout November.
Kansas Reads to Preschoolers encourages reading to all children from birth to age five. It is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book, a program of the State Library of Kansas. The Kansas Center for the Book selects a committee of librarians and educators to identify picture books suited to reading aloud and then suggests titles to State Librarian Ray C. Walling, who makes the final selection.
Visit your local public library to check out “Little Nita’s BIG Idea” and other great picture books to read with the young children in your life. Find activities to accompany this book and learn more at https://library.ks.gov/librarians/prek.
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