County Library Fun Themes Include Llamas, Puppets

Next week, a llama will visit the Argonne Library, and a little puppet named Thomas will make his first trip to the Valley and Otis Orchards libraries.

The guest apparances are part of the Spokane County Library’s “Everybody Reads” summer program. Each week, guests or activities are planned at all three Valley branches. The programs are free and meant for children of all ages.

At each of the special events, librarians encourage the children to check out books connected with the theme. Children who sign up for Everybody Reads also are encouraged to keep track of the number of minutes they read. Each library branch will keep track of minutes reported, and will create a display showing the totals.

“We’re going to build a stack of books,” said Argonne children’s librarian Pat Stainbrook, with each book representing a certain number of minutes.

Also, teens who read books in Everybody Reads can “earn” books to be donated in their name to Crosswalk or Success by Six, said Eva Lusk, youth services coordinator. The Spokane Federal Credit Union is sponsoring this particular program.

The county library summer reading program has been going for something like 20 years, Stainbrook estimated. Some of this summer’s guests have visited before.

The llama, for instance, was at libraries last summer.

“They swear the llama is library-trained,” Stainbrook said. “Everybody really enjoyed them last year.”

Llama breeder Amy Logan said that children will learn about where llamas come from, what they’re used for, and other llama facts - like, whether it’s true that llamas spit.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about spitting. They do spit, but at each other, not at people,” Logan said. Library appearances are good for her llamas, giving them experience with children.

As for housetraining, it turns out that llamas are naturally neat.

“For our public-relations llamas, we just take a coffee can of poop along, and that’s where they go,” Logan said.

Next week at Valley and Otis, husband and wife puppeteers Eric and Kate Meisfjord of the Pipkin Family Puppet Theater will put on “Boy Meets Library,” a puppet show with something for everyone to laugh about.

Thomas, the puppet boy who has never visited a library before, meets several wacky characters, including the Big Bad Wolf who is searching for recipes and a dinosaur who wants a movie to borrow.

One challenge in creating a puppet show is making it fun for the younger and older spectators, alike.

“What my 5-year-old enjoys, my 9-year-old doesn’t,” said Kate Meisfjord. “She laughs riotously over things he groans about. And my 2-year-old just says ‘Puppets, puppets!’ So like a pizza, we throw on something for everyone. But not too much of the spicy stuff.”

July activities for Everybody Reads include hula dancing lessons, complete with native costumes and traditional instruments from Hawaii; knights in armor from the Society for Creative Anachronism; a craft session making space alien creatures; cartoonist Tom Quinn and more.

Schedules of the guest appearances vary from branch to branch. Families can pick up free calendars at the library closest to them. Activities at the Valley branch are usually crowded, so free tickets are available the week before each appearance.

“If it matters to you which show you actually get to see, it’s a good idea to pick up tickets,” said Susan Creed, Valley children’s librarian.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: LIBRARY ACTIVITIES Here is the schedule for the coming week’s special guests at the Valley library branches. Valley Library: Pipkin Family Puppet Theater, 7 p.m. Tuesday, and 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday. Argonne Library: Llamas with Amy Logan, 1 p.m., Thursday. Otis Orchards: Pipkin Family Puppet Theater, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Wednesday. The libraries also offer children’s storytimes.