Birthday at the Library

September, 2005

Birthday at the Library

In 2000, my birthday fell on a Friday. Usually I presented a storytime on Fridays at the library. Anywhere from 50-80 preschoolers and mothers (and sometimes fathers) crowded each week into the small picture book area at the Willow Glen Library for 30 minutes of stories, songs, and fingerplays. I’ve heard of people taking their birthday off and celebrating away from work. My husband was working so we wouldn’t be doing anything during the day together. I could take the day off and sit at home by myself. That didn’t sound like much fun.

Then I realized I was going at it with the wrong attitude. Instead of thinking, “I have to do storytime on my birthday,” I could say, “I get to do storytime on my birthday.” I decided to make a party of it.

For about two weeks before the day, I grabbed picture books about birthdays as I saw them and threw them on the counter in the office. I selected ones that were short with large pictures and didn’t emphasize getting presents. Two days before the storytime I looked to see the three books I had collected. All were titled “It’s My Birthday.”

On Thursday I picked up two cakes, a chocolate and a carrot cake, along with three kinds of ice cream. I gathered all the ice cream scoops I could find and asked for volunteers on the staff. With a tablecloth, birthday plates, napkins, and spoons, I was ready.

Friday morning I instructed my volunteers on the plan. We set up a table in the patio and put everything else on a book cart. They were to wheel the book cart into the patio and set up while I was doing storytime.

People with their preschoolers gathered and settled in their places by 10:30 a.m. I sat in my usual spot in front of the fireplace. I started with the ABC song and some fingerplays. My first book was Ask Mr. Bear, a book by Flack in which a boy asked the animals what he should give his mother for her birthday. Mr. Bear suggested a bear hug, the perfect gift.

After more songs, I started the second book, It’s MY Birthday by Hutchins. In it, Billy was reluctant to let the other monsters play with his birthday presents until he realized it was more fun to share.

A few more songs later and I pulled out the next book, It’s My Birthday by Watanabe. On Bear’s fourth birthday, his family pulled out a photo album commemorating his birth, his life as a baby, and all his past birthdays. As I started the story, I could see mothers giving each other a “look.”

I had the children stand up and do stretching and wiggling songs before the final book, It’s My Birthday by Oxenbury. In the book, the birthday child’s animal friends brought ingredients and helped make a birthday cake. I could see the mothers whispering to each other. At the end of the book, I thanked them for coming and then announced they were invited to my birthday party in the patio! Cake and ice cream for everyone!

What a satisfying birthday I had. It was much more fun than sitting at home by myself. How often can you have a birthday celebrated by 50-80 children who hang on to every word you say and then enjoy cake and ice cream with you? I can’t wait until my birthday falls on a Friday again.