Fairy tales are the topic of children's exhibit coming to Upper Story

For children, fairy tales are fun stories with talking animals, giants and elves. For adults, they can be links to their own childhoods while being recognized as the basis of modern books and movies.

The history, meaning and significance of fairy tales is the subject of the colorful children’s exhibit Once Upon a Time … Exploring the World of Fairy Tales on display from Friday, Sept. 20, to Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020 at the Belt Branch Upper Story.

The exhibit will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. School and group visits can be arranged by calling 816-205-7101.

Visitors will step into seven stories from around the globe, including Anansi and the Talking Melon, Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Thumbelina, the Shoemaker and the Elves, and Lon Po Po. The large-scale settings feature art from children’s books and have interactive components, including computers, costumes to wear, a dinner table with play food and a cobbler’s shop to make shoes.

The traveling exhibit was produced by The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum and the St. Louis Public Library and is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Friends of the Rolling Hills Library provided the funding to bring the exhibit to St. Joseph.

It’s the third large-scale children’s exhibit the library has sponsored in three years in a continued effort to provide a big-city experience for families to enjoy for free.

“We know of parents and caregivers who bring their kids to these exhibits multiple times because they find something different every time,” Library Director Michelle Mears said. “With these exhibits, you can come as many times as you want in the 14 weeks they’re here because it’s free. It’s not like going to Kansas City and seeing something only once because it costs too much to do.”

Newest educational tablets not just for kids

     Earlier this year, the library began checking out computer tablets loaded with children’s educational games. Families could use them at home, on car trips or while waiting at the doctor’s office. Based on the popularity of those LiteracyGo tablets, the library has added 15 new tablets and plans to add 12 more on a quarterly basis. But these tablets aren’t just for kids.

     The new Playaway Launchpads are 7-inch tablets that contain educational games, puzzles and activities for youths and teens and brain games for adults. They cover math, geography, spelling and language skills while also helping stimulate memory and creativity. The tablets come with a charger and cable and have a rubber wrapping that is soft to hold and protects the tablets if dropped. Each one has a different theme and is geared for a certain age group.

     A list of the Launchpads can be found in the library’s online catalog at rhcl.org by selecting the Booklists tab under the What’s Hot heading. Families can have two Launchpads checked out at a time and should ask for them at the Service Desks. The tablets check out for three weeks and are available at the Belt Branch, Savannah Branch and Bookmobile.

     Library Director Michelle Mears said the library purchased the Launchpads because they come in a variety of age ranges, have a wider variety of activities and include popular children’s characters, including My Little Pony, Transformers, Littlest Pet Shop, Berenstain Bears, Caillou, Peanuts and the Smurfs.

     The library’s first LiteracyGo tablets are still available to be checked out.

Free flu shot clinic coming to Belt Branch

The St. Joseph Health Department will have a free, flu-shot clinic for uninsured and under-insured residents from 1-3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, in the Belt Branch Community Room.

The clinic is for adults ages 19 and older who do not have insurance or whose insurance does not cover flu shots. Pregnant women will need to bring a note from their doctor. No appointments are necessary.