Meet The Curator (Q&A) - Spring 2021

Hello friends! My name is Haven Wright and I will be selecting the books for Story Time this Spring (January-May). I am so excited to help bring these books to life for you and your families. I previously worked on Story Time with the Creative Discovery Museum and now I'm a team member with Head Start! You may have some questions for me so I am going to answer them here and let you know a little about my selection process.

1. How do you decide which books to select?

I spend several hours each month researching books related to socioemotional growth, that teach a lesson I feel is important, or are good conversation starters with children for complicated issues. Diversity and inclusivity are also very important to both me and Head Start, so I try and select books with a variety of characters, cultures, and subject matter. I also do my best to extend this diversity and inclusion beyond the page and take it into consideration when looking at the authors of these books.

2. When will new stories and activities be available?

Three new stories and activities are available on the first day of each month so make sure and check back here once a month to see what I have prepared!

3. What ages is Story Time appropriate for?

Generally, the activities are made with Head Start aged kids in mind, but I try to include ideas for older children as well when the opportunity presents itself.

4. How can I gain access to these stories if I do not already own them?

Our selections are always available for free through the Illinois Heartland Library System and each Activity Sheet includes a link to a YouTube video where the stories are read aloud. You can contact your local library for inquiries related to signing up for a library card. Through this system, if a book you are interested in is not available at your local library, it can be requested from other participating branches and delivered to your library.

5. I am interested in showing you our completed Story Time project, how do I send it to you?

You can contact us at artandmesiue@gmail.com, please include the name of the Story Time or Activity when submitting your work. We look forward to seeing it!

6. If I send you a picture of our project what happens to it?

If you submit your work to us it is with the understanding that you've given permission for the work to be shared. This is outlined on the bottom of each Activity Sheet. The work could end up on our Gallery page or on our other social medias for promotion.

7. Can I suggest a book for Story Time?

Sure! I love learning about new books I may not have stumbled upon myself. You can visit our Contact page to submit your idea(s). The official selections are still up to the Curator's discretion however, there is no guarantee it will be chosen.

8. What is your favorite Children's Book?

That is hard! When I was little I remember my Mom reading The Little House (Virginia Lee Burton), Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister), Stelaluna (Janell Cannon), Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown), and anything by Little Golden Books. As an adult, I really love Ruby Finds a Worry (Tom Percival) which will be making an appearance in one of the upcoming months' Story Times so stay tuned!