Storypalooza Session Descriptions
Ages 3+ (color key=YELLOW)
Different Altogether (Alton Carter, Auditorium)
Our differences make us stronger—especially when we share them with each other. We are all unique individuals whose very differences are actually our super powers. Through simple acts of kindness, Gilbert the Bee and his friends learn their true value of being different altogether.
That is a Hat (Betty Casey, Room 221)
A southwesterly wind blows away a rancher's hat, leaving the ranch animals and their desert friends who find it to wander what it could possibly be. Some are convinced it's just a highfalutin' tumbleweed. Others aren't so sure. Children of all ages will enjoy the many clever uses the animals attribute to the cowboy hat before its puzzled owner finally reclaims it, not quite in its original condition. A Read Across Oklahoma book in 2023.
Ages 5+ (color key=PINK)
Bello the Cello (Dennis Matthew, Auditorium)
What's my song? Will I fit in? These are the questions we find a young Cello named Bello asking himself as he tries to navigate the novelties of his first day at school. When inspiration from the magical sounds of his new classmates mixes with the encouragement and the gentle nudge of other whimsical characters, Bello arrives at the discovery of his gift, the magic of his song. Discover your magic through movement and songs.
Twelve Days of Summer/Autumn/Winter (Thomas Hilley, Upstairs Conference Room)
In this reimagined version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” wildlife is observed during summer. The animals enjoy warmer weather, blooming flowers, and sunny days. Summer is also a busy time for animal parents who are wrangling their little ones. Search for the chipmunk watching other animals enjoying the summer! The illustrator will discuss how to develop an illustration style, creating sketches and working with a publishing team. He will lead participants in a sketch drawing activity. Maybe you can find your own illustration style!
Twelve Days of Spring (Thomas Hilley, Upstairs Conference Room)
Twelve Days of Spring is a brand new release in the Twelve Days series, this time featuring the movements of animals in springtime. How do they know when it is time to build nests or migrate to other parts of the country? Learn how to identify animal tracks you might see when you are walking in nature.
May Finds Her Way (Betty Casey, Room 221)
May is an Iditarod sled dog who sets out with her dogsled team to cover 1,049 miles of trail when a mishap leaves little May lost & alone in the wilds of Alaska. May will have to be brave and remember all she knows to find her way home. This book is inspired a true story. Come learn more about the Iditarod sled dog race and how the author did research to learn about May.Twelve Days of Spring (Thomas Hilley)
Learn how to identify animal tracks you might see when you are walking in nature.
Shelly’s Outdoor Adventure (Kentrell Martin, Room 222)
Shelly's Adventures offers unique and fun-filled educational resources that incorporate American Sign Language (ASL) while telling a story. In "Shelly's Outdoor Adventure", the first title of the 20-book series, Shelly introduces her friends to commonly used signs while exploring the great outdoors. The author will teach you how to sign words for things you see when you are outside in nature!
Shelly Goes to the Zoo (Kentrell Martin, Room 222)
Shelly’s Adventures offers unique and fun-filled educational resources that incorporate American Sign Langauge (ASL) while telling a story. In "Shelly Goes to the Zoo, Shelly and her friends spend a day with animals. While exploring the different exhibits, she teaches them sign language for animals they meet and she shares a few interesting facts. By the end of the book lets see how many signs you have learned, too!
Meatball the Meerkat (Hillery Bruner, Room 226)
Join Meatball the Meerkat as he hilariously explores how children answer the question “what do you want to be?” based on their latest obsession, their biggest hero, or even their last scraped knee. From wanting to be a doctor one day to being a famous gamer the next, Meatball discovers that a child's aspirations are as fluid and fun as their imagination. This delightful picture book challenges the pressure to choose a single, permanent identity, instead celebrating curiosity, flexibility, and the joy of being exactly who you are right now. It’s a fun, engaging, and reassuring story that empowers children to embrace their present selves while dreaming about their endless possibilities. The author will debut a new song featuring Meatball and you will build a set of castanets to play along!
Under the Golden Raintree (Eileen Hobbs, Room 228)
Meet Lily, a young girl in Northern Thailand, who has a disabled hand and is often bullied for it. Everything changes when she mets Rambu, a rare and sacred magical white elephant. Their friendship gives Lily the strength and courage to stand up for herself and to protect Rambu from being taken away. This is an opportunity to learn more about Thai culture and how to say a few words in the Thai language.
Benita & the Night Creatures (Mariana Llanos, Black Box Theater)
On a dark, dark night, Benita is just settling in to enjoy a nice book before bedtime when all of a sudden... Boo! Spooky creatures from Peruvian lore jump keep interrupting her! To the creatures' disbelief, she doesn't look up from her book. Why isn't Benita afraid? Why is she so cranky? And what is this thing called a book? This humorous celebration of bedtime reading puts a global twist on taking the “scary” out of monsters. After learning about Benita and singing her special song, you will make masks to creature your own spooky creature.
Ages 7+ (color key=TURQUOISE)
Prince of the Prairie (Betty Casey, Room 221)
The Great Plains of North America runs from the southern provinces of Canada to northern Mexico. Here the buffalo has long been known as the Prince of the Prairie. But this is a story about a little buffalo who does not know he is a prince and, to make matters worse, is about to lose his home to progress. As people and houses encroach on his home until there is no room for him, Little Buffalo learns one of his best friends has decided to depart for a place where the buffalo still roam and the prairie still stretches as far as the eye can see. Little Buffalo longs to go along, but a fence stands firmly in his way. A great escape is orchestrated, and in the process, Little Buffalo discovers the power of friendship. Learn about the ecosystems of the Tall Grass Prairie and how to draw a bison, a prairie dog and a bird.
Blindcat & Tadpole (Lisa Johansson, Cafeteria)
Blindcat & Tadpole is about the Mexican blindcat, an endemic cave fish with no eyes that lives in the aquifers of Northern Mexico along the Texas border. Did you know that one of the keys to becoming a good reader and writer is being a great observer? Learn to use real components of field guides to sharpen your observation skills & to make your own DIY field guide to take home and practice discovering nature in your own backyard. See other recommended nature related nonfiction picture books and learn how Lisa researches the subjects of her books.
Vampirita (Mariana Llanos, Black Box Theater)
Prepare for a spooktacular adventure with Vampirita, a vampire who finds herself in the sundrenched confines of California! Vampirita and the Angry Mob is a whimsical, heartwarming tale celebrating unexpected friendships, daring adventures, and the search for a sprinkle of spookiness in the most unlikely places!
The Heath Cousins & The Moonstone Cave (Eileen Hobbs, Room 228)
This is book one of the Heath Cousins series. It introduces Addie B. and her cousins Jack, Beanie and Bodie, who stumble upon a mysterious cave which leads to the magical Garden of Choice. They meet Gemma, the “Gatekeeper" who gifts them each a powerful stone. They must use these powers to help each other, overcome difficulties and find their way back home. Create your own necklace with a special stone.
The Girl from Korn (Eileen Hobbs, Room 228)
Eleven year old Tillie immigrated from Russia (now Ukraine) with her Mennonite family to the small town of Corn, Oklahoma in 1903. At that time, Oklahoma was not a state and was known as Indian Territory. Learning a new language, living in a sod house, and adapting to life on the rugged prairie are challenges Tillie must face with help from her family and new friends. Learn more about life in the early 1900’s in Oklahoma. Did you know crayons were invented in 1903?
Ages 9+ (color key=BLUE)
The Boy Who Carried Bricks (Alton Carter, Auditorium)
Abandoned by his father, neglected by his mother, shuttled between foster homes and a boys ranch for most of his childhood, a young man refuses to succumb to the fate that the world says should be his. Early on, Alton decides he wants a "normal life"--even if that means standing up to abusive relatives and being teased by his siblings and cousins. Along the way, he keeps an eye out for those who might help lighten the load, never losing hope that such people exist. Join the author as he discusses his autobiographical book and be inspired to never give up hope while you work toward the life you want to live.
Bulldogger’s Club: The Tale of the Tainted Buffalo Wallow (Barbara Hay, Cafeteria)
The boys get a new member in the Bulldoggers Club, and they take their first road trip only to get stranded in the Oklahoma Panhandle with tornadoes threatening. It will take all the boys' scientific and outdoor know-how to ride out this storm safely in a place that much older and harsher men dubbed “No Man’s Land. Learn how to lasso a roping dummy in case you, too, need to capture a wild horse!
Lessons of the White Eagle (Barbara Hay, Cafeteria) Recommended for older children
All 15-year-old Dusty wanted was to go to his hometown's bash for the 1893 Land Run centennial. Instead, he finds himself a witness to a hate crime, and he's the one driving the getaway car. Now a mystical white eagle has invaded his dreams, making him question everything he thought he knew about Indians and the bonds of childhood friendship. After the white eagle takes Dusty back in time to see the horrors the Ponca people endured on their forced removal from what would become Nebraska to Oklahoma Territory, Dusty must decide whether or not to act on the lesson he has learned from seeing in action one of the first American civil rights activists: the Ponca's own Chief Standing Bear.