Christmas Pyjama Night at Nenagh Library
Christmas at Nenagh Library started earlier than usual this year with our annual Pyjama Night for the little ones on Tuesday, December 3rd.
Clutching their precious gold ticket, they handed it to staff at the door and headed straight for the library’s exhibition room. Bedecked with twinkling lights, our magical snow-covered Christmas tree was guarded by two nutcracker soldiers, and everywhere you looked in the library, the man of the moment, Santa Claus himself, smiled down at you.
Our small visitors were very young and it was a good thing that they were already dressed for bed as the sheer excitement of coming to the library in their jammies for a very special Christmas story time meant that it could easily have become all too much for them. Fortified with our truly scrumptious hot chocolate (John’s super-secret recipe) and the obligatory chocolate chip biccies, they threw themselves down on the floor in front of a blazing fire (yes, dear reader, we had a fire, albeit a virtual one thanks to the wonder of our 65-inch interactive TV) and prepared to listen to their stories.
Alan Durant’s 'Dear Father Christmas' is a perennial favourite and tells the story of Holly, who much to the dismay of Errol the Grumpy elf, won’t write her Christmas wish list to Santa and instead sends letter after letter to him, asking all sorts of questions about himself, his reindeer and the elves.
It turns out that Holly’s wish is a very special one and she is simply too scared to ask for it. However, this is Santa after all and of course he guesses what Holly wants most –to ride with him in his sleigh and help him deliver his presents to all the boys and girls around the world.
The children loved this story and so we chanced a second one, 'This Special Night'. With the most stunningly realistic pictures, it tells the story of the First Christmas from the point of view of the animals who crowded into the stable to witness the birth of a very special child.
It’s a beautiful story, told from the point of view of a very curious kitten and mother cat who are wondering about all the excitement on this night but, really this is a book to be pored over at bedtime. Guaranteed to send them off to sleep with a smile on their face.
Stories over, it was over to staff member Mary McCormack to lead the little ones in song. 'Jingle Bells', 'Frosty the Snowman', 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'... all the old favourites and an especially beautiful rendition of 'Silent Night' before finally finishing off with a rousing version of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas.’
A little goodie bag on the way out brought down the curtain on Pyjama Night for another year.
Staff at Nenagh Library were delighted to see mammies and daddies bringing their children to this event, which is now a family favourite Christmas tradition. We are especially pleased to be supporting 'Family Time at your Library' and will continue with our very special Christmassy storytime for the little ones every Thursday at 11.15am for the next three weeks.
And, not forgetting the older kids and their parents, movie club will be screening 'Christmas with The Kranks' in the library on Friday, December 20th, at 2.30pm. School's out so get the holidays started with this fun family movie.
The Family Time at your Library initiative is part of the national Right to Read programme and is supported by Libraries Ireland. These events aim to support a family-focused approach to reading with children, to increase awareness of the benefits of reading and promote reading as a fun, recreational activity for children.
Happy Christmas to everyone!