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Wonders to be found at the library |
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Written by Sonya Zaragoza | Home in Patterson
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Wednesday, 12 November 2008 |
 Sonya Zaragoza / Home in Patterson
As I walked down the aisles, a little girl sitting comfortably on the floor caught my eye. I watched as she slid her little finger along each word and softly spoke words that seemed to best emulate the picture on the page.
This reminded me of a childhood memory in Mayfield, Ky. I remember my mother telling me we were going to the library. I can remember the excitement as we strolled along the long sidewalk lined with huge, beautiful trees.
The library looked like an old mansion similar to those in the 1939 film “Gone With the Wind.” The house was white, with huge windows and long, white columns that seemed to go on forever. There was a huge staircase that led up to a long, wide porch.
I remember looking up at my mother’s long, shiny black hair and white sundress and feeling proud that she was my mother. It is the only memory I have of just the two of us going somewhere. I believe this was due to the fact that my brother and sister were in school, I was 4 years old, and my little sister was not yet born. It was a special day!
A woman who wore a beautiful smile greeted us. I remember the feeling of comfort as she looked down and smiled at me. As we walked in, I loved the way my white patent shoes sounded on the old wood floors.
I still remember the smell of that library — it was nostalgic. I believe it was a mixture of glue and paper. The middle of the wood floor buckled, while the edges were lower than the center of the room. I remember wanting to run all over and listen to my shoes bang on the creaking floor, but even a 4-year-old can sense the respect a library deserves.
I stood big-eyed, looking at rows and rows of books, up and down as far as I could see. In my memory, the bookshelves looked as tall as the columns on the porch. They seemed untouchable to a 4-year-old.
My next memory is of kneeling down in the children’s section. I was immediately attracted to a row of little books lined up on the shelf. They were hardbound and had emerald green covers and were small — they were perfect for my tiny hands.
As I thumbed through the books, I mostly saw black and white words with pictures of rabbits. These pictures had no color, but I was still intrigued. I loved the way the pages felt on my fingers. They were shiny and glossy.
I do remember my mother asking me several times if I was sure these were the books I really wanted to choose. I remember her saying, “You can’t read them, and the pictures are not colorful.” I still wanted them and loved the way they felt in my hands.
I was determined to take three Peter Rabbit books by Beatrix Potter home with me, and I did!
I also remember the feeling I had carrying the books out of the library. I just knew at any minute, someone was going to tell me to bring them back. I clutched them tightly underneath my arm. I wondered, were they really mine to take home? I couldn’t stop smiling as I walked home, listening to my shoes beat a tune of happiness on the sidewalk. I felt as though I had a treasure.
Early literacy for children can began at infancy, as they learn how to hold a book and turn pages. The synapses in their brains begin to create new pathways as they listen to their caregiver’s voices and their tiny eyes search the pictures.
I am 37 years old, and I still remember my first trip to the library. Going to the library can be an exciting adventure, no matter what age you are. When you open a book, you can leave the humdrum way of life behind and step into an old West town, pick up your long burgundy Bo Peep dress off the creaking wood porch, go into a saloon and order a sarsaparilla.
It is a gift that doesn’t cost — it only gives. When children open a book, they can become, imagine and dream. They just might even feel special as they find a book that’s just their size.
Sonya Zaragoza is a local mother and preschool teacher. She can be reached at
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Hopie g.