Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday With a Patriotic Read!
On Saturday, July 4th, 2026 the United States of America will be celebrating it's 250th Birthday. As our country celebrates this monumental Birthday it's important to look back at the…
Picture Books That Spark Joy
Sometimes, we all need a quick shot of pure fun! Here are some picture books guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan -…
10 Cute Picture Books that I’ve Read This Year
Let's get this out of the way first...I'm an adult who reads a lot of picture books. I genuinely enjoy stories that are told through a combination of words and…
Medium Monday: Digital Art
What is Digital Art? Digital art is an image that is created using a digital device like a computer, phone, or tablet. All the other media in this blog series…
Medium Monday: Gouache
What is Gouache? Gouache is the only medium in this series that I have not personally worked with. It is pigment with a water soluble binding agent, just like watercolor,…
Medium Monday: Pastel
What is Pastel? No, not the pale color schemes you see in the spring! Pastels, the art medium, are similar to chalk. Pigmented powder and a touch of a binding…
Creepy Classroom: A Teacher Creature Feature
When I was a kid, I was a real scaredy-cat. Which is ironic, since today, I'm the founder and Hostess of the library's Horror Film Club. But, young Erin really…
July Author Talks!
Every month, you can check out awesome author talks at your library! Thanks to our partnership with the Library Speaker's Consortium, readers of all ages can attend live webinars with…
Medium Monday: Pen & Ink
What is Pen & Ink? "Pen & Ink" is a common way to refer to the field of ink drawing, especially when using a dip or fountain pen. Ink is…
Medium Monday: 3D and Unusual Media
What is 3D and Unusual Media? 3D art is anything that isn't flat. This includes traditional sculpture (like clay or stone), as well as diorama-style setups, knitting and sewing, and…
My Favorite Books Ever
First, foremost, and forever, my answer is The Mysterious Benedict Society. When I first read this, I was just at the age where I started to notice how carelessly written some…
Medium Monday: Oil Paint
What Is Oil Paint? Oil paint is simply pigment mixed into an oil medium, often linseed oil. Most famous artists of history used oil paint. Oil paint is similar to…
John Cena Did WHAT? Celebrities, Picture Books and the Keys to Success
Do you know who John Cena is? Of course you do. He's the guy from the memes. Also a wrestler. Also an actor. Also... a picture book author? In 2018,…
Medium Monday: Charcoal and Graphite
What is Charcoal? What is Graphite? Charcoal and graphite are both made of carbon, but the element is structured differently for each. This means that graphite and charcoal have different…
Cat’s Picks! Celebrate Lunar New Year with Picture Books!
February 10th is the beginning of a week-long celebration—the Lunar New Year! Also known as the Spring Festival, this annual holiday ends with a bang on Lantern Day (literally, with…
Medium Monday: Papercraft
What Is Papercraft? Papercraft, broadly speaking, is a work of art that is created out of paper. The interesting thing about papercraft is its variety of forms. There is the…
Cat’s Picks! Cozy Holiday Books for Families!
Whether your household celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the Winter Solstice, Westlake Porter Public Library has an abundance of picture books for all of the winter holidays. Click on the…
No Bones About It! Five Skull and Skeleton Books
I have a skull sitting on my desk at home. Not only does it look really cool, but it makes me feel like the writer of some sort of dark…
Medium Monday: Printmaking
What Is Printmaking? E. B. Goodale uses monotype prints in The Moon Remembers Printmaking is actually an umbrella term for several different methods. At the most basic level, it is…
Medium Monday: Colored Pencil
What Is Colored Pencil? Colored pencils are just what they sound like. A thin outer layer of wood makes a stylus with a pigmented core that leaves a mark when…
Medium Monday: Watercolor
What Is Watercolor? Watercolor paint usually comes as a solid cake or a tube of gel. Both substances are a highly concentrated pigment, meant to be diluted with water. The…
An Illustration Celebration!
We all know the saying: picture is worth a thousand words. But do we really need to pit them against each other? Art and language have long been partners in…
Please Don’t Eat Me! Stories of Friendship and Food
Oh no! Looks like someone's about to become lunch! In these silly stories, you'll find plenty of hungry predators looking for a bite to eat. But, when your favorite foods…
Delicious Tales of Hungry Monsters
The picture books on this list all have one thing in common: there is a hungry monster looking for some sort of delicious, crunchable snack! Whether it's a tasty child…