“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed . . .” A book. A rose. A frog.

The children’s book series by Lucille Colandro is a favorite of Susquehanna Township Ready for School, Ready to Succeed Liaison Andrea Weikert.

It’s one of the books that Library staff read when they hold special Storytime workshops for Ready for School, Ready to Succeed. The kids get a laugh when the old lady burps up everything she ate, while the grownups encourage the children to talk about what they just read.

“The kids are really reading a book, but they’re also learning to have a conversation, so they’re interested and participating and talking,” said Weikert. “It’s promoting that lifelong learning experience and supporting lifelong literacy.”

Through Ready for School, Ready to Succeed, Weikert and her team encourage families to read to their children and instill a love of learning (on Facebook, Ready for School, Ready to Succeed – Susquehanna Township).

Through it all, The Library is a frequent and trusted collaborator.

“The Library has been the perfect community partner,” said Weikert.

How has The Library supported Ready for School, Ready to Succeed?

We hold free kindergarten preparation workshops that help parents learn with their children, and The Library hosts special workshops with Storytimes and tours. We want parents to have a Library card and take advantage of it. We want them to be comfortable and be familiar with The Library. We want them to start promoting early literacy and start reading now because we know the benefits of reading from an early age.

What do the kids do when they’re at The Library?

We had one recent session where they read “Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete.” Pete gets a goldfish, so at the end, we asked the kids, “What do you think this book is about? How do you take care of a goldfish? What do you feed them?” Then we made our own aquariums with pretend goldfish. They absorb everything at this stage. They’re just so cute.

What does The Library mean to the families of Susquehanna Township?

We have such diverse families, and The Library collection has so many different topics and themes. It’s so broad. You can really find anything that would interest you. Plus, The Library works hard to diversify its children’s book collection. Children want to see themselves in those books. They say, “Hey, this child looks like me, and they’re a doctor. I can do that, too.” Books play such a huge role in their lives.

How does the partnership help you amplify your own resources?

It’s the perfect partnership because The Library is a free facility that people should take advantage of. I like going and visiting. This is in our backyard. It is so close to us, and it’s free.