Stuffed Animal Sleepover

A stuffed animal sleepover is not an original idea in Libraryland, but it's always adorable and a hit with the kids. This program was totally my programming partner Sara's baby, but she let me co-staff it with her and help take pictures of the animals doing adorable stuff.

If you're not familiar with the idea of this program, here it is: We can't let kids spend the night in the library, but we CAN let their stuffed animals sleep over. So kids dropped off their babies with us on Friday. They gave them a hug and kiss, and filled out an intake form so we would know what their pal likes to eat, read, and watch on TV.

The next morning, Sara and I wheeled a cart full of surprisingly diverse stuffed animals around the library before opening and photographed them getting into mischief of one kind and another.

After taking the pictures, we compiled them into a photo album. When the kids came to pick up their furry friends, they got to decorate the cover of their album and take it home as a reminder of all the fun their animal (or doll or dinosaur or Pokemon) had at their library sleepover!

 In case you can't read the list, here are our sleepover/bedtime book picks:

• Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Robert Shea
• Chester Raccoon and the Almost Perfect Sleepover by Audrey Penn
• Where's my Teddy? by Jez Alborough
• Clark the Shark Afraid of the Dark by Bruce Hale
• Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch
• Twenty Yawns by Jame Smiley
• Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Monica Carnesi
• Sophie Sleeps Over by Marisabina Russo
• Vampirina Ballerina Hosts a Sleepover by Anne Marie Pace
• Who Feels Scared? by Sue Graves
• Sleepover at Grandma's House by Barbara M. Joosse
• Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber