Ms. De Lancy Brings Warmth to a Cold Night with Wintry Stories

Posted on Thursday, December 10th, 2020

On Wednesday, December 9, Librarian Dionne De Lancy brought much-needed warmth to a chilly evening by welcoming over 75 members of the Gaynor community into her home (virtually) for milk, cookies, and storytime. 

At 7:00 pm, everyone entered the virtual room. There were children in their bedrooms, on their couches in their pajamas, sitting alone in their living rooms, and with their entire families at the dining room table. Everyone was all smiles waiting for Ms. De Lancy to begin. 

All of the books Ms. De Lancy read focused on the theme of “winter,” especially apt since Wednesday was the first day this year that snow fell over New York City! Everyone snuggled up, and Ms. De Lancy began with “The Mitten,” by Jan Brett. She read aloud, while sharing an animated, digital version of the book on her screen for all to see. Students peered closely at the screen while Ms. De Lancy brought the book to life with her read-aloud.

She followed with the classic, “The Snowy Day,” by Ezra Jack Keats. Everyone was enchanted by the softly floating snowflakes in the digital book. Finally, Ms. De Lancy shared a book that is sure to become a new classic, “The Wish Tree,” by Kyo Maclear. 

While the virtual storytime was geared for younger students, there were viewers of all ages, and everyone was enthralled by Ms. De Lancy’s inspired reading.

On Wednesday, December 16, Ms. De Lancy will hold a second “Milk and Cookies” virtual event, where she will choose books that relate to the winter holidays. Check Gaynor Notes and the Parent Calendar for login information — we hope you will join us!