22 SPRING 2019 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
If you’ve taken little ones to story hour at the Library any time over the past
22 years, you are well-acquainted with Nicki Petrone’s magical ability to captivate
toddlers’ attention. She and her trusty sidekick, a bunny puppet named Snowball,
entertain young audiences and their adult companions at the Library’s popular
Nestlings and Fledglings story hours on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Petrone joined the Library in 1997 as children’s services associate, with a BFA from the
University of Dayton. She is an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction who delights in
recommending books to readers of all ages.
What you might not know is that Petrone is also the creative force behind many of the
unique and engaging displays in the Children’s Rooms. She continually re-imagines these areas to
capture the interest of visitors and draw in readers of all ages.
Says Petrone, “I love connecting children with stories and songs and information, and the
endless possibilities of their imaginations.”
In Petrone’s hands, two-liter plastic bottles, aluminum foil, paper,
and glue morph into giant, colorful paint tubes. A pool noodle and silk
flowers become a beautiful archway. A painted curtain comes to life as a
vibrant street café. She brings it all together using little more than recycled
materials, a dash of whimsy, and her masterful imagination.
Says Margaret Simon, public relations manager for the Library,
“Children’s staff strive to get kids excited about reading all year long, but
special energy goes into designing summer reading programs so students
don’t lose the skills their teachers have fostered during the school year.”
Each year, the Library chooses a summer reading program with displays,
books, and special events centered on a particular theme. This is where
Petrone’s skills really shine.
In particular, Petrone understands the special connection between
young readers and animals. Some of her most popular summer reading
displays have invited little ones to peer into a tiny burrow to see animals
reading, to dive undersea with fish and coral, or get up close to lifelike, threedimensional
animals from an African savannah. The displays are always
artfully combined with colorful book covers that beckon readers to immerse
themselves in related stories.
“I love to work with Nicki,” says Simon. “No matter what outlandish
idea you suggest, she comes up with some amazing creations. Plus, she is
unflappable. I suppose that’s because she can do just about anything.”
Simon recalls the time she suggested that Petrone create a tree with a
hollow, where they could place little trinkets like the kind Boo Radley leaves
for Scout and Jem in Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. The Library
was participating in a countywide reading initiative of the book, and Simon
envisioned using the hollow as a place to put bookmarks and pins advertising
the program.
The tree Petrone created out of papier-mâché has
become a beloved fixture, repurposed many times
over – most recently as part of the winter display at
the Main Library.
This summer, the Library joins the
Collaborative Summer Library Program, a consortium of states
working to provide high-quality summer reading program materials
for public libraries at the lowest possible cost. The 2019 summer
reading theme is A Universe of Stories – and Nicki Petrone will
be the Master of the Universe, at least when it comes to luring
young readers.
“I think we are going to transport kids into outer
space this summer,” says Petrone. “I’m picturing stars and
planets and spaceships. It’s going to be out of this world!”
Be sure to bring your young readers to the Library
to launch their love of reading this summer, and all
year ‘round. SL
@ Shaker Library
Spotlight on
Nicki Petrone,
Children’s
Services
Associate
By Jennifer Proe
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