Our Little Library Opens Doors to Parents and Children

When problems and obstacles arise, parents tend to try solving them with books. As a mother myself, I read books to get guidance for many things, from potty training to moving home and biting others. Reading stories for kids can be helpful to explain a lots of life events. But what to do with the books when the problem is solved?

Like other parents, Aldith Gauci, who’s a mother of two, former theater performer, and drama teacher, turns to books when something important or challenging happens in her children’s lives. She loves planning activities and telling stories to her children. Lucky for us parents, Gauci has a great idea to recycle books.

Gauci will be opening Our Little Library at her home in Sanlitun on February 7. Gauci says Our Little Library will provide themed story times for babies and toddlers at two different times a week, as well as activities for both kids and their guardians and a time to browse and borrow books.

Gauci has a passion that is tangible as she speaks about books. She told me that “books are meant to be a toy in and of itself, and also an experience. Some books are so lovely that I stop and interact at every page.”

Baby Story Time, suitable for babies between 6 and 18 months old, will be held Tuesdays from 10 to 11.30 AM. The first session will be on February 7.

Little Hands for toddlers ages 2 to 3 will be done Thursdays from 10 to 11.30 AM, with the first session starting on February 9.

Sessions for this month will be free, and after that they will cost RMB 100 that covers all the arts and crafts materials and resources for the kids-and-guardians activities.

As the groups will be personal and cozy, registration is needed before coming. Extract the QR code to be added to the WeChat group. The address will be disclosed upon signing up and joining the exclusive group.

Our Little Library is for kids and their English-speaking guardians. Ayis are welcome if they speak and understand English.

Read more about other storytellers in Beijing here and here.

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of 2016. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.