The Falcon's Fables

I am going to the LA County Fair this weekend. I love September when the fair comes around. Not only is it fun to eat the yummy food and shop but I enjoy seeing the animals and arts and craft displays. So I thought I would share some books that would help you prepare for your fair visit or give you some information about the things you see at the fair. Farm animals are a huge part of the fair. I personally could spend all day watching the animals, especially the babies. We have many animal books that are specific to farms. Some simply tell you about cows, ducks, chickens, sheep and horses. Others tell tales of real animal experiences. We have a wonderful series titled Farm Animals that covers all of them. Glancing through the Cattle volume I see that I can read about their history, how they are fed, their life cycle, how to care for them and much more.

We also have a few books that explore the work that farmers do. It is important to remember that our food comes from farms. Farmers also provide many of the supplies we use in our daily lives. One of my favorite non-fiction series in our library is called the Start to Finish Series. The series is for younger readers and it shows them where daily items come from. A great one that ties into the fair is called From Sheep to Sweater. This book tells how a farmer raises a sheep for wool then shears it and sells it for people to make clothing.

Another fun aspect of the fair is the Arts and Crafts display. As a child I used to enter table settings. To this day I enjoy spending time in the children and adults sections looking at photography, art, collections, sewing and cooking. Our library has a few books to inspire you to enter your own arts and crafts next year. The book Made by Me by Jane Bull is full of fun sewing projects that require little or no technical skills. If you really want to go crazy you can check out the book Crafts for Kids Who Are Learning About Farm Animals by Kathy Ross. What better way to enhance your fair experience than by making crafts of farm animals. It's a two for one deal!

I hope if you haven't already you and your family get a chance to explore this years fair. Even if you can't actually attend the fair you can come to the library and learn all about "fair" things and even get a little crafty!