The Irvington Public Library held their annual Read and Grow program for children on April 27.
“Every year we do Read and Grow,” said Nnenna Chima, head of children’s services at the library. “It’s spring planting, teaching the children how plants grow.”
The event began with the reading of a story called “The Carrot Seed” by Ruth Krauss. The book was written in 1945 and has been in continuous publication since them. It tells the story about a boy planting a carrot seed, and people including his mother but particularly his older brother, telling him it would never grow.
The boy takes care of the seed and plant and it eventually grows into a carrot that is so big it barely fits into a wheelbarrow.
“The last line is ‘just as the little boy had known it would’,” said Acharchelle Charles, library assistant. “It’s about not giving up.”
“The moral is be patient in everything you do; don’t give up, keep trying until you get the result,” said Chima.
About 30 children participated in the activity that is open to children up to age 12. They were given plastic containers with dirt and seeds to put inside. They were told about regular watering.
Most of the seeds produce a sprout in about seven days.
“We do it every year,” Chima said. “We used to have a bigger crowd before Covid. One year, we had 100 kids.”
The program is popular because many of the children don’t give a lot of thought to where their food comes from, Chima said.
“A lot of children didn’t know where cucumbers came from, other than a store. For them to plant it and grow it that’s the amazing part,” she said. “It’s fun in an urban area, some live in apartments, but you can put it on a balcony and it will grow.”
Next up at the library, on May 22, the Spring Show 2024, an annual event that this year will feature a puppet show, music, games and snacks.
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