Finding Books And Beyond At Osolo Branch

By: Krystal Keagle

For my 2.5-year-old daughter Maya, going to the Osolo branch of the Elkhart Public Library is one of the most magical ways to spend an afternoon.

Who needs Disney World when the library is just a short drive away?

Maya and I are visiting every EPL branch over the next several weeks as part of our journey to read 1,000 books before Maya heads to kindergarten. Osolo branch is located next to Walker Park on the east side of Elkhart. This summer, we spent many days playing on the playground at the park and then having fun at the library to cool off, and sometimes vice versa.

Maya is so familiar with it now that she calls Osolo branch “Maya’s library.” When she sees it, she points and says, “Look, it’s Maya’s library! Let’s go!”

When you walk in, there is a seating area in the main lobby. To the right, you can find non-fiction books, work areas and private meeting rooms recently named after Max and Elizabeth Walker (who donated the land for Walker Park) and local educator Levar Johnson. To the left, you’ll find another seating area and fiction bookshelves, and beyond that, the children’s section.

I like that the children’s section at Osolo branch is a little further away from the rest of the library, so kids can be free to play, talk and sing.

That is precisely what Maya does at the library.

She especially loves playing with the puppets and stuffed animals. Maya’s favorite is the oversized teddy bear. It’s bigger than she is, but that doesn’t stop her from picking it up and carrying it around the library. Sometimes, she puts it on a chair so she can sit next to it to snuggle. She also just loves to lay on it while looking at books or playing with another stuffy.

Maya also always makes a point to spend time at the coloring station. It’s fun to see the different coloring sheets that are put out. She also loves all the different puzzles that Osolo has for toddlers. She loves the ones with animals and a puzzle with locks and latches on it.

The LEGO Duplo table is Maya’s absolute favorite toy at the library.  When we visited the Cleveland branch previously, she loved getting to build cars and towers. The Osolo branch has different Duplo sets, so you get a variety of experiences between branches. There are some Disney character sets, as well as sets with a yellow submarine and construction trucks, which fuels Maya’s interest in vehicles.

Speaking of vehicles, we recently found a new book at Osolo branch that is expanding our family’s daily soundtrack: “Car, Car, Truck, Jeep.” You can sing the book to the tune of “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” and it explores different vehicles, including motorcycles, trains and helicopters. It’s a fun song, even for me as a parent.  

We’ve been singing “Baby Beluga” by Raffi several times a day since we borrowed that book from the downtown library earlier this summer. Now we sing  “Car, Car, Truck, Jeep” just as often.

I found a song recording of the book on Apple Music by a band called Cool Dad and the 401Ks, and it’s the song Maya requests the most when we’re driving in the car. (It’s also available on Spotify!)

Maya loves music and books, and both are great for her language development. Our family and friends have commented often about how well Maya talks for her age. I think a lot of it is because we spend time reading books and singing songs every day.

Even though we’re just over 200 books into our journey to 1,000 books, there are many books we’ve read dozens of times. The repetitive exposure to words and story arcs teaches Maya about sentence structure and storytelling.

Lately, when we’re watching a TV show or movie, Maya points out different activities that the characters are doing or how they’re feeling during a scene. She has her character toys and stuffed animals have conversations with each other. Language skills are also important for emotional and social development. Being able to communicate effectively helps build confidence and strong relationships.

That’s one of the other reasons why, as a parent, I love the LEGO Duplo table at the Osolo branch. There are often other kids playing there too, so Maya spends time interacting with new people in a safe place. She traded slides and blocks with an older kid during one recent visit, and built towers alongside another toddler on a different visit. She’s gaining invaluable skills and has incredible fun while doing it.

I know that we’ll be visiting Osolo branch often this winter, even (and especially) on days when it’s too cold to play at the new Walker Park playground. I’m excited to explore the other Elkhart Public Library branches over the next several weeks, but we’ll always come back to Osolo. After all, it is “Maya’s library.”

We’ve been to Downtown, Cleveland and Osolo branches. What library branch should Maya and I visit next? Tell us about it in the comments on the Elkhart Public Library’s Facebook page.