While viewing the Cookie Monster clip I found myself compulsively thinking like a librarian doing reader’s advisory.  The Cookie Monster first requests Little Red Riding Hood.   (Ooo… we just bought a classic one illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.)  Then he wants Nursery Rhymes (Richard Scarry’s Best Mother Goose Ever remains one of my favorites…)  Cookie Monster requests a picture book (where do I start?  the newest ones are on display, I would start there).  And then he finally asks for a book ABOUT cookies.  We have two good ones!  One of them is on the 2009 Monarch list (Illinois’ K-3 childrens’ choice award.  Cookies:  Bite-size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a lovely book about much more than cookies.  Mixed into making and eating cookies are vocabulary/life lesson concepts such as respect, trustworthiness, patience, politeness, and loyalty.  “Cooperate means, How about you add the chips while I stir?” 

So I find myself mentally finding books for Cookie Monster with a professional compulsion I cannot deny.  As for “no cookies, just books” that isn’t quite true in our district anymore. 

Our high school librarian cleverly celebrated National Library Week April 13-19 by giving a cookie to any student returning overdue books or paying their fines.  In high school this is always an end of the year nightmare; trying to get inventory done while chasing down students for overdue books and fines before they disappear for the summer or for college!  The cookie idea was a clever and friendly solution!  Of course, in the way of all institutions, the lovely cookie plan was complicated by an administrator who didn’t want cookies in the halls (a couple of bites on the way out of the library and who worries about cookies in the hall?), and the cafeteria didn’t want lunchtime competition.  Our librarian resorted to distributing cookie IOUs and students had to return at the end of the day for their cookie.  But it still was a great idea.  Next year we’ll work on the administrative complications….