Storytime
Pasadena Public Library offers over 60 storytimes each month! Looking to find a storytime near you? Want to see what storytimes are happening today? Use the Calendar below:
Benefits of Storytime
Storytime has benefits for children and their caregivers!
- It’s a wonderful way to bond with your child
- It exposes children to new words, concepts and ideas.
- It teaches children to pay attention in a group setting.
- It is a wonderful place to make new friends – for children and caregivers.
- Caregivers can learn new songs, rhymes and ways of telling stories
- It’s fun!
Storytime at PPL
Join us for stories, songs, movement and interactive fun -- perfect for building early literacy and motor skills at a developmentally appropriate level. Storytimes range from 20-40 minutes and are followed by an activity. Please make sure to check the online events calendar to verify the time and date of a specific storytime before coming to the library.
Baby Storytimes (0-18 months):
- Allendale Branch Library
- Jefferson Branch Library
- Lamanda Park Branch Library
Toddler Storytimes (18-36 months):
- Hastings Branch Library
- Jefferson Branch Library
- La Pintoresca Branch Library
- Linda Vista Branch Library
- San Rafael Branch Library
- Santa Catalina Branch Library
- Villa Parke Community Center Branch Library
Preschool Storytimes (Ages 3-5):
- Hill Avenue Branch Library
- Lamanda Park Branch Library
Family Storytimes:
- Leeme Un Cuento Spanish Storytime for ages 0-8 • La Pintoresca Branch Library
- Bilingual Spanish Storytime for ages 0-5 • Villa Parke Community Center Branch Library
Saturday Storytimes:
- Saturday Storytimes occur sporadically throughout the month at various locations--visit our Storytime calendar for current Saturday Storytime events and locations
Ready for Storytime
We’ve updated our approach to align with early literacy development. Our new approach:
- Ensures consistent, high-quality programming
- Emphasizes the vital role of adults in supporting early literacy
- Boosts school readiness for young learners
- Creates a more equitable and inclusive storytime experience for families
Super Storytime Tips!
We’re counting on caregivers to be Super Storytime supporters by asking you to help us with these tips:
Silence phones
Give your child (and all our little listeners) the gift of your full attention by turning off or silencing your phone before storytime begins. This helps keep the environment calm and distraction-free.
Keep your child close
Sitting together helps your child feel secure and ready to participate. It also makes it easier to support them if they get excited, wiggly, or need a quick reminder.
Focus on your child and the activities
Your child gets the most out of storytime when you’re fully engaged. Watching and participating in the story, songs, and activities together helps them stay involved. Please save conversations for after—your attention shows your child that this special time is fun and important!
Join in!
Sing the songs, repeat the rhymes, and do the motions along with us. When children see grown-ups joining in, they feel encouraged, confident, and more excited to participate.
Save snacks for later
Keeping snacks tucked away during storytime helps little listeners stay focused and fully engaged. When we pause to enjoy food at the right moment, children learn to eat mindfully and savor the story and their snack!
Okay to step out (and come back!)
Follow your child’s cues – if they need a break, take one. When they’re ready, come right back.
Kids' Blog - Storytime
- Emerald City Adventures
Welcome to the Land of Oz! On April 11th, 2025 the Pasadena Public Library hosted an Emerald City Adventures event at the Villa Parke Community Center. For those with whimsy in their hearts, this free 2-hour event was designed to showcase the Villa Parke Community Center’s tenants as a unified
- Week of the Young Child Kick-off Saturday
At 10am on Saturday, April 6th, The Office of the Young Child, in partnership with the Human Services Commission’s Early Childhood Ad Hoc Committee, hosted a variety of fun-filled activities for kids and their caregivers at Jefferson Branch Library. The spectacular commencement to this year’s ‘Week of the Young Child’
- Snow: Preschool Storytime
We started this storytime talking about the weather. We talked about what the weather was outside today: And then I mentioned that in the storyroom, it was going to be a different type of weather (at least in our imaginations!), because we were reading stories all about snow! Books
- Slow Stories: Preschool Storytime
Today we took things slow in storytime, and read stories about leisurely animals! Books We Shared “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth by Eric Carle Challenged by the other jungle animals for its seemingly lazy ways, a sloth living in a tree explains the many advantages of his slow and peaceful existence. Hi,
- Pets: Preschool Storytime
Books We Shared Excellent Ed by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach Everyone in the Ellis family is excellent at something! But what does dog Ed excel at? Is he excellent enough to be the family pet? (Of course he is! But to find out how, read the book.) I Spy
- Zoo: Preschool Storytime
With storytime today, we took a trip to the zoo! Since it was raining this morning, if we had taken a real trip to the zoo we wouldn’t have seen many animals. But thankfully, in books, the animals are always there! Books We Shared Stripes the Tiger by Jean Leroy & Bérengère Delaporte
Storytime at PPL
Join us for stories, songs, movement and interactive fun -- perfect for building early literacy and motor skills at a developmentally appropriate level. Storytimes range from 20-40 minutes and are followed by an activity. Please make sure to check the online events calendar to verify the time and date of a specific storytime before coming to the library.
Baby Storytimes (0-18 months):
- Allendale Branch Library
- Jefferson Branch Library
- Lamanda Park Branch Library
Toddler Storytimes (18-36 months):
- Hastings Branch Library
- Jefferson Branch Library
- La Pintoresca Branch Library
- Linda Vista Branch Library
- San Rafael Branch Library
- Santa Catalina Branch Library
- Villa Parke Community Center Branch Library
Preschool Storytimes (Ages 3-5):
- Hill Avenue Branch Library
- Lamanda Park Branch Library
Family Storytimes:
- Leeme Un Cuento Spanish Storytime for ages 0-8 • La Pintoresca Branch Library
- Bilingual Spanish Storytime for ages 0-5 • Villa Parke Community Center Branch Library
Saturday Storytimes:
- Saturday Storytimes occur sporadically throughout the month at various locations--visit our Storytime calendar for current Saturday Storytime events and locations
Ready for Storytime
We’ve updated our approach to align with early literacy development. Our new approach:
- Ensures consistent, high-quality programming
- Emphasizes the vital role of adults in supporting early literacy
- Boosts school readiness for young learners
- Creates a more equitable and inclusive storytime experience for families
Super Storytime Tips!
We’re counting on caregivers to be Super Storytime supporters by asking you to help us with these tips:
Silence phones
Give your child (and all our little listeners) the gift of your full attention by turning off or silencing your phone before storytime begins. This helps keep the environment calm and distraction-free.
Keep your child close
Sitting together helps your child feel secure and ready to participate. It also makes it easier to support them if they get excited, wiggly, or need a quick reminder.
Focus on your child and the activities
Your child gets the most out of storytime when you’re fully engaged. Watching and participating in the story, songs, and activities together helps them stay involved. Please save conversations for after—your attention shows your child that this special time is fun and important!
Join in!
Sing the songs, repeat the rhymes, and do the motions along with us. When children see grown-ups joining in, they feel encouraged, confident, and more excited to participate.
Save snacks for later
Keeping snacks tucked away during storytime helps little listeners stay focused and fully engaged. When we pause to enjoy food at the right moment, children learn to eat mindfully and savor the story and their snack!
Okay to step out (and come back!)
Follow your child’s cues – if they need a break, take one. When they’re ready, come right back.
Kids' Blog - Storytime
- Emerald City Adventures
Welcome to the Land of Oz! On April 11th, 2025 the Pasadena Public Library hosted an Emerald City Adventures event at the Villa Parke Community Center. For those with whimsy in their hearts, this free 2-hour event was designed to showcase the Villa Parke Community Center’s tenants as a unified
- Week of the Young Child Kick-off Saturday
At 10am on Saturday, April 6th, The Office of the Young Child, in partnership with the Human Services Commission’s Early Childhood Ad Hoc Committee, hosted a variety of fun-filled activities for kids and their caregivers at Jefferson Branch Library. The spectacular commencement to this year’s ‘Week of the Young Child’
- Snow: Preschool Storytime
We started this storytime talking about the weather. We talked about what the weather was outside today: And then I mentioned that in the storyroom, it was going to be a different type of weather (at least in our imaginations!), because we were reading stories all about snow! Books
- Slow Stories: Preschool Storytime
Today we took things slow in storytime, and read stories about leisurely animals! Books We Shared “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth by Eric Carle Challenged by the other jungle animals for its seemingly lazy ways, a sloth living in a tree explains the many advantages of his slow and peaceful existence. Hi,
- Pets: Preschool Storytime
Books We Shared Excellent Ed by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach Everyone in the Ellis family is excellent at something! But what does dog Ed excel at? Is he excellent enough to be the family pet? (Of course he is! But to find out how, read the book.) I Spy
- Zoo: Preschool Storytime
With storytime today, we took a trip to the zoo! Since it was raining this morning, if we had taken a real trip to the zoo we wouldn’t have seen many animals. But thankfully, in books, the animals are always there! Books We Shared Stripes the Tiger by Jean Leroy & Bérengère Delaporte