If you have little kids and you don't know who Karen Wiechmann is, you need to and here's why.

 Karen is a story teller at the Caille Branch Library in Sioux Falls. Every Wednesday morning she heads up the Branch's "Preschool Storytime" program. Twice, once at 10:05 and again at 10:45, she packs them in. Kids and moms and some dads pack into one of the library's converted meeting rooms and then it begins. Karen lauches into a series of books and she does more than just read the words. She acts out the action. She gives different voices to different characters. She points out odd and unique pictures in the books. She really involves the kids. But that's not all. She also has the kids get up and she does singing exercises with them! She has the kids point to their eyes, ears and noses. It is truly a fun time!

 I was thinking about this as I left this morning's StoryTime with my son, Austin. People come to StoryTime and you can tell they enjoy it but when it's over, they leave. Myself included. It got me thinking if anyone had ever taken the time to thank her directly for what she does. Some storytimes are slow and boring and you get the feeling the person reading the story inherited the job because they pulled the shortest straw or somehow lost a bet. Karen truly enjoys it and it shows because we enjoy it as well. So Karen, thank you for doing the job and doing it well. We can tell you have a true passion and love for kids and for reading!

 So if you're not doing anything next Wedensday morning at 10:05 or 10:45, take your little one to the Caille Branch Library for Karen's Storytime and you'll understand what I mean.

 Quote Of The Day: "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." Sir Richard Steele

 This Day In History: Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, died at Mount McGregor, New York at the age of 63 on this date, July 23rd, 1885.

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