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By Beverly Donner-Williams
   Mrs. Claus is such a sweet, humble lady that loves to serve others in any way that she can. She loves to be around children and that is why she wanted to be a part of Story Hour with Mrs. Claus at the Garfield County Library in Burwell on Dec. 14, 2024. 
   Mrs. Claus made the Christmas stories come alive with her articulation and animated gestures. The children and adults listened intently to the Christmas stories for an hour. The Library staff served hot cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream and hot cider as well as mouthwatering homemade cookies. Because I’ve been eating since Thanksgiving, I couldn’t even squeeze through the kitchen! It was so crowded! All the kids were able to make or take home their own Santa or reindeer craft. 
   They all gave Mrs. Claus a big hug and smile as they received a Christmas book while the parents scrambled about to make sure they had their coats, hats and belongings. 
   “I love to read books to children. It is so important to start reading to them at an early age. When I was a child, I remember how my mother would read to us. She would not just read the story, but would let the words read the story. We would actually become a part of the tale,” Mrs. Claus explained. "I was a teacher’s aide for 24 years in a country school and my goal was to get the kids to read well because it is so important for their future.”
   The children loved Mrs. Claus; she is so adamant on the need to begin reading to children at a young age and encourage them to read through high school. Reading to young children is proven to improve cognitive skills which are the basis of thought processes, including problem solving, decision making and recall.
   Reading to children daily during infancy can help with communications, language acquisition, literacy and socials skills. Furthermore, the auditory effect of the language in books is much different than normal language used on a daily basis. The books tend to be more descriptive, as well as contain more of a formal grammatical structure.
   As a parent, one can never seem to spend enough time with their children. Reading books to your children causes a special bond, a connection between the two of you that you can never regain as they become adults. Encouraging positive growth and development enhances the child’s sense of love, intimacy and trust, as well as creating a positive parent-child relationship. 
   Studies have proven that reading to children before preschool, gives them an advantage as they enter into their formal education. 
   The Story Hour with Mrs. Claus, sponsored by Burwell Dental Clinic, was a success, even without the jolly “HO, HO, HO.” The event introduced the fun and necessity of reading books to the children. 
   The director of the library, Kathy Brownell stated, “We had at least 30 children in attendance for this delightful program. It is the largest group that has ever attended. We had such an incredible morning!”
  Thank you Mrs. Claus. We all hope that you will return next year.