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Hear a story or poem any time, day or night!
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You can hear a story or a poem any time with our Library on Call service! We offer stories and poems for children and young adults in English and many other languages.
You can call at any hour, day or night. Stories and poems are selected and voiced by librarians from all over Brooklyn who specialize in children’s literature, outreach and adult services, school outreach and business and career programs.
We believe in the power of stories to create space for reflection and joy—try Library on Call (718.230.2283) today!
Brooklyn Public Library Presents Bedtime Stories with Friends
From August 16 to August 20, a few of our musical friends will be on the line to read to young children and those young at heart. Brooklynites contacting our Library on Call service will hear the voices of some of the borough's most talented residents, featuring Patty Smyth, Rhonda Ross, Lauren Monroe, Sophie Auster and January Jane with a special edition of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Schedule
August 16
Patty Smyth reading The Tale of the Mandarin Duck: A Modern Fable by Bette Midler.
Patty Smyth is a Grammy- and Academy Award-nominated singer songwriter. With her band Scandal in the early 1980s, Smyth created hits such as “Goodbye To You,” “Love’s Got a Line on You” and “The Warrior,” a Top 10 smash hit that also topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. A pair of solo albums followed with more hits, including “Never Enough” and “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,” a duet with Don Henley that vaulted Smyth to the top of the Adult Contemporary charts, and to No. 1 in Canada. A new album titled It's About Time, her first in decades, features six original songs.
August 17
Rhonda Ross, with her 11-year-old son Raif-Henok, reading Sing to the Moon by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl.
Rhonda Ross is a singer, songwriter, director and Emmy-nominated actress for her portrayal of “Toni Burrell” on the soap opera Another World. She headlined one of President Obama’s second Inaugural Balls and has performed to standing ovations and rave reviews at The Hollywood Bowl, The Montreal International Jazz Festival, Wolf Trap, and The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The only child of Diana Ross and Motown Founder Berry Gordy, Ross continues her parents’ legacy, using music to inspire and uplift.
August 18
Sophie Auster, reading "How to Tell A True Princess" from The Yellow Fairy Book edited by Andrew Lang.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, award-winning singer songwriter Sophie Auster has been described as embodying the very sound of New York. Her latest release, History Happens at Night, via BMG, features the singles "If I Could" and "Leave the Door Open." Auster’s music is replete with fantasy and escapism, a sonic fusion of bluesy folk-pop with cabaret dramatics reminiscent of Lana Del Rey and Sara Bareilles. T Style called her "sultry and folksy,” with “soul-(and teeth-) baring lyrics…that’s drawn comparisons to Fiona Apple and Gillian Welch.” Elle Magazine dubbed her “Auster on Fire.”
August 19
Lauren Monroe reading The Adventures of Josie Stardust by Lauren Monroe.
Lauren Monroe is an accomplished musician, healer, author and speaker. As a globally recognized advocate for mental health awareness, PTSD therapies, suicide prevention and crises healing, these themes are echoed in her music, which have been featured in a global streaming benefit concert, New York Fashion Week Runway, and several award- winning independent films such as Wild Horses and Renegades, Spirit Riders and Horse Medicine. During the pandemic, Monroe organized Big Love concerts to raise money for musicians in need. The Adventures of Josie Stardust, a children’s series, is named after her daughter and features stories of healing and empowerment.
August 20
January Jane singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
New York-based January Jane is an alternative pop trio. Their latest EP is an ode to New York City. “We hung out the windows with microphones to capture the actual sound of the city. New York City is literally in the music,” they told Young Folks. Known for their 80s-influenced modern pop music, they created an extraordinary version of the lullaby "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" for Brooklyn Public Library that will delight parents and children alike.