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Check It Out
Find a listing of the latest arrivals of books, audio and video items at the Wauwatosa Library, as well as information on upcoming events and staff suggestions for timely information you can use every day on the library’s blog.
By Wauwatosa Public Library
Friday, Jul 3 2009, 09:13 AM
 The Wauwatosa Beautification Committee is a volunteer organization dedicated to preserving and improving the beauty of our neighborhoods by planting and maintaining gardens throughout Wauwatosa.
The garden beds you see around the “Welcome to Wauwatosa” signs, in the boulevards and around other public spaces in Wauwatosa are the work of the Committee and the Committee’s volunteer gardeners, the“Gardening Angels”. The beds around the Library/City Hall entrance and throughout the parking lot are full of flowering trees, shrubs, irises, lilies and other lovely plants. These gardens beautify the area and brighten the day of the employees and visitors to the Library and City Hall. The WBC also encourages and recognizes Wauwatosa residents and business owners that contribute to the beauty of our neighborhoods by annually presenting the “Yard of Distinction” award to homes and businesses in Wauwatosa.
The Wauwatosa Beautification Committee is not funded by any government agency, it depends on funds raised through its annual garden tour and support from individuals. The 15th annual Secret Gardens of Wauwatosa Tour is July 11, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will start at the Kneeland-Walker House (7406 Hillcrest Drive) and include seven Wauwatosa gardens. Master gardeners will be present to answer questions and plant societies will sell plants and garden-related items. Tickets are $10 in advance at some local businesses and $12 on the day of the tour. Call 258-9014 for more information.
Support the Wauwatosa Beautification Committee and the work it does and have an enchanting day in the secret gardens of Wauwatosa.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Friday, Jul 3 2009, 09:09 AM
Books
 Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the
Longest by Dan Buettner
Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hellbending, Celebrating America the Way It’s Supposed to Be-With an Oil Well in Every Backyard, a Cadillac Escalade in Every Carport, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank Mowing Our Lawn by P.J. O’Rourke
Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live by Sarah Susanka
Purpose of Boys: Helping Our Sons Find Meaning, Significance, and Direction in Their Lives by Michael Gurian
Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock ‘N’ Roll Pioneers by John Broven
Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Smart Policies for Workplace Technologies: Emails, Blogs, Cell Phones & More by Lisa Guerin
Street Fighters: the Last 72 Hours of Bear Stearns, the Toughest Firm on Wall Street by Kate Kelly
Why We Make Mistakes: How We Look Without Seeing, Forget Things in Seconds, and Are All Pretty Sure We Are Way Above Average by Joseph T. Hallinan
Audiobooks on CD
 Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
Fugitive by Phillip Margolin
Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears
Summer World: A Season of Bounty by Bernd Heinrich
Music on CD
 Intimate Letters (Janacek & Martinu)/Emerson String Quartet
Summer Love Songs/Beach Boys
Time Out/Dave Brubeck Quartet
Townes/Steve Earle
Veckatimest/Grizzly Bear
DVDs
 Faith Like Potatoes
Gran Torino
He’s Just Not That Into You
Last Chance Harvey
Revolutionary Road
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Friday, Jul 3 2009, 09:07 AM
 The most recognized child prodigy in music history is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who made his piano and violin debuts at age six and composed Andante (K. 1a) and Allegro (K. 1b)
at age 5. It is not surprising that a number of music teachers and researchers believe that playing Mozart’s music to children has a positive effect on their creative abilities.
Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child’s Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music and The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit, owns the copyright for the phrase “Mozart Effect”. He defines the “Mozart Effect” as “an inclusive term signifying the transformational powers of music in health, education, and well-being."
The research is still out on whether the “Mozart Effect” lives up to its claims. Research does show that most children enjoy listening to variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, excerpts from the Magic Flute and other compositions by Mozart.
Children in K5 through 8th grades will have a chance to check out the “Mozart Effect” by attending a string performance at the Wauwatosa Public Library on Monday, August 10, 2009. The Milwaukee Center for Strings students will play from 10:00-10:45am and 1:30-2:15pm in the Firefly Room.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Jun 3 2009, 01:24 PM
 You may be interested in knowing that the Wauwatosa library has an extensive collection of Wauwatosa high school yearbooks dating back to 1912; Wauwatosa High School and Wauwatosa East's Cardinal Pennant as well as Wauwatosa West's Olympian starting in 1962. For many years now, the library has gotten the yearbooks directly from the high schools in pristine condition. Most of the collection, however, is made up of copies that have been donated over the years; old, worn and, at one time, treasured yearbooks, signed by teachers and friends.
As the school year comes to an end, I am reminded of how much I looked forward to receiving my yearbook and passing it around to my friends to sign. This past weekend, I got together with a few old friends from high school, and yes, the yearbooks came out. We laughed at the inscriptions, and were reminded of some long forgotten names and faces (it was a little shocking how dated the pictures looked!).
Because of their irreplaceable value, the yearbooks don't circulate, but they are available, whether you are trying to remember the name of the guy you sat next to in homeroom, planning a reunion or just feel like reminiscing.
Jess Brown
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Jun 3 2009, 01:23 PM
 The black-capped chickadee, native to Canada and the Northern United States, was named for the sound it makes, “Chick-a-dee-dee.” Biologists have learned that the chickadee’s song is complex and used to communicate much about predators and social behavior.
Most of the variations in sound are too fine for human ears to perceive. Chris Templeton of the University of Washington Seattle can distinguish variations in the call to determine how dangerous a predator is to the chickadee. Pygmy owls, whose small size and maneuverability make them efficient hunters of small birds, elicit an extra three and a half “dees” from chickadees. Chickadees add only an extra half “dee” when warning other birds that a great gray owl is near, because the small birds can easily evade these large predators. Chickadees also use their calls to keep the flock together when feeding and to alert others to good sources of food. Carolina chickadees look very much like black-capped chickadees, but can be distinguished by their call. These chickadees live in the Southeastern part of the United States. Chickadee calls are mostly invariant across the species’ range, although those living in the zones of overlap will learn each other’s songs.
Inspired by the beautiful songs of chickadees, Mary Karlzen, Anji Rodee and Carmen Nickerson named their female music trio The Chickadees. Their children’s songs are from the great outdoors and the words to their signature piece, “Chickadee Song”, notes the traits people love about these birds.The Chickadees will kick off the Wauwatosa Public Library’s summer programs, Be Creative @ Your Library at 10:00am and 1:30pm on Thursday, June 18, 2009. The two 45 minute programs of music and creativity are most appropriate for families with children 3-years-old and older. For more information, call the Children’s Library at 414-471-8486.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Jun 3 2009, 01:23 PM
By Wauwatosa Public Library
Monday, May 4 2009, 04:04 PM
The Wauwatosa Library has a very special book entitled, Lest We Forget, honoring Wauwatosa soldiers who lost their lives in the two World Wars. It was compiled by the Gold Star Mothers of Wauwatosa in 1957. The introduction to the book describes its purpose so beautifully.
"Here, in Memoriam for this and future generations, are recorded...the names of those who gave their lives that we might live without fear and tyranny, in a nation and a city dedicated to the freedom and dignity of man. Each page is a monument to one who was a resident of this community. Through their sacrifices these protectors of our freedom have established an imperishable bond between themselves, their fellow citizens and future generations. Their place in history will not be forgotten."
In this book you find an 8 x 10 photograph and a service biography of each soldier killed, from Jack Roger Allen and his brother, Roy Helmann Allen to Herbert Frederick Zobel. As one turns the pages of this book, the reader is bound to feel a sense of sadness and profound appreciation.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Monday, May 4 2009, 04:04 PM
 Memorial Day, also called Decoration Day, is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May. It honors U.S. men and women who died while in military service. It was first enacted to honor soldiers of the American Civil War and was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
After the Civil War, many communities designated a day to honor the memory of their soldiers killed in battle. Waterloo, New York, first observed the holiday on May 5, 1866 and in 1966, the government officially proclaimed Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of the holiday. In 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans’ organization, issued a proclamation that Decoration Day be observed nationwide on May 30th each year. The name, Memorial Day, was first used in 1882 and was declared the official name of the holiday in 1967.
On June 28, 1968, the government passed the Uniform Holidays Bill which moved three holidays, Presidents’ Day, Veterans Day and Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a three-day weekend. In 1971, the Memorial Day holiday was officially moved to the last Monday in May.
On Memorial Day, many people observe the holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials and placing American flags and flowers on military gravesites. Communities hold memorial observances and parades. Plan to attend Wauwatosa’s Annual Memorial Day Observance Monday, May 25th at 10:00 at Longfellow Middle School. The program will include the Presentation of Colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, Invocation, Celebration of Sacrifice, Playing of Taps and musical selections performed by the Wauwatosa Community Band.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Monday, May 4 2009, 04:03 PM
 Congratulations. You’ve survived another Wisconsin winter! It’s nice to be outside again – but where to go when you’ve got spring fever? You’ve got some great choices here in Milwaukee County for enjoying the great outdoors. Here are some suggestions for the next time it’s just too nice out to stay inside.
Wehr Nature Center in Franklin
You and your whole family can explore the natural environment of the Wehr Nature Center. The Center offers self-guided tours, as well as programs led by staff naturalists. Walk through forest, wetland, prairie and savannah habitats, or check out the Visitor Center and Nature Store.
Wehr Nature Center
9701 W. College Ave., Franklin, WI 53132
(414) 425-8550 http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/WehrNatureCenter10115.htm
Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners
Walk through gardens of annuals, perennials, roses and herbs. There's a rock garden and even a bog garden! On their main web page, the Botanical Gardens features a link to “What’s Blooming” so you can see what will be in bloom when you start your tour of the gardens.
Boerner Botanical Gardens
9400 Boerner Drive
Hales Corners, WI 53130
(414) 525-5600 http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/BoernerBotanicalGard10113.htm
For more information about Milwaukee County parks, check out their website: http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ParksandPublicInfras7720.htm.
And, don’t forget the Milwaukee County Zoo! The animals will be out enjoying the spring sunshine. Come out and see what’s new. On May 10th, Moms get in for free!
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
10001 West Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226
Information: (414) 256-5412 | Main Office: (414) 771-3040 http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Monday, May 4 2009, 04:02 PM
Books
 Always Looking Up: the Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox
Complete Poems of Sappho by Sappho
Enough Already!: Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You by Peter Walsh
First Family by David Baldacci
Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
Jane Brody’s Guide to the Great Beyond: a Practical Primer to Help You and Your Loved Ones
Prepare Medically, Legally, and Emotionally for the End of Life by Jane E. Brody
 Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods
Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts by Martha Stewart
Selma of the North: Civil Rights Insurgency in Milwaukee by Patrick D. Jones
Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan by Suze Orman
Audiobooks
Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
 Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Safe Money in Tough Times: Everything You Need to Know to Survive the Financial Crisis by Jonathan D. Pond
DVDs
City of Ember
 Day the Earth Stood Still
Madagascar. Escape 2 Africa
Make ‘Em Laugh: the Funny Business of America
March Madness: the Greatest Moments of the NCAA Tournament
Music on CD
Hazards of Love/Decemberists
Metamorphosen/Branford Marsalis Quartet
Quiet Nights/Diana Krall
Roll On/J.J. Cale
 Willie and the Wheel/Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Monday, May 4 2009, 03:53 PM
 Is learning to read easy? That depends on a number of factors that certainly include access to age-appropriate materials and read-aloud experiences at an early age. Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was a medieval emperor and soldier who did not learn to read until he was almost 40 years old. Little is known about his childhood, but it is probable that he did not have age appropriate reading materials. He did have a desire to read and an appreciation of language, which is documented by his court biographer, Einhard.
The Wauwatosa Public Library summer reading program for children seeks to instill an appreciation of language, the desire to read, and a love of books in children. The first step for parents and adults who work with children is to make an association between reading and pleasure. Sitting in a parent’s lap and listening to a picture book is pleasurable. Going to story time at the library to hear stories and participate in related activities is fun. Receiving prizes for a completed summer reading card is gratifying. Summer program schedules are available in the Children’s Library beginning May 1, 2009.
The Grand Reading Card 2009 expands on the idea of associating reading with pleasure. The children may choose seven ways of enjoying a book or the library for additional prizes. The 29 suggestions on the card range from applying for one’s own library card to reading a book in the park. The Grand Reading Card 2009 will be available June 1st.
Nadia Wheatley expresses the joy of reading well in her picture book, The Greatest Treasure of Charlemagne the King. In her book, Alcuin of York, the scholar who helped Charlemagne establish his court school, explains why it is worth the effort to learn to read. “If you learn to read and love books, I can promise that you will never again be bored or lonely.”
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Monday, May 4 2009, 03:37 PM
 Celebrate Children’s Book Week (May 11-17, 2009) by reading one of the 2008 Children’s Choice Book Award winners or 2009 Children’s Choice Book Award finalists. The awards celebrate the books that kids chose online in six categories: Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Book of the Year, 3rd to 4th Grade Book of the Year, 5th to 6th Grade Book of the Year, Teen Choice Book of the Year, Author of the Year and Illustrator of the Year.
Go to BookWeekOnline.com for information about Children’s Book Week or to obtain a list of last year’s winners and finalists and this year’s finalists. The 2008 Children’s Choice Book Award winners are:
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
Frankie Stein by Lola M Schaefer; illustrated by Kevan Atteberry
3rd – 4th grade
Big Cats by Elaine Landau
5th – 6th grade
Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee
Author of the Year
J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Illustrator of the Year
Ian Falconer for Olivia Helps with Christmas (written by Ian Falconer)
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Apr 1 2009, 03:32 PM
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Courage, vision, determination, confidence, the ability to inspire-these are qualities that define a leader. The Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation will be recognizing and honoring individuals who have shown these qualities in work, school and community service in Wauwatosa at the Spring Leadership Luncheon.
This year’s leadership awards will be given to six outstanding area high school students and the Arthur B. Kohasky Leadership Award will be presented to Jon Vice, Past President and CEO of Children’s Hospital. The keynote speaker at the luncheon will be Bob Woodward, award-winning journalist and best-selling author.
Jon Vice provided nearly three decades of leadership to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, creating one of the country’s leading medical facilities for pediatric care. Since becoming President and CEO in 1984, he has overseen the growth of 14 entities, including hospitals, clinics, a research center and a foundation. Outreach efforts under his direction included school-based health care for Milwaukee’s most disadvantaged children, the Children’s Health Education Center and integration of the Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin. Recently “retired,” Mr. Vice serves on several boards, including Children’s Miracle Network here and in the U.K., and has served on the Children’s Research Institute and Children’s Community Health Plan boards. He has also joined the faculty of his alma mater, the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Bob Woodward’s name has been synonymous with investigative journalism since winning the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for his reporting with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal. His articles for the Washington Post on the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks won the National Affairs Pulitzer Prize in 2002. He has been called “the most celebrated journalist of our age.” In addition to reporting, Woodward has authored or coauthored 14 bestselling books. He has more #1 nonfiction bestsellers that any contemporary American author and three of his books have been made into movies. His latest book, The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008, is the last in his series about the Bush administration.
The Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation invites you to join us for the Spring Leadership Luncheon, May 12th at 12:00 noon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 10499 Innovation Dr., in Wauwatosa. Tickets are $40.00 and are available at the Library Information Desk. All proceeds go to benefit the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Apr 1 2009, 03:30 PM
Wauwatosa Library has just subscribed to ConsumerReports.org, the online version of Consumer Reports!
This means that as a resident of Wauwatosa, you can now have access to the ratings, recommendations and articles found in Consumer Reports from your home or office for free. Of course, the library will continue to subscribe to Consumer Reports magazine, the most trusted source for consumer information but now, you will have the convenience of being able to search for information from your personal computer when you need it.
Like the magazine, ConsumerReports.org provides unbiased reviews and ratings of thousands of products and services. Searchable categories include cars, appliances, electronics, home and garden, babies and kids, money, food and health. In addition, you’ll find the latest consumer news, blogs, forums and video content.
Click on the Consumer Reports link on the library’s website and log on with your library card number.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Apr 1 2009, 03:29 PM
Books
 Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals
by Temple Grandin
Corsair: a Novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler
Joker One: a Marine Platoon’s Story of Courage, Leadership and Brotherhood by Donovan Campbell
Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl
Rich Bride, Poor Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide by Sean Buckley
Triumph of Music by T.C.W. Blanning
Universe in a Mirror; the Saga of the Hubble Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It by Robert Zimmerman
When March Went Mad: the Game that Transformed Basketball by Seth Davis
Why Him? Why Her?: Finding Real Love by Understanding Your Personality Type by Helen E. Fisher
You Must Remember This: the Warner Bros. Story by Richard Schickel
Audiobooks
 Dewey: the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Outliers: the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Run for Your Life by James Patterson
Music on CD
 Middle Cyclone/ Neko Case
Miles from India: a Celebration of the Music of Miles Davis (performed by various musicians)
Symphonies/ Igor Stravinsky (performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Rundfunkchor Berlin)
Symphony in Three Movements; Symphony of Psalms: 1948 Revised Version; Symphony in C
Watchmen: Music from the Motion Picture
Way I See It/ Raphael Saadiq
DVDs
 Bottle Shock
Frozen River
Lucky Ones
Righteous Kill
What Just Happened
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Wednesday, Apr 1 2009, 03:28 PM
 “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is one of the most popular nursery rhymes in the English language. The melody comes from an old French song, “Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman”, in which a young boy complains to his mother about his father’s high expectations. The words are from an English poem by Jane Taylor called “The Star”. Mozart wrote 12 variations on this tune.
The stars have fascinated human beings since ancient times. Families had little entertainment at night before the invention of candles and oil lamps. Gazing at the stars and creating stories about them is a cross-cultural phenomenon. Many myths explain the existence of constellations by telling us that the gods placed people in the sky to keep them safe or as a reward for exceptional behavior.
Stories with star rewards existed long before school children hoped to see stars on their homework and test papers. The good sister receives a golden star on her forehead in the Italian fairy tale, “The Colony of Cats”, from the Crimson Fairy Book edited by Andrew Lang. Two Hispanic versions, Little Gold Star retold by Robert D. San Souci and Estrellita de Oro/Little Gold Star retold by Joe Hayes, also have the good sister receiving a gold star on her forehead.
The Wauwatosa Children’s Librarians will present an “Under the Stars Family Story Night” on Wednesday, April 22nd and Thursday, April 23rd from 6:30 – 7:00 pm at the Wauwatosa Public Library. This program of stories and rhymes is most appropriate for families with children ages 3 and older. For more information or to register, please call the Wauwatosa Children's Library at 414-471-8486.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Tuesday, Mar 3 2009, 02:41 PM
 When a writer describes a moment or a feeling that the reader remembers for 30+ years, that writer has touched something inside that reader. John Updike was that writer for me. From reading many of his obituaries, I realize he was that writer for many others. In 1991, Nicholson Baker wrote U and I. In it, he explores his intellectual and emotional debt to Updike. I read that book the minute it came out to search for a reason for my own feelings. Tom Junod, in Esquire magazine, begins his obituary of Updike: “I met my wife through John Updike”. (She was reading a copy of Rabbit Redux). Junod describes Updike’s skill as distilling “the essence of a quicksilver moment”.
Those quicksilver moments that I remembered for many years are what kept drawing me to Updike. I have no idea which short story contains this scene: parents are divorcing and, with the help of their children, are cleaning out the family home. Updike likened the tossing of board games with missing pieces to their family life. I don’t even know if the next memory is a poem (I think it is) or a short story: a museum-goer happens upon a small classical statue in a display case. He feels an attachment and thinks of it as his own private possession. Since I read that, I often feel that way in museums.
Years ago, Updike spoke and read at UWM. He read a poem I was not familiar with so I wrote and asked him for a citation. In return mail, I received one of his famous blue-edged postcards with a charming note and the information I needed. I didn’t know how famous those postcards were until I began reading the obituaries.
I liked Updike’s short stories and poetry more than his novels. Although, one can’t argue with two Pulitzers: Rabbit is Rich (1981) and Rabbit at Rest (1990). Still, I will always miss the joy I felt when the New Yorker published a new Updike story.
Marbeth Foley
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Tuesday, Mar 3 2009, 02:36 PM
Just in case you were thinking of carrying a slingshot into Hart Park, it would have been strictly against the rules up until the early seventies. With the recent upgrades to Hart Park, it is interesting to note some quaint rules for the park from the not-too-distant past. Up until 1971, it was illegal for any of the following to occur in Hart Park:
· Tethering of horses to trees
· Robbing or disturbing birds’ nests
· Making an oration, harangue or public speech without prior written consent
· Scattering of printed matter over the park from an aircraft
· Soliciting for alms
· Fortune telling
So, enjoy the park and don’t worry too much about your horse!
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Tuesday, Mar 3 2009, 02:35 PM
 The quintessential Italian story is The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Umberto Eco uses this story in a writing exercise for his seminars at the University of Bologna because it is one of the few stories that all his students know, even if they have not actually read it. Collodi’s real name was Carlo Lorenzini, Collodi being the name of his mother’s village near Florence, Italy. The setting for Pinocchio mirrors the rough and tumble times of life in Florence and throughout Italy just before and after Italian unification.
The Story of a Puppet, first published as a serial story in a children’s magazine between 1881 and 1883, ended tragically with Pinocchio’s death by hanging at the end of chapter 15. Its immediate success led to Collodi bringing Pinocchio back to life with the new title, The Adventures of Pinocchio. The author added 21 chapters and changed the ending to a happy one. Pinocchio represents the hope of many parents for their children to grow from selfish, lazy and mischievous individuals into caring and thoughtful human beings. Most children enjoy Pinocchio’s pranks and impudence, but are reassured by the fact that his father loves him unconditionally in spite of his disobedience and misdeeds.
What could be more Italian than Pinocchio and opera? On Saturday, March 28, 2009, the Florentine Opera will present Pinocchio from 2:30 – 3:15 pm in the Civic Center Auditorium. This opera for students in kindergarten through 8th grades is set to the music of Mozart, Donizetti, Offenbach, Pergolesi, Sullivan and Verdi. For more information or to register beginning March 7th, please call the Wauwatosa Children’s Library: 414-471-8486.
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By Wauwatosa Public Library
Tuesday, Feb 3 2009, 02:50 PM
Andrew Newell Wyeth died January 16th , 2009 at the age of 91. One of the most popular and significant artists of the 20th century, he was known for his paintings of the land and people in his hometown of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and around his summer home in Cushing, Maine.
Wyeth was part of an artistic family. His father, N.C. Wyeth, was a notable artist and illustrator. Andrew learned art from his father and grew up with a love and appreciation for nature and his rural surroundings. His sisters, Henriette and Carolyn were also artists, as is his son, Jamie Wyeth.
 Wyeth maintained his realistic painting style throughout his life. His paintings, mostly in watercolor and egg tempera, are characterized by their technical brilliance, stark images, subtle colors and recognizable subjects. The Olson Farm in Maine is the setting for his most famous painting, “Christina’s World”. “The Mill”, a group of 18th century buildings purchased by Wyeth, and the Kuerners and their farm in Pennsylvania appear often in his work. Helga Testorf, Karl Kuerner’s Prussian-born caretaker, is the subject of 247 paintings that Wyeth secretly painted between 1971-1985.
 Despite the popular appeal of his paintings, his work has been criticized for being stagnant and more like illustration than art. Learn more about Andrew Wyeth and his art. There are two original paintings on display in art museums in the Milwaukee area; “Afternoon”, in the Milwaukee Art Museum and “Water Turtle”, in Marquette’s Haggerty Museum of Art. You can also find a number of Wyeth’s paintings included in the library’s online Art Museum Image Gallery. View high resolution images and get information about his work including title, date created, location, owner, dimensions and material and techniques used. The library also has a good collection of books available for checkout. The following are of special note:
American Vision: Three Generations of Wyeth Art: N.C.Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, James Wyeth by James H. Duff
Andrew Wyeth: a Secret Life by Richard Meryman
Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic by Anne Classen Knutson
Andrew Wyeth: the Helga Pictures by John Wilmerding
Wyeth at Kuerner
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