Children meet bugs at library

WALKING STICK: Children at the Cottonwood Community Library story time gather around a walking stick held by John Albright, a biologist from Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District.

If it walked, crawled, crept or buzzed in your ear, it was probably in a box brought to the Cottonwood Library on a recent session of Summer Storytime. John Albright, a biologist with the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District, brought along quite an assortment of bugs for his recent "Show and Tell" visit to the Cottonwood Community Library Summer Storytime.

John, a wonderful reader who put just the right inflection of sounds into his reading, captivated the participants with his stories of bugs and insects. The more scary and gruesome the bug, the more it held the audience's attention. The huge Madagascar Hissing Beetles, known for their appearances on shows like "Fear Factor," proved to be very popular.

Those in attendance learned of the life cycle of the mosquito and how abandoned property can hold many watering holes where these creatures can hatch. Examples of the different stages of the mosquito were shown in a plastic enclosure.

As the session ended, handouts with more pictures and information regarding the bugs were given to each child, who also learned the special "mosquito salute."

For more information regarding remaining sessions of the Cottonwood Community Library's Summer Story Time, call Gayle Harrington at 347-4818.

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