Local Author Storytime: Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner

Name: Local Author Storytime: Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner
Start: 2025-10-09T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-09T11:00:00-04:00
Location: Patriarche Park

Schedule

Thu Oct 09 2025 at 10:00 am to 11:00 am

UTC-04:00

Location

Patriarche Park | East Lansing, MI

Local Author Storytime: Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner
Join Lansing Area Littles on Thursday, October 9th at 10am for a storytime at Patriarche park with local author, Modestina Golnick!
What to Expect at the Event: An animated and fun read-aloud of Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner will encourage children to interact with music and movement woven into the story, followed by an age-appropriate, hands-on guided activity led by Modie that reflects early childhood best practices. Children will then explore play-based learning stations designed around the book, with objectives focused on patterns, shapes, fine motor skills, literacy, and sensory development. Families will also receive take-home lessons and activities that are complemented by free YouTube content, and the event will conclude with a Q&A or book signing.

What Families Will Take Away From this Event
One copy of Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner per family
Activities and simple lesson plans based on the book for families to use at home
Parents will be given tools to gain confidence and engage with their children’s literary journey on a deeper level by learning best practice techniques for early childhood literacy and strategies for incorporating music into everyday life
Additional books and stuff animals will be available for purchase
About the Book
Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner is a colorful picture book with predictable text, food, and fun. A little girl waits patiently for her Uncle John to arrive for dinner. When Uncle John sits down for dinner and begins to eat he keeps getting food stuck in his beard. How will Uncle John get all that food out of his beard?
Everything in this book is intentional, utilizing the best practices of early childhood literacy. The predictable text and repetitive word patterns ignite early literacy skills, which allows young children to gain confidence in reading and at the same time cements interesting and relatable characters and activities in a fun and engaging story.
There are subtle learning objectives throughout the entire book, including patterns, shapes, and new vocabulary. The character’s skin colors are blue, red and purple representing a blended family that children of any race and ethnicity can identify with.
Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner is pediatrician approved and best for ages 2-8.
Time Line
Read Aloud
Activity
Stations & play

This play date is sponsored by:
Local Author: Modestina Golnick

My name is Modestina Golnick (Ms. Modie), and I’m a children’s book author, illustrator, and former preschool teacher based in the Lansing area. I’m so excited to partner with Lansing Area Littles and host a fun and engaging author event featuring my debut picture book Uncle John Comes Over For Dinner. I specialize in creating interactive and engaging literacy through music presentations tailored for young readers and early childhood. Drawing on decades of in-classroom teaching experience, my sessions are designed to be both educational and fun, using best practices to capture the attention of young learners. Through lively songs, storytelling, and hands-on activities, I hope to encourage creativity, language development, and critical thinking.
*Parents/guardians are required to stay with their children at all times. Lansing Area Littles is not a licensed childcare and is not responsible for the well-being of children at our play dates and events.
*By attending one of our play dates you understand that pictures and videos are often taken and may appear on our social media channels. If you do not wish for your child’s picture to appear on Lansing Area Littles please inform our group leader when you arrive.