By Amy Notarius

Rowan Public Library

Do you know a child who’s afraid of the dark, spiders, storms, or other scary things, and wish you knew a way to help them feel better? Several books at Rowan Public Library may help a child identify and cope with his or her fears.

Actor, director and educator LeVar Burton has written a book about learning to face your fears called “The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm.” A storm outside is scaring Mica Mouse. A year before, a powerful hurricane had destroyed her home.

To help her feel better, Papa Mouse tells her the story of Little Rhinoceros, who loses everything due to a terrible storm. In his grief, Rhino acts without thinking, and swallows the storm. He ends up at the bottom of a very deep hole. With the help of spider, bee, kangaroo and more, Rhino manages to get out of the hole and find faith in himself again.

This rhyming story and colorful illustrations should encourage young children by showing them that with the support of those around them they can get through difficult times.

In “Brave Squish Rabbit,” Katherine Battersby writes about Squish the rabbit, who is very little but has some big fears. Squish is afraid of storms, chickens and especially the dark. Playing with his friend Twitch helps Squish forget his fears, but one day he can’t find Twitch anywhere.

Can he find the courage to face a storm in the dark in order to find his friend? The fun illustrations may encourage young children to face some of their own fears as they follow Squish on his adventure.

In “Jibberwillies at Night,” Rachel Vail writes about Katie Honors, a really happy kid who wakes up with a smile on her face. Her days are filled with fun and laughter, but at night, after she curls up with her dog, the jibberwillies come.

These are odd-looking, loud creatures who fill Katie’s room. She tries to get them to leave but nothing works. Finally her mother comes up with the idea of catching the jibberwillies in a bucket. Yumi Heo’s brightly colored illustrations bring the jibberwillies to life and make it fun to watch them being drawn into the bucket. Vail presents a unique method for young children to face and possibly eliminate any nighttime fears.

Don’t be afraid to check out these and other great books at Rowan Public Library today.

Weekly events for children run through the week of April 28.

Baby Time: Infants to 23 months. A loosely interactive program introducing simple stories and songs to infants up to 23 months old with a parent or caregiver; 30 minutes. Headquarters, Char’s Little Stars, Wednesday, 10 a.m.; East branch, Tammie’s Tiny Sprouts, Mondays, 10 a.m.; South Regional, Miss Pat’s Tiny Tots, Wednesdays, 10 a.m.

Toddler Time: 18 to 35 months. Focused on sharing books, singing songs and encouraging listening skills with a parent or caregiver. 30 minutes. Headquarters, Reading Rumpus, Tuesdays, 10:30 .m.; East, Tammie’s Tot Time, Mondays, 11 a.m.; South, Miss Pat’s Wee Readers, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Preschool Time: To encourage the exploration of books and build reading readiness skills for children 3 to 5 years old with a parent or caregiver. 30 minutes. Headquarters, East and South, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.

Noodlehead Story Time: Books and songs for all ages; primary focus is pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. 30-45 minutes. Headquarters, Thursdays, 4 p.m.; East, Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.; South, Wednesdays, 4 p.m.

Art programs: Activities and instruction based on various themes and media vary by branch. Appropriate for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Headquarters, Art in the Afternoon, Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.; East, Bethany’s Brushes, Tuesdays, 4 p.m.; South, Canvas Kids, Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m.

Tail Waggin’ Tutors: Children 7 to 9 can practice their reading skills in a relaxed, dog-friendly atmosphere. Dogs registered through Therapy Dogs International are available for beginning and struggling readers to read aloud to them. Reservations are recommended but not required. Headquarters, Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m.; East, selected Mondays, 3:30 p.m.; South, selected Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m.

Dr. Seuss Birthday Bash — March 2, 10 a.m.-noon, headquarters. Children of all ages are invited to come celebrate Dr. Seuss and his very own “Day of all Days.” For if he’d never been born, well, then, what would we do? No Horton? No Lorax? No Thing One or Thing Two? That isn’t a world that we can see, so join in our revelry! This program is sponsored by Smart Start Rowan.

Let’s Get Seussical — March 3, 10 a.m., South Rowan Regional, Seuss-related events. Call 704-216-7728 for specific times.

Celebrate Seuss — March 4, 10:30 a.m.-noon, East branch. More of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

Chapter Chats Book Club: A weekly club for teens 14-17, primarily for participants with developmental or intellectual disabilities, but all are welcome. Meets at East branch meeting room, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 5 p.m. For more information, contact Tammie Foster at 704-216-7842.

Teen Advisory Board: Teens who join this board provide input on RPL’s teen programming and book selection and discuss current events and issues of interest. Members can count their hours of participation toward school community service requirements. Headquarters, Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m.; South, March 2, 4:30 p.m.

Teen program: February is the Chocolate Festival. Enjoy all things chocolate, complete with a chocolate fountain. East, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m.

Lego free play: March 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., headquarters. The library’s Lego collection will be available for free play for children.

Learn. Act. Grow.: Herbs 101, Feb. 27, 5:30-7 p.m., South Rowan Regional. Learn about herbs and what they can do for you. Discussions will be about health benefits, research, culinary uses and preservation practices. This class will be taught by Aubrey Mast, extension associate in nutrition at Plants for Human Health Institute at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.

Downtown Beats, Rowan’s Impromptu Chorus: Feb. 27, 6-7 p.m., Headquarters. Everyone is welcome. This community sing requires no experience and no commitment. No charge or prior registration is required. Arrive at 6 p.m. for a short practice of two songs. February’s sing will culminate with a final performance of the night’s songs. Questions? Contact Abigail at Abigail.Hardison@rowancountync.gov or at 704-216-8248.

Maker Mondays: Feb. 27, 6-7 p.m., headquarters. See the RPL Cooperative Lab’s 3D printer in action. Learn about the process from start to finish, and witness how a 3D printer can make ideas reality.

Movie Night at East: “The Secret Life of Pets,” Feb. 28, 5:30 p.m., East branch. What do pets get up to while their owners are away? Starring the voice talents of Jenny Slate, Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart, this 2016, PG-rated film has a runtime of 87 minutes. Light refreshments. Free, open to the public, all ages welcome.

Book Bites Book Club: Feb. 28, 6-7 p.m., South regional. Free, open to public. Do you enjoy good books, fun fellowship and tasty food? We discuss a different book each month and serve refreshments loosely related to the theme. This month’s choice is “Code Name Verity,” by Elizabeth Wein. Need a copy? Call 704-216-7731.

Friends of RPL and Cheerwine Concert series: Adam Miller, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., headquarters. One of the premier autoharpists in the world, Miller is an American folk singer and natural-born storyteller. His time-honored traditional folk songs and ballads are the songs of America’s heritage. A masterful entertainer who never fails to get his audience singing along, he has distinguished himself as one of the great interpreters of American folk songs and folk tales. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Free, open to the public, all ages welcome.

Displays: Headquarters, Rowan Doll Society and Salisbury Academy; East, celebrating Dr. Seuss; South, North Carolina pottery.

Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second language.