Today our library's storytime was all about water in its various forms: how ice and snow melt when it's warm and how water freezes when it's cold. Young children have a lot to say about these processes. They love to become young scientists by predicting and experimenting. What will the duck do when she arrives before Spring? What will happen to Peter's snowball when he brings it into his warm house? We set out a bowl of snow and some ice cubes in a separate dish and watched what happened to them in the course of the storytime. Parents left inspired to try it at home. A bowl of snow on a table can be a great avenue for conversation. And research shows that just such experiences build background knowledge-- a key skill used when children are learning to read.