Joliet library kicks off interactive STEAM exhibit of popular children’s series

Children need opportunities to create and explore processes, Chicago author Sarah Aronson said at the Joliet Public Library’s Ottawa Street branch in Joliet on Wednesday evening.

Aronson, who writes for children and teens, spoke at an open house for a temporary exhibit that encourages children to engage in activities related to STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts and math. A child who plays, who is curious, is engaged, Aronson said.

“I say, ‘The time for creativity is now,’” Aronson said.

“The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY!” exhibit based on the Questioneers book series authored by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts.

This traveling exhibit featuring the “imaginative world of Questioneers characters” opened at the Joliet Public Library on June 16, and is available during library hours through July 29, according to the Joliet Public Library.

Mallory Hewlett, communications manager at the Joliet Public Library, said words can’t really describe the exhibit’s magnitude.

“You really have to see it,” Hewlett said.

‘You really can’t miss it when you come here’

Each Questioneers character has “different abilities, races, ethnicities, genders, and upbringings” and is “uniquely capable and committed to their creative, STEAM-based pursuits,” the Joliet Public Library said.

As the characters “experiment, explore, fail, and try again,” they help children discover “that math, science, art, and civic responsibility are for everyone, and failure is part of learning,” the Joliet Public Library said.

“Just playing with their hands and learning things inside the library really gets kids excited about coming here.”

—  Mallory Hewlett, communications manager at the Joliet Public Library

Furthermore, each character’s story “highlights problem-solving, determination, risk-taking, bravery, and the role of caring adults in children’s lives,” according to the Joliet Public Library. This can promote “personal empowerment, curiosity, and perseverance” in children’s lives, the Joliet Public Library said.

Hewlett said this is the library’s first large exhibit. It has seven parts, which are placed in the lower level and first and second floors, Hewlett said.

“You can’t miss it when you come here,” Hewlett said.

‘Celebrating diversity and creativity’

Each exhibit offers various STEAM activities for a wide range of ages, from preschool to early teens, from playing with blocks to making paper airplanes and seeing how far they can fly, Hewlett said. Even Hewlett’s 2-year-old tried out the exhibit, she added.

For instance, Miss Lila Greer’s classroom helps launches “collaboration, creativity, and discovery,” the Joliet Public Library said.

Kids can also fly with Rosie Revere, engineer, in her Cheese Copter; build a bridge to save the class with Iggy Peck, architect; lead a movement with Sofia Valdez, future “prez,” while playing a game on Sofia’s Citizen’s Park; telling a story through drawings just like Aaron Slater, illustrator; and questioning “how the world works while sitting in Ada’s thinking chair,” the Joliet Public Library said.

“It’s really about celebrating diversity and creativity,” Hewlett said.

Hewlett said the library partnered with the DuPage Childrens Museum, which built the exhibit and then shared with the Joliet Public Library. The Joliet Public Library is the only library that was offered this exhibit, Hewlett said.

Instructions, in English and Spanish, are self-explanatory, Hewlett said. But staff is available to help, too, she added.

The hope is that the exhibit “will inspire a new generation of thinkers and dreamers through fun, interactive experiences” while also developing a “lifelong love of learning and discovery,” the Joliet Public Library said.

Hewlett said the library is hosting exhibits like “The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY!” to help students become enthusiastic about literacy.

“Just playing with their hands and learning things inside the library really gets kids excited about coming here,” Hewlett said and later added, “Hopefully, we’ll have more exhibits throughout the year.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY!”

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday

WHERE: Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa St. Joliet

ETC: Interactive exhibit available during library hours `through July 29.

INFO: For more information, call 815-740-2660 or visit jolietlibrary.org and andreabeaty.com/questioneers.html.