At the Luverne Public Library, children recently learned first-hand about different animals around the world through Animal Tales. 

Animal Tales is a company providing educational demonstrations of live animals during presentations hosted by the Luverne Library on June 8. They also service birthday parties, summer camps and other public events. 

“We’ve had this group, the Animal Tails group, for several years, and they always do such a fun program,” said Kathryn Tomlin, director for the Luverne Library. “They bring interesting animals and its educational and fun for the kids. [The children] like to see all the animals; they love animals.” 

The presenter for Animal Tales, Kaitlyn Thompson, brought in six animals for participants to learn more about. 

Children met the Asian forest scorpion, the black prairie dog from North America, the legless lizard from Europe, a hedgehog from Africa, the rainbow boa from South America and the laughing kookaburra from Australia. 

“We want to bring education, but we want to make it fun,” Thompson said. “We don’t want to sit up there and talk and make it boring like they see on TV. 

“If you see something in real life, that’s more memorable. In person they’re captivated because it’s  there, they can physically see [the animals].They’re there in the moment it creates those memories.”

Before showing off the animals, Thompson brings up volunteers to locate the country the animal is from on a giant inflatable globe. 

From there, Thompson brings out the animal, and shares information about it: its diet, habitat and fun facts about the animals.

“[The Asian forest scorpions] are in Asia, especially in the forest, and they’re very unique in that they glow in the dark.” Thompson said. “We have the black tailed prairie dog, and they’re unique because of how they dig burrows and how they’re the only species that have their own language as complex as ours.”

After the presentation, Thompson brought out the rainbow boa a second time, now allowing participants to touch the snake. 

Children were welcomed to check out books after the event, and a few opting to check out educational books about the animals they had seen.

 “We have lots and lots of books that deal with different animals.” Tomlin said. “All they have to do is come, look at them and see what animal they’re interested in.” 

The Luverne Library has more upcoming events planned for the month of June. 

The next event is on June 14, featuring the McWane Science Center personnel who will showcase physics, chemistry and other sciences through a STEM adventure. 

The Luverne Library’s programs like the animal tales presentation and the upcoming STEM adventure are free for attendees. 

“I hope that parents and grandparents will take advantage of what we’re doing here,” Tomlin said. “We spend the money because our focus is on children’s programs, getting the children in here and getting them interested in reading, that’s the focus.”