Talk on the Author of “Goodnight Moon”

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m. renowned biographer Leonard Marcus will give a talk entitled “Inside the Great Green Room: The Surprising Story of America’s Favorite Bedtime Book” for the Norfolk Library. Marcus is one of the world’s preeminent authorities on children’s books and the people who create them. In this illustrated talk, he will introduce the inspired poet and mercurial free spirit behind America’s best-loved bedtime book, “Goodnight Moon.” Margaret Wise Brown (1910-52) combined a fascination with child psychology and modern art, and a passion for storytelling, to create over 100 of children’s literature’s most original picture books. Please register on the library website for the Zoom link or call 860-542-5075.

Series on Racial Justice

UCC Norfolk is learning about racial justice. The next topic in this series will be “The Environment and Communities of Color,” and it will take place via Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. Reg Denny will present and lead the discussion. For more information or to register, please contact the church office at 86-542-5721 or email office@cofcucc.org.

Playful Games with Pilobolus

Explore the movement of your favorite animals, how they walk, jump, eat, play, and roam. A member of the internationally renowned Pilobolus Dance Theater will lead children ages 3-5, along with a parent or guardian, through playful movement games that inspire creativity, generate the thrill of performance, and provide opportunities to connect with one another. Sessions will take place via Zoom on Thursday mornings, Feb. 4, 11, and 18, from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Please register on the library website for the Zoom link, or call the library at 860-542-5075.

Guided Meditation for Lent

Experience loving kindness with UCC Norfolk this Lenten season. Starting on Feb. 14, a daily illustrated devotional will be available on the church’s website, https://norfolkctucc.org/ucc/ to encourage thoughts of loving kindness every day during Lent. For more information, or if you would prefer a hard copy of the devotional, please contact the church office at 860-542-5721 or email office@cofcucc.org. Virtual services will continue through Lent, including Maundy Thursday, which will feature recordings of a Tenebrae Service, and Good Friday, which will be presided over by the Rev. Erick Olsen. 

Monet’s Little Ice Age with Susan Galassi

Susan Galassi, curator emerita of The Frick Collection, will give a virtual talk, “Monet’s Little Ice Age,” for the Norfolk Library on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 5:30 p.m. During one of the most difficult periods of his life, Monet and his family took refuge for three years, 1878-81, in Vétheuil, a remote agricultural village on the Seine. Confronting poverty, despondency and personal loss, Monet produced over 200 paintings during that time, among them a haunting series of ice floes. Galassi will look at his work in this period and at the climate events that provided him with sublime imagery of nature’s raw power, renewing his creative energies and setting him back on his path that culminated in his final decades in Giverny. Please register for this talk on the library website or by calling 860-542-5075.

Sandglass Theater Presents Puppet Show

Sandglass Theater’s “Rock the Boat” is a touring puppet show for young audiences that explores themes of migration, inclusion and respect. The production is about the acceptance of those who come from other countries and cultures and provides a narrative in which there is room for everyone in an inclusive society. “Rock the Boat” will be presented virtually on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 4 p.m.. followed by a conversation with members of the creative ensemble. This is a family show suitable for ages four and up. Please register on the Norfolk Library website or call 860-542-5075.

Adventures with Polar Bears

On Sunday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m., find out what it’s like to live among polar bears, one of the world’s cutest yet most dangerous animals. In the fall of 2018, polar bear enthusiast Kelly Kandra Hughes spent seven weeks as a volunteer at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, in Churchill, Manitoba, known as the polar bear capital of the world. Over a thousand polar bears descend on Churchill every migration season. Hughes will offer an overview of her time in Churchill and what she learned about ecotourism and life in subarctic Canada. Please register on the Norfolk Library website for the Zoom link or call 860-542-5075.

Hub Talk on Our Changing Climate

On Monday, Feb. 22, 6-7 p.m., the Norfolk Hub presents “A Local Scientific Perspective on Our Changing Climate.” Tamara Muruetagoiena, executive director of Great Mountain Forest, will discuss discusses how climate change is affecting health, ecosystems and biodiversity in Norfolk and the surrounding region. Registration for this Zoom program is online at norfolkfoundation.net/hub-events. For more information on this event, see ad on p. xx.

Travels in Chilean Patagonia with Gerri Griswold

On Thursday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m., spend an hour with Gerri Griswold as she shares breathtaking images from Patagonia, tucked along the tail of the Andes near the bottom of the world. Meet the people, animals, and numerous microclimates that define this magical place. A veteran traveler, Gerri is the director of administration and development at the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield. This is a virtual presentation for the Norfolk Library. Please register on the library website or call 860-542-5075.