Debbie Kovsky couldn't remember more than two verses to "The Wheels on the Bus," and even then, she had some of the words wrong.

The Bellevue grandma of a huge transportation fan — 2-year-old Alexander Kovsky — was saved by a library story time. "Now I know all the verses — and the hand motions, too," she said.

Grandparents who are fuzzy on little-kid songs and literature can get updated during a dozen "reading to grandkids" presentations at King County libraries in May. The events will also include story times focusing on grandparents.

"We hope grandparents will consider the library a place to bring children when they have them for the afternoon," said children's librarian Linda Ernst, whose story times at Bellevue's Newport Way Library attract several grandparents. "Intergenerational ties are very important to keep going and reading is one way to strengthen that."

The grandparent story times are part of the library system's early-literacy push, which recognizes the importance of the older generation in promoting reading, as well as the growing number of grandparents raising grandkids, said Jeannie Dilger-Hill, outreach-services manager for the King County Library System.

Childhood favorites

Grandparents often recognize "Goodnight Moon" and "Curious George" from their youth and are "pleasantly surprised the stories they remember are still available," Ernst said. "It makes that bridge between generations."

When Bellevue resident Phyllis Gersch tried re-reading books she liked as a child, she found them very dated. But some of her son's favorites — which Gersch kept — are now in her grandkids' repertoire, including "Corduroy," "Harry the Dirty Dog" and Maurice Sendak's books. "I read them to their father and now I read the books to them," she said.

Faced with the wealth of titles in a children's section, grandparents often wonder, "Where do I start?" "It's been a while since they dealt with their own kids," Dilger-Hill noted. "They may not know about all the great new books out."

Gersch, grandma and nanny to Victoria, 7; Colin, 5; Annabelle, 2; and Cooper, 1, goes through lists of recommended books to check out popular choices. "It keeps me current," said the former teacher. "I know all the books from 30 years ago and 50 years ago, but I also want to expose my grandkids to new literature and writers."

Finding the best time

With her older grandchildren, Gersch finds the best time to read is in the car, such as when they have time to kill before a dance class. "That way there are no distractions," she said.

Kovsky always reads her grandson the same book before nap and then opts for a wider selection when he wakes up and is still sleepy. She buys him a book for every holiday and birthday. Attending library story times makes it easier to choose age-appropriate books.

"With a group, you get a sense of what the norm is," she said. "It helps me know where he's at."

Even grandparents who live away from grandkids can read into a tape recorder or video camera and send the recording as a gift, Ernst suggested. She especially encourages grandparents to share stories about life when they were growing up.

Life stories

Ragnhild Park of Bellevue has three grandchildren, ages 2, 2 ½ and 4, and takes care of the preschooler during the week. She shows her grandkids photo albums and tells stories from her childhood in Norway.

"They learn to know who I am," she explained. "It gets their imagination going and teaches them how people lived in a different culture.

"My children loved it, and now my grandchildren love it. It helps connect them to their roots."

At her interactive story times, Ernst finds many grandparents are less self-conscious than their younger counterparts. "Grandparents tend to have more fun," she said. "They'll make all the animal noises and throw themselves into a part."

An expressive reader from her teaching days, Gersch had to tone down the four different voices she invoked for Lynn Downey's "Most Loved Monster" when her granddaughter deemed it "too scary."

"I guess when you get older, you get less inhibited," Gersch said. "We also know how fast it goes. So we relish this time for drama before the kids are embarrassed by you."

On a recent morning, Gerch's toddler granddaughter Annabelle sat on Grammie's lap and acted out the directions in Eric Carle's "From Head to Toe." She pointed to her toes, waved her arms like a monkey and clapped her hands like a seal.

Her verdict when they finished?

"Again!"

Stephanie Dunnewind: 206-464-2091 or sdunnewind@seattletimes.com