Send a Postcard - Make Someone’s Day!

Have you heard about the Discover Clermont Postcard Project hosted by the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau?  The project “is an initiative to engage with Clermont County residents as to how they can take an active role in helping Clermont County hotels, restaurants, retail shops and attractions recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Four different card designs are available for free at several sites around the county, including all ten Clermont County Public Library branches.  Stop in today, pick up a postcard, write a short message, and bring some joy to your recipient’s day!  If there is a child in your life, this is a great opportunity to teach them about letter writing.

Well, that all depends on who you’re writing to, but of course, the Visitors Bureau would love it if you talk about Clermont County.  You might invite a friend or relative to come visit you.  Write about your favorite place in the county.  Consider sharing a story about something fun you did locally.

Other good topics include:

• Short greetings and sentiments, like “thinking of you,” “missing you” and “get well soon.”  Add a few lines to your message, to make it personal for the recipient.
• A story about something funny that happened to you recently or a good joke that you heard.
• Birthday, anniversary, congratulatory or holiday greetings.
• Thanks for a recent gift or favor.  You could also let someone know how much you appreciate having them in your life.
• Share what you’ve checked out recently from the library.  Recommend a good book or movie.
• Draw a picture.

The library has a number of fun books that prominently feature postcards, especially for kids.  Check them out!

Tales of Wonder: Retelling Fairy Tales Through Picture Postcards by Jack Zipes

For adults, this coffee table style book uses vintage postcards to explore the different manners in which classic European and American folktales have historically been illustrated.  You’ll find many visual interpretations of favorite tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Rip Van Winkle.

Love Agnes: Postcards from an Octopus by Irene Latham

One day Agnes, a giant Pacific octopus, discovers a postcard in the water underneath a pier.  Inspired to reply, Agnes begins exchanging a series of postcards with fellow creatures both above and below water.  As the story progresses, readers learn about the life cycle of octopuses.

Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett

Through a series of flip-up postcards addressed to his family, Sunny Meerkat documents his travels as he searches for the perfect place for him to live.

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

One day, Duncan is happily coloring with his crayons when a stack of postcards arrives in the mail from his former crayons, each of which has run away or been left behind, and all of which want to come home.

Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie

Toot and Puddle are best friends with very different interests, so when Toot spends the year traveling around the world, Puddle enjoys receiving his postcards.

Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney

Grandude brightens a dreary weekend for his visiting grandchildren, Lucy, Tom, Em, and Bob, by using his magic compass and postcards to take them on adventures around the world.  And, yes, this book was written by THAT Paul McCartney.

LaRue Across America: Postcards from the Vacation by Mark Teague

Mrs. LaRue takes a cross-country drive with her hospitalized neighbor’s cats and her own dog, Ike, who keeps the cats’ owner informed of their misadventures through a series of postcards.

Make and decorate your own postcard with instructions and a printable from the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum.

Learn about the history of postcards.  This Wikipedia article and this history from the creators of World Postcard Day (October 1) are good places to start.

Build an online jigsaw puzzle with a postcard theme.

Stop by any Clermont County Public Library branch today to get your free postcard from the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau and to check out some postcard-themed books.

Kindergarten Readiness: Writing Skills

4 Bright and Colorful Picture Books

8 Offbeat Ohio History Books