Wide-eyed and giggling with delight, 30 children sat in a group on the floor listening intently to the wonders of a foreign country come alive through story telling.

The International Journeys Story Hour (IJSH) visited the Schlow Memorial Library on Saturday, as it does once a month to introduce children to a new country. The group gives the children a passport and a sticker for each country they "visit," making the children "world travelers."

Saturday's country was the Ukraine, and the book was titled The Mitten.

Oksana Tatsyak (graduate-comparative literature), who is from the Ukraine, pointed out her homeland on the globe as the children gathered around to catch a glimpse.

Tatsyak told the group how Ukrainians celebrate Christmas.

"We celebrate Christmas, but the kids have to earn their presents," Tatsyak said.

The room filled with oohs and ahhs from surprised children when she told them how children in the Ukraine learn Christmas carols and go door-to-door singing them. For every carol they sing, they receive a present, she said.

As the story began, the children watched a Ukrainian tale told with the help of stuffed animals — and a little imagination.

The children pretended they were the animals of the forest as the tale began, "It was the coldest day of winter."

The program received a positive response from some parents.

"It's nice entertainment and it's nice that they'll learn something while they're here," said Karen Wing, who brought her daughter to Saturday afternoon's program. They will be back again, she added.

After the story, the children learned Ukrainian games.

"I hope the kids had fun, that they remember the games and they will play them," Tatsyak said.

She also said she hopes there is a possibility these games could become popular in America.

Tatsyak was pleased to see the diverse group of children.

"There are all these kids from different backgrounds and they play together and share this moment no matter their background," Tatsyak said.

Although the program has gotten a positive response, there are some problems.

Emmalynne Hu (sophomore-civil engineering) said some parents are only interested in bringing their children to presentations on certain countries and not others, which she said was disappointing

The program serves a dual purpose in introducing different cultures and encouraging reading, Hu said.

"We work to expand a child's horizon," she said.

The program is sponsored by the Schreyer's Honors College, but non-honors students are welcome to get involved as well.