Lessons in song: Nancy Stewart’s impact on Mercer Island families

Published 7:30 am Saturday, May 16, 2026

It’s 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday, and Island Books is welcoming in the regulars for Miss Nancy’s Sing-Along Storytime.

Nearly 20 Mercer Island families with kids ranging from 16-month-olds to 3-year-olds cram together in the center of the bookstore to hear from their favorite children’s music artist. For just 30 minutes, kids and parents alike enjoy a performance of songs and stories, combining familiar and new favorites.

“We just absolutely adore Nancy. She has a really contagious energy, she’s always really positive,” said Jeanie Fortenbauch, a mother of two who has been attending storytime for two years. “She always turns a bad day into a good one.”

Saturday Storytime is one of many events hosted by local artist Nancy Stewart, who has been singing to children for nearly 40 years and has dedicated her life to teaching parents and caregivers about the importance of music in early childhood literacy, earning Citizen of the Year in 2015 for her work.

“It was why I’m supposed to be on the planet,” said Stewart. “I always loved singing, but this is my passion. It will be till the day I die.”

Stewart has built up a community of regulars through her work on the island. Every Saturday is Sing-Along Storytime at Island Books. These storytimes are designed to foster a love of singing and to educate parents and kids alike on the power of music.

Storytime always starts with a group song, “Hello My Friends”, with parents joining in, clapping and singing along with Miss Nancy. Then, Stewart alternates between books and songs, from “I Love Animals” by Flora McDonnell to “The Wheels on the Bus.”

Sheena Burwell is one of Stewarts’ regulars, having come to see her for nine years and introducing all four of her kids to Miss Nancy.

“I joke with her that she’s raised my children,” said Burwell.

Stewart creates her programs not just to engage every child, but also to engage each accompanying parent. She carefully selects every book and song, fussy about her choices, Stewart said, to make sure that each tune is a simple enough structure to connect with the youngest and interesting enough for the oldest.

Stewart pays close attention to traditional songs, like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Down By The Bay,” saying that “The Wheels on the Bus” is her favorite to sing with the kids and is always asked for at sing-alongs.

“It reminds me every day that it’s important to keep those songs that you think don’t matter. Those are the ones that do,” said Stewart.

This familiarity in song choice is one of the many reasons why Stewart has continued to be a hit amongst families on Mercer Island. But more than anything, parents appreciate the community that Stewart has provided for them.

“When you’re a mom, life is havoc, and I feel like you’re just trying to survive,” said Burwell. “It’s so beautiful to have a place to bring my children where there are other moms with young kids that they can interact with.”

Stewart has been doing sing-along storytime at Island Books for over 10 years, working closely with bookstore owner Laurie Raisys. The space provided by Island Books is one of Stewarts’ smaller venues, but it gets filled easily every Saturday.

During the pandemic, when families could no longer attend storytime at the bookstore, Raisys helped Stewart film her usual Island Books Storytime to restore the routine that had been missing from the kids’ lives.

“I hope that Aunt Nancy does not age and that she can continue doing this forever,” said Raisys. “I don’t know that there’s a young Nancy Stewart. I don’t know that there’s someone to succeed her when she no longer wants to do this. And it makes my heart hurt a little bit, because she has fans. … I mean, there’s just so much love, it’s ridiculous.”

Stewart says she has no intention of retiring anytime soon and hopes to continue singing and teaching as long as she can. Parents, caregivers, librarians, and educators have all inspired her to keep teaching, but, Stewart said, most of all, it’s the kids who keep her moving forward, continuing to bring a little joy to the littlest residents of Mercer Island.

It’s 10 a.m. now, and Stewart has wrapped up storytime. The circle explodes into noise, each kid eager to say hi to Miss Nancy and get a stamp on their hand. With a newly inked hand, families file out of the bookstore until next time.

“I feel like I’m standing on the banks of a stream,” said Stewart, “and the stream is going by, and I’m so excited to see who’s in the boats right now. And then the boats move on, but there are more boats coming.”

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University of Washington’s News Lab operates as a local news bureau staffed by advanced journalism and public interest communication students.