20th Annual Bookamania Comes To Chicago Public Library Saturday
By Marielle Shaw in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 22, 2013 4:50PM
As the holidays ramp up, there seems to be an excess of things to do- shopping and events abound. Take some time this weekend to support your children’s literacy (and hopefully, future Chicagoist readership) and head down to the Harold Washington Library Center for Bookamania.
The event promises a cornucopia of things for kids ages 3-10 to do—there will be authors like Caldecott winner Kevin Henkes, characters from their favorite books to pose for pictures with, such as Martha the Talking Dog and Lars the Polar Bear, and great storytellers to create a fun and interactive experience. Chris Fascione has proved to be a crowd favorite and combines juggling, storytelling, acting and mime for a real crowd-pleaser.
For the adults, there will be talks with Dr. Dana Suskind from University of Chicago and the Chicago Public Library’s own Children’s Librarian Jenna Nemec to discuss introducing literacy skills at home and getting kids interested in reading.
There will also be performances by the Mad Hatters of the Junior League of Chicago, the Jabberwocky Marionettes, and a Skippyjon Jones production put on by TheatreWorks USA. Bookamania also promises active play spaces and art and craft extensions which are new this year.
Things kick off at 11 a.m. and everything is free to attend, thanks to a grant from Target through the Chicago Public Library Foundation. So take your kids, your friends with kids, or your visiting nephews and nieces and head out to this event. For a full list of the day's activities, visit the Chicago Public Library’s website.