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 by Jacqueline
Monahan
jaxn8r@msn.com
Photos by Judy Thorburn
City of
Las Vegas presents the 2nd Annual Target Children’s Book Festival
The pages turned on Saturday, November 3rd
in Centennial Plaza as the 2nd annual Target Children’s Book
Festival got underway. Several open air booths housed the
activities, refreshments, authors and sponsors that filled the plaza
with books and balloons.
Represented were the Clark County
School District, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District,
(library card sign up, book exchange and giveaways) Heaven Can Wait
Sanctuary, Tino Turtle Travels, (about a turtle who travels the
world, camera and all) United Way Success by 6, Wishingstone
Publishing, Vegas PBS Ready To Learn, Book Pals, Clark County Reads,
(literacy program information and specialists), Nevada Talking Book
Services, and the Titanic and Bodies Exhibitions, featuring hands on
activities. I saw a mini skeleton and a full-size skull at this
booth.
Also featured were the children’s
books of http://www.harmonysoup.com/ ,
the Target Book Club, Nevada Kids to Kids, City of Las Vegas Office
of Cultural Affairs, an Arts and Crafts Booth, (construction paper
pizzas in their own authentic box) and Animalations Publishing (yes,
animals play a big role). Even the United States Air Force had a
booth, celebrating their 60th anniversary. Want to fly? You’d better
learn how to read first. How’s that for motivation?
The Library District distributed
yellow back packs which the children could begin to fill with free
books from various sponsors. I saw several that were stuffed until
they could hold no more. A lifelong love of books starts early,
usually with the pride of ownership. “These are mine!” one youngster
was overheard to exclaim, carrying a backpack that was almost as big
as she was.
Children could also get their faces
painted, their caricatures drawn, and request balloon animals or the
helium-filled kind, red or white with the Target bull’s eye logo all
over them. Some of these could be observed escaping a small hand
accidentally and becoming airborne. Others popped unceremoniously,
accompanied by startled looks and a realization of cause and effect
(using a balloon for a chair is not such a good
idea).
Walking amid the young readers were Tino the Traveling
Turtle and The Mad Hatter who juggled three bowling pins for anyone
who’d stop and stare for a few moments. Live characters from between
the pages encourage children to “look them up” so to speak, by
opening a book.
Refreshments were provided
free of charge by Dog Daze (hot dogs, chips, bottles of water) and
Snowie (shaved ice in a cup). Flavorings were added by stepping over
to a large, multi-sided dispenser and choosing one (or several)
toppings. Your humble correspondent chose a flavor trio of banana,
wild cherry and the fierce sounding tiger’s blood
(watermelon-strawberry) for an icy, blended taste treat.
The
main stage featured an endless parade of stories and music, with
Phantom stars Brent Barrett and Kristi Holden, Michael Goudeau of
“Lance Burton, Master Magician”, and Channel 3 weatherman Kevin
Janison reading passages from their favorite books.
Janison also wrote his book, Deputy
Dorkface, about a town that is not allowed to bathe. While that
premise was a hit with many of the kids in the audience, the
sentiment was not shared by their parents. Janison engaged the
audience with his broadcaster’s voice and sense of mischief, handing
out Deputy Dorkface sticker badges and asking the crowd if they
could think of one profession that didn’t require reading. No one
could, but Janison admitted that rodeo barrel-racing once stumped
him.
Musical entertainment was provided by the United States
Air Force Band of the Golden West (wind instruments) and Viva
Mexico, a children’s band comprised of guitars, violins, trumpets
and a large bass fiddle.
Local authors Carla Masterson
(What’s On the Other Side of the Rainbow?), Sandy Hogan (Reginald
and Elizabeth, Lions of Moremi) and Eric Blanc (The Success of
Robert Fitzgibbons) manned their booths ready to tell a story or
sign a book quicker than you could say “Once upon a time.”
Masterson’s book offers a much-needed reassurance to children about
feelings, manners and self-esteem. There’s a surprise on the very
last page.
Literacy enrichment events like
this are especially important to our state. In 2005 Nevada’s youth
ranked 43rd nationally in reading and the average Nevada 4th grader
reads below the basic level. Making reading fun through efforts such
as this make everyone a winner.
The Target Children’s Book
Festival is a program of the Vegas Valley Book Festival, which is
presented by Nevada Humanities and the City of Las
Vegas.
For more information:
http://www.vegasvalleybookfest.org/
http://www.artslasvegas.org/
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