Press Release

October 19, 2009

Ruth Lednicer
Director of Marketing
(312) 747-4907
lednicer@chipublib.org

THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS BOOKAMANIA,
A CELEBRATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Once again the Chicago Public Library is celebrating children’s books and authors with its 16th annual Bookamania on Saturday, November 21, 2009, at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St. This free event starts at 11:00 a.m. and continues until 3:00 p.m. throughout the building, including in the Thomas Hughes Children’s Library, Winter Garden, Cindy Pritzker Auditorium and Main Lobby.

As Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey explained, “One of the best things a parent can do for their child is to instill a love of reading. Simply reading with a child and showing them the joy to be found in books will set them on a successful path to reading and lifelong learning. Bookamania offers families a day of fun, free activities celebrating the wonderful worlds that exist in children’s books.”

Children ages 3-10 and their families will have the opportunity to meet famous children’s book authors, illustrators and costumed storybook characters; enjoy puppetry, theater, dance, magic and music performances; and participate in dozens of book-related crafts.

This year’s Bookamania will feature Pat Mora children’s book author and illustrator Rafael Lopez, who together created Book Fiesta!. Also present will be Bob Barner, author and illustrator of Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar! and Jim Aylesworth, author of The Mitten. Charles R. Smith, Jr., the photographer of the book My People will be on hand to talk about his work as well. Children will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with life-sized, costumed characters George and Martha, Madeline, Norman the Doorman, Wild Thing and Max, Fairy Godmother, the Chicago Public Library Owl, the Storybook King and Queen and the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Special performances will be presented by Jabberwocky Marionettes, Ken Lonnquist, Chris Fascione,  Mother Goose and her friends, storyteller Karen King, Bill Hooper, Jasmin Cardenas’s bilingual folktales, and the always popular Puppet Bike. TheatreworksUSA will perform Click, Clack, Moo. A complete listing of activities is available on the Library’s website, www.chicagopubliclibrary.org.

Bookamania is made possible through a grant from the Chicago Public Library Foundation and the Target Corporation.

The Chicago Public Library is comprised of the Harold Washington Library Center, two regional libraries and 76 neighborhood branches. The Chicago Public Library offers a rich resource of books, DVDs, audio books and more, provides free access to the Internet and WiFi in all of its locations, as well as free public programs for children, teens and adults.

The Harold Washington Library Center, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library and Conrad Sulzer Regional Library are all open 7 days a week, the remaining 76 branch libraries are open 6 days a week and patrons can access all of the libraries’ collections online 24 hours a day. For more information, please visit the website at chicagopubliclibrary.org or call the Chicago Public Library Press Office at (312) 747-4050.