Posts Tagged ‘reading’

Reading to your little one is the perfect way to spend a June afternoon — mix that with a little live music, and you’ve got a fun (and free!) day.

Start the season right: Tomorrow, all-girl band Care Bears on Fire performs at the Brooklyn Public Library to kick off BPL’s Summer Reading Program. After hearing these 14 and 15-year-old rockers do their thing (think The Ramones meets The Donnas) on the steps at Grand Army Plaza at 3:30pm, head inside to check out this year’s summer reading list for kids and pick up a few titles for a rainy (or sunny) day.

Rock on.

Visit summerreading.org.

Welcome to story time season. Lately several city venues have added free book readings for kids to the calendar, including Housing Works Bookstore, FAO Schwarz and Battery Park’s Action Center.

The Strand Book Store, a New York landmark, now joins the bunch with a weekly family hour where staff members read from their favorite children’s books. In addition to the Thursday get-togethers, stay tuned for special events with local writers (next month welcomes Harry Bliss, author of Luke on the Loose).

Those miles and miles of books are sounding better and better.

When: Thursdays, 3:30pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway at 12th St. (second floor children’s department), 212-473-1452, strandbooks.com.

After a weekend full of errands, birthday parties and dodging tourist traffic, you and your stroller-bound little sprout are ready for a break.

Start the week with a story: Every Monday, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe hosts an event for wee ones to read stories and sing songs. A non-profit bookstore and event space in Soho (not to mention a hotspot for local literary insiders), Housing Works also offers special cafe and book discounts during story time — even better, the profits from all those magazines and macchiatos goe directly to help homeless New Yorkers.

Monday doesn’t have to be manic — in fact, it can be downright relaxing.

When: Mondays, 11:30am; Ages 3 and under; Free.
Where: 126 Crosby St. (bet. Prince & Houston), 212-334-3324, housingworks.org.

This weekend, check out CMOM’s new exhibit, “Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books,” which chronicles the popular Little Golden Books collection. Original artwork from much-loved titles like The Poky Little Puppy, Scuffy the Tugboat and Home for a Bunny are on display. On Saturday, stop by for a reading with author Dan Yaccarino and an appearance by the Poky Little Puppy himself (3pm).

Launched during the first year of WWII, the Bronxville-based Little Golden Books forever changed children’s literature — and the first books cost just 25 cents. See this charming history for yourself.

When: On view through August 28.
Where: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St., 212-721-1223, cmom.org.

You’ve read all the material on how to prep your DD for a new arrival, but maybe what she needs is a good story. Brooke Shields captures the excitement of becoming a big sis in her new children’s book, Welcome to Your World, Baby. With colorful illustrations by Cori Doerrfeld, the book paints a happy picture of sisterhood — down to sharing pink nail polish and hosting super secret sleepovers.

Catch the author/celeb mom at a signing, next week at Barnes & Noble in Tribeca — and let your DD see other big sisters in the making.

When: Tues. 6/24, 4pm.
Where: Barnes & Noble, 97 Warren St., 212-587-5389.

Your kid loves Paul Frank (he’s got the hoodie), your DH thinks it’s cool (he’s got the boxers), and even you can get on board with that cute little monkey (which you refuse to wear, but still).

Paul Frank’s first children’s book, Only in Dreams — A Bedtime Story follows mascot Julius the Monkey through a journey into his imagination. And imagine this: Rock musician Andrew W.K. will read the picture book to little dreamers this weekend. Stick around for an autograph from Julius himself.

When: Sun. 5/25, 12:30-4pm; All ages; Free.
Where: McNally Robinson, 50 Prince St., mcnallyrobinsonnyc.com.