Sunday Blurb: Children’s Literature and Literacy Events and News

I’m up a wee bit early this morning, partly because I’m jazzed about Share a Story ~ Shape a Future 2010 which starts tomorrow, but mostly to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bit of quiet morning, and the Sunday *paper*. That’s what Sunday’s are for, right? Here are a few of the tidbits I’ve found this morning.

The cover story for this week’s Parade magazine is What America Cares About, which is covered in the article “Compassion Counts More than Ever,” by Michael J. Berland. It is very heartening to see the great numbers of people volunteering in their communities. According to the Parade.com poll, “Ninety percent [of parents] said that they are working hard to teach their children the importance of activism.” What is not so heartening is that when Americans were asked how they would donate $100,000 for charity, literacy comes in13 of 16. Wow! So many of the higher-ranked problems – research to cure disease (2nd), poverty relief/job assistance (6th), public health (10th), would significantly benefit from eliminating illiteracy. Don’t get me wrong, these are very important issues that take all of us, it is just disheartening to see the perception of what literacy is and how it impacts our world.

I wish I had an excuse to head to Massachusetts. The Wavepaint Gallery, Ipswich MA is hosting “The Illustrator Show,” a display of works by children’s book illustrators Jarrett Krosoczka, Ed Emberley, Jamie Harper, Andy J Smith, Mary Jane Begin, Pat Lowery Collins, and Julia Purinton. The exhibit includes original illustrations will be presented beside their printed books. The Exhibit runs from March 1 to April 23. There is an illustration lecture/reception on April 23, 2010, from 4 to 7 pm). The Gallery Della-Piana in Wenham will have their own exhibit of children’s book illustration at that same time, so grab the kids and have a fun afternoon traveling up or down route 1A admiring art for children’s literature. Maybe I’ll luck out and some of my Northeast-based blogging friends will visit and tell us more … or maybe there will be a virtual gallery, too. (via Andy J. Smith on JacketFlap.com)

In today’s Charlottesville Daily Progress, librarian Jacqueline Lichtman tells us about the Tumble Book library at the Jefferson Madison Regional Library.  “Tumble Book Library, an online collection of animated talking picture books, … includes animated boos, reading comprehension quizzes and educational games. Kids love the movement and the voices, as well as reading along.” I’d love to link you to her article, but I couldn’t find it on DailyProgress.com. Grrr! Bottom line: TumbleBooks is purchased by schools and libraries, but is available for FREE to students and patrons. There are 30-day free trials ont he TumbleBooks.com website.