Look For ChiIL Mama This Weekend: Bookamania, Old Town School, Lights Festival, Revolution Tattoo

It's Bookamania time again!   Come join us at one of our favorite free annual events.   We have loved Bookamania for years.   Come down to The Harold Washington Library this Saturday only, from 11-3PM.   

Bookamania 2008--Here's Mo Willems, kooky creative author and illustrator of kids' favorites like "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus" Next to him is our favorite punk rock librarian.  She's Logan Square's Children's librarian extraordinaire, Lisa.   And her alter ego is punk/metal guitar player from CoCoComa and Headache City, who opened for X at Metro.  By the way--Exene, lead singer for X was a librarian, too.     So go check out your local branch and tell 'em librarians ROCK!

One day a year, Chicago's flagship library is transformed into a magical land, brimming with beloved costumed children's book characters, live entertainment, numerous book related craft projects, and free books.   Children ages 3-10 and their families will have the opportunity to meet famous children’s book authors, illustrators,

enjoy puppetry, theater, dance, magic and music performances.  Activities run throughout the building, including in the Thomas Hughes Children’s Library, Winter Garden, Cindy Pritzker Auditorium and Main Lobby.

This year's highlights include Special performances 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.

Book Fiesta! co-creators Pat Mora, author, and Rafael Lopez,illustrator, will be there to sign books.  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. .

  SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCES:

Winter Garden Main Stage:
11 a.m.       Chris Fascione, Master of Ceremonies
11:30 a.m.  Jabberwocky Marionettes
12:30 p.m   Afro-Ethnic Folklorio
1:30 p.m.    Ken Lonnquist - Imagination Unlimited!
2:30 p.m.    Chris Fascione - Juggling Funny Stories

Thomas Hughes Children's Library:
11 a.m.        Mother Goose & her Friends
Noon            Storyteller Karen A. King
1 p.m.          Bill Hooper's Active Music for Children
2 p.m.          Jasmin Cardenas - Bilingual Folktales

Lobby:
All Day - meet your favorite storybook characters, sign the Fairy Tale Guest Book and watch Sean Masterson's Magic Up Close

Auditorium:
11:15 am. and 1:30 p.m.   Click, Clack, Moo by TheatreworksUSA

And don't miss the Puppet Bike at the State Street entrance.

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.”

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

Make a whole day of it.   After Bookamania, walk over to The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.  The parade steps off at 5:30 and fireworks are slated for 6:55.  Check out the full schedule here.

Old Town School of Folk Music Open House

If that's not enough, there's an excellent, free sampler going on from 5-10pm at Old Town School.   Click on the link for a full schedule.

Lucky enough to have a Saturday night sitter, an ex with a custody weekend, or no kids, but you like to read ChiIL Mama anyway..............?

Then head over to Revolution Tattoo on Western and say hey to our long time friends and excellent artists, Cheri and Omar.   They're having an opening at their place that features sushi...........and beer.........and creepy cool art. 

Love, Death and Torture

Paintings by Anne-Katrin Elliott

  

Opening Reception

Saturday November 21, 2009
8pm-11pm
Sushi & Beer
Music by DJ Pantera