‘Children’s Art Calendar’ benefits local libraries
Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man,” Blue from Tui T. Sutherland’s “Wings of Fire” and Umi Sakura’s Fukumaru the Cat from “A Man and His Cat” are all pictured in the 2022 Friends of the Redwood Libraries’ Children’s Art Calendar, now available for everyone to enjoy.
“It is a great feeling having the 2022 calendar ready for folks to purchase. The members of the Friends of the Redwood Libraries work so hard to raise funds to support our libraries, and the pandemic has limited our ability to accept book donations and hold sales until recently. Our wonderful Serendipity Book Store is not open yet, so our sponsors have generously donated enough funds for both the printing and mailing. Calendars can be mailed to anyone who wishes one or more,” said Marilyn Tucker, past president of Friends of the Redwoods Libraries and current coordinator of the calendar committee.
For 12 years, the nonprofit Friends of the Redwood Libraries has been putting out a colorful calendar to raise funds for the Humboldt County Library system and to foster a love of reading for all. The images in the calendar are all
created by local kids. This year’s calendar theme is “My Favorite Story Animal.”
“It was so wonderful having so many children submit their artwork,” Tucker said.
She added: “In the past, our theme was ‘favorite book or character in a book.’ This time it was narrowed to ‘my favorite story animal.’ So many great children’s books revolve around animals that it was fun seeing
the variety and the personalities portrayed. I have heard from several parents and grandparents telling me how much their children and grandchildren enjoy being a part of this project. This makes it all worthwhile.”
Friends of the Redwood Libraries volunteers work diligently year-round to support the Humboldt County Library system. The organization was founded
over 50 years ago to stimulate interest in the needs, services and facilities of local libraries as well as to raise funds to enable the libraries to procure books and other materials, and to meet other library needs not provided for in the regular budget. (For more information about Friends of the Redwood Libraries, visit http://www.eurekafrl.org.)
The annual calendar is just one of the myriad ways
Friends of the Redwood Libraries raises these funds. This year, the Friends received over 70 calendar entries from local children ages 5 to 12.
All of the submitted pictures are viewable within the Children’s Art Calendar somewhere — from the “month” pages to cameos throughout, Tucker said. Every child who entered artwork has received a gift certificate to the Serendipity Book Store, located upstairs in the Eureka Main Library. (The store, which should open before too long, remains closed due to the pandemic at this time.)
Calendars can be purchased at the circulation desk at the Eureka Main Library (1313 Third St.) or can be ordered and mailed out.
The cost is $9, with postage included. Online order forms are available at eurekafrl.org. Sponsors have donated funds to cover the cost of printing and mailing, so all proceeds will go to the Humboldt County libraries.
Tucker said the calendar fundraiser was the brainchild of former Friends of the Redwood Libraries board member Roger Cinnamond, a retired high school and college art teacher.
“He came up with the idea to create a ‘Children’s Art Calendar’ and he even taught free art classes to children to get it started,” she said. “Roger sadly died in 2013, but we remember him fondly. The 2014 ‘Children’s Art Calendar’ was dedicated to his memory.”