BOOK FESTIVAL INSPIRES CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Event will continue today at museum
“What makes you feel good,” asked Karen Finlay on Saturday “Ice cream?” Cheers. “Bookmarks?” A little less cheers.
“Reading?” More cheers than bookmarks.
Finlay inquired prior to reading, “Reading Makes You Feel Good,” to a handful of kids and their parents as the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum was transformed into a reading oasis for children during the inaugural Vallejo Book Festival on Saturday.
“I love this concept,” said Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan. “I use to read to my kids all the time. I hope this inspires more parents to read to their kids, and inspires children to read.”
Sampayan had his own reading assignment: “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss.
“I think it was a book meant for an older group than what we had listening,” Sampayan said laughing. “But it was still fun and I’m happy to see so many people here.”
Most of the gallery space on the museum’s first floor was reserved for several of Stan Clark’s inflatable sculptures; which are normally seen during the monthly Art Walk even in downtown Vallejo.
Many of the sculptures allow for children and parents alike to sit or lay underneath the inflatable. “This is so cool,” said one child, while reading a picture book under a sculpture. “I want to stay here until next week.”
In addition to getting a free book, kids were able to make their own bookmark, while parents learned about the Books n Blankies project which pairs age-appropriate books with blankets for little ones.
There were also cultural performances from Ballet Folklorico Moon Azteca and Seussical the Musical by On the Fringe Theater.
Put on by the Vallejo Literacy Alliance, Trevor Allen said the idea for the event began with Stan Clark and merging his inflatable sculptures with reading to create a “children’s fantasy land.”
“The turnout has been good so far,” Allen added. “One of the great things about this is that we have several cultural elements, including offering books in Spanish.”
Allen also thanked the museum’s executive director for supporting the festival.
“He’s been crucial and it’s just a fun event,” Allen said.
The festival continues Sunday, running from noon to 5 p.m with a performance by Quetzalli AC Ballet Folkorico at noon. That’s followed by a story time hour in Spanish, performance of Seussical the Musical by On the Fringe Theater at 3 p.m., and a story time at 4 p.m.
The Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum is located at 734 Marin St. in downtown Vallejo.