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Children’s Book Week 2016 Kick-Off Event Recap | May 25, 2016

by Nicole Sclama (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)

The first week of May marked the 97th annual Children’s Book Week. To kick off the CBW festivities, an interactive event was held at the West Village’s Jefferson Market branch of the New York Public Library. Around forty children came to play games, make arts and crafts, and meet their favorite authors and illustrators. There was even a surprise visit from Curious George himself!

Some kids helped authors write a story for kids’ book artists to illustrate in a hilarious game of “Story Ball,” while others joined the authors and illustrators to act out their favorite books and characters in a rousing game of charades. But no trip to the library is complete without some quiet time—the laughter was hushed during a soothing and relaxing session of yoga, which was perfectly crafted for our youngest readers.

After yoga, kids decorated their own paper crowns and notebooks with silly stickers, while waiting to meet their favorite creators in the book signing area. It was a perfect start to Children’s Book Week, filled with everything we love about working in children’s book publishing: enthusiastic young readers, engaging authors and illustrators who know how to capture the joy of being a kid, and lots of fun!