“PERFORMING BOOKS” KICKS OFF SIXTH SEASON
OF STORYTELLING THROUGH THE PERFORMING ARTS
AT DOWNTOWN CENTRAL LIBRARY, SAT., AUG. 2

Performing Books begins its sixth season with ”Stompin at the Savoy,” by Bebe Moore Campbell and artist Richard Yarde, presented by dancers Channing Cook Holmes and Tara Cook, jazz pianist Delbert Taylor and storyteller Paulina Sahagun, at Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., on Sat., Aug. 2.  On the night of her jazz dance recital Mindy feels too nervous to go, until a magical drum whisks her away to the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem where she finds her “happy feet” with jazz greats Benny Goodman and Chick Webb. Half-hour shows are at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The program is free. 

Yarde, a celebrated artist and one of America’s foremost watercolorists, will be signing books after each performance.

The program is presented in conjunction with the Library’s exhibition, “Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture-Book Art,” in the Getty Gallery.

The Performing Books series is designed to introduce children ages 4-10 to the performing arts through books, offering them and their families the unique opportunity to hear stories read by professional storytellers and to see and hear them brought to life by professional artists through song, dance, voice and instruments.

The Los Angeles Public Library presents the Performing Books series in collaboration with the Music Center and the Los Angeles Times’ Reading by 9 program. Additional support is provided by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. 
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The remaining programs are:

Sat., Sept, 27
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andre Parker
Bill Cunliffe  ~ Jazz Pianist  Gerald James ~ Storyteller
As the young Art Tatum’s vision begins to fade, he learns to play the piano by listening to his
mother’s player piano.  Through the power of music, he forgets that he is blind and goes on to become a legendary “giant of Jazz.“

Sat., Oct. 18
The Chinese Violin by Madeleine Thein, Illustrated by Joe Chang
Kelvin Han Yee ~Storyteller  Marisa Sorijja ~ Violinist  Yana Reznik ~ Pianist
Lin Lin and her father move from China to California and their lives are forever changed. A Chinese Violin helps to bring bridge the old world with the new.

Sat., Nov. 22
Tubby the Tuba by Paul Tripp, Illustrated by Henry Cole
Chuck Koontz ~ Tuba   Alan Steinberger ~ Synthesizer  Peter Kors ~ Storyteller
In this beloved children’s story, Tubby the Tuba is tired of just repeating oompah, oompah. Then he meets frog, and together they show the orchestra that tubas can play melodies as well as other instruments. 
 
Sat., Dec. 6
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, Illustrated by David Jorgensen
 Keith Berger ~ Mime Artist   Pogo Saito ~ Storyteller    Vivian Liu ~ Pianist      
This children’s classic about a toy rabbit is a story of loss and the transforming power of love.

Parking is available in the 524 S. Flower St. Garage for $1 with library card validation. For more information, call (213) 228-7480 or visit www.lapl.org/kidspath. 

The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest urban population of any library in the country.  Its Central Library, 71 branch libraries, six million books and state-of-the-art technology provide everyone with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for life-long learning.

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