Senior Associate Vice Chancellor at ASU is Featured Reader
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Dr. Glen Jones, senior associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research at Arkansas State University, looks at a storybook with Lydia and Mason Morrow, children of Mark and LeAnn Morrow of Jonesboro. Jones will be the reader at the Jan. 5 Stories in the Forest program at 3 p.m. at the St. Bernards Fun Forest at the Mall at Turtle Creek.
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Dr. Glen Jones, senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and research at Arkansas State University, will be the featured reader at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, at Stories in the Forest, a program sponsored by the Women’s Advisory Council of the St. Bernards Development Foundation.
The January storytime will be held at the St. Bernards Fun Forest at the Mall at Turtle Creek.
Jones will read two short books – It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler and Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman.
It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny is a story about a bunny named P.J. who decided that he no longer wanted to be a bunny. He hates carrots … he hates big ears … and he hates big families.
So he sets out to become something else. He tries to be a bear … but he decided they slept too much. He explores being a beaver … but they worked too much. He didn’t care for the smell associated with skunks … he couldn’t fly, so he didn’t fit into a bird family … and he couldn’t hang upside down like the possums.
Eventually, P.J. decides being a bunny isn’t so bad after all. He finds a warm welcome at home and even manages to eat carrots daily with a smile. The obvious lesson children learn from this book is regardless of the things you dislike about being you, that is preferable to attempting to be someone … or something … you are not.
It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny is one in a series of 11 P.J. Funnybunny books written by Sadler. Others are The Very Bad Bunny; P.J., The Spoiled Bunny; P.J. Fnnnybunny in the Great Tricycle Race; P.J. Funnybunny in the Perfect Hiding Place; Knock, Knock, It’s P.J. Funnybunny; P.J. Funnybunny Camps Out; P.J. Funnybunny and His Very Cool Birthday Party; Honey Bunny Funybunny; P.J. Funnybunny’s Bag of Tricks and Money, Money, Honey Bunny!
Sadler also is known for her Alistair series of books and her Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century books.
Are You My Mother? is a fun book about a little bird that is hatched – and falls from the nest – while his mother is away. Confused, he asks everyone – and everything – he comes in contact with: “Are You My Mother?”
Of course, the answer is “No” from a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow, an old car, a boat and a plane. At last, he is certain he has found her, climbing onto the teeth of an enormous steam shovel. Though, the dirt mover is not his mother, he is dropped back into his nest by the big shovel.
And, sure enough, his mother is returns with worms for her baby bird. The reunion is a secure ending for any young reader.
Eastman was born in Amherst, Mass., and worked for a period of time in the story departments of both Walt Disney Productions and Warner Bros. Cartoons. He later worked in the story department of UPA Pictures, contributing to the “Private Snafu” World War II training films and writing for the animation Mr. Magoo and the Gerald McBoing-Boing series.
He was a protégé of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and wrote many books for children. They include Go, Dog. Go!; The Best Nest; Flap Your Wings; The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary; Red, Stop! Green, Go!; What Time Is It?; Sam and the Firefly; Sam and Gus Light Up the Night; and Big Dog … Little Dog.
Two lucky children will take home copies of the books, compliments of Barnes & Noble.
Stories in the Forest are monthly events sponsored by the Women’s Advisory Council of the St. Bernards Development Foundation and held at the St. Bernards Fun Forest at The Mall at Turtle Creek. In addition to giving parents some quality time with their children and exposing children to some favorite books of local residents, the storytimes have an educational focus, with printed materials available for parents.
Stories in the Forest is an outgrowth of the Women’s Advisory Council’s tremendously successful Kidz Fun Fair. This year’s Kidz Fun Fair featured Walt Disney World magician Brian Staron and drew about 2,000 people. The fair offered health information as well as entertainment and other activities.
The Women’s Advisory Council is a group of about 100 area women who have joined together in an advisory role to give input on important healthcare issues impacting women and children. They encourage educational as well as service outreach efforts designed to make Jonesboro a better place to live, work and raise families.
