Vickie Tidwell of Jonesboro will serve as reader for the January Stories in the Forest program at 3 on Saturday, Jan. 7, at The Mall at Turtle Creek. A member of the St. Bernards Women’s Advisory Council, she will read How Do Dinosaurs Go To School by Jane Yolen (illustrated by Mark Teague) and The Shark Who Was Afraid of Everything! by Brian James (illustrated by Bruce McNally).
How Do Dinosaurs Go To School is about prehistoric pupils who are in a class all their own. Yolen and Teague capture children’s rambunctious natures with playful art and read-aloud verse.
Young readers get a feel for what it would be like if a very large Ceratosaurus stomped into their classroom … and what it might be like if the student sitting next to them was a gigantic Silviaurus who decided to jump on top of their desks. Readers join the action as the dinosaurs ride the bus, read their favorite books and have fun on the playground.
The book, published by Scholastic Inc. in 2008, originally was published in hardcover by Blue Sky Press in 2007. More than three million copies have been sold.
Yolen has been writing practically all her life. She sold her first book on her 21st birthday – Pirates in Petticoats. Since that time she has written more than 200 books.
The Shark Who Was Afraid of Everything! teaches children how to handle being afraid. Regardless of how hard he tries, Sharkie never seems to be able to overcome being scared of the world around him. To remedy the situation, he decides to run away. But a new friend, Lily, follows Sharkie … and the two play together for hours. Eventually they realize they are lost … but Sharkie steps up to the plate, overcomes his fears, comforts his new friend and helps them get home safely.
The book was published by Scholastic Inc. in 2002.
James is a young author whose work spans a number of genres.
The Stories in the Forest program gives parents some quality time with their children and exposes children to some favorite books of local residents. It is an outgrowth of the St. Bernards Women’s Advisory Council’s tremendously successful Kidz Fun Fair.
The Women’s Advisory Council is a group of about 120 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.