‘They were a tough crowd’

Stefanie Frith

NEWPORT BEACH -- One wouldn’t think Mayor Gary Adams would have

problems speaking to a crowd. After all, he is used to running council

meetings and the city of Newport Beach. Yet there he was, stumbling over

words like “duck” and “muck” and admitting later that he had been a

little nervous.

Then again, at council meetings, the hot topic of conversation never

turns into a sing-along of “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.”

Adams joined a family story time on Saturday at the Newport Beach

Central Library in honor of National Library Week, which ended that day.

About 35 children ages three to seven and their parents gathered in the

story time room at the library to listen to songs and stories led by

assistant children’s librarian Judie Ashley. Adams took part by reading

“Duck in a Truck” and acting out scenes from “Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car.”

“They were a tough crowd,” said the mayor, who attended Saturday

morning’s story time with his wife Birgitt and two-year-old son Nickie.

Throughout the week, other guest storytellers included library

trustees Catherine Saar Kranzley and Patrick Bartolic and city manager

Homer Bludau. National Library Week is celebrated during April in honor

of the contributions of all types of libraries and librarians. It

overseen by the American Library Assn.

Judy Kelley, library youth and branch services manager, said that each

year the library attempts to come up with new themes for National Library

Week.

“This year we wanted to involve city officials,” Kelley said. “It

brings a greater awareness of the library to them, and they have a

greater appreciation of the story time. And parents and kids can see who

is governing our city.”

Ilene Wallach of Newport Beach only recently began attending story

times at the library with her two small children. Over the last week,

however, she has been three times in a row for the special National

Library Week programs.

“My mom was a children’s librarian, and she is always encouraging me

to take part in the things at the library,” Wallach said, watching her

children craft together a project. “And when I came, I thought, ‘Wow.’ I

had no idea that all this takes place here. And now my kids ask me when

we are coming back.”

Kelley said story times are important for parents and their children

to take part in because children learn socialization skills, as well as

the connections between words and sounds.

“They learn the progression of a story from beginning to end,” she

said. “Children just love the sounds, like from the story [Adams] read,

‘Duck in a Truck,’ because of the words like ‘duck,’ ‘muck’ and ‘truck.’

Those are important connections.”

For Wallach’s two children, Alexander, 2, and Spencer, 4, story times

are simply about being able to sing songs and do crafts. “It’s fun,” said

Spencer as he proudly finished the morning’s craft project.