Take Time to Read: Book Cover Walking Tour

Bellevue | Burien | Issaquah | Kent
Kirkland | Mercer Island | Renton | Vashon

A library event, most definitely, after my own heart!  What better way to start Spring than to take advantage of the warmer weather and take a guided tour of one of the local communities that are participating in this unique way to experience your favorite books and authors.

The KCLS website describes it best: “The KCLS Book Cover Walking Tour is a display of over 100 framed book jacket covers for all ages creating an outdoor gallery throughout eight King County communities from March to the end of May 2011.” You can either use your cell phone to dial into the tour or download to your .mp3 player. The KCLS website also provides convenient maps to the locations so you know just how long of a walk you’ll be getting yourself into!

The Book Cover Walking Tour is a part of the multi-year initiative to Take Time to Read. Sponsored by King County Library System Foundation, Take Time to Read aims to increase reading across King County.  You might have also seen Quick Reads Shelves in various locations.

Sadly, I’ve only read *three* of the books listed in all of the walks.  So many books to read, so little time. Conveniently, there is a quick link to place a hold on any of the titles listed in the walks! Stay tuned for my recap…Bellevue and Kirkland walks are definitely on my list of things to do in April!

The Liguria Bakery: A Dog and Phony Show

On a recent visit to San Francisco, my wife and I stayed in North Beach at the Washington Square Inn. One morning, my wife looked out the window and saw two dogs patiently waiting on the sidewalk. A few minutes later, she went over to pet the dogs.

The dogs were remarkably calm! Looking at them close up reveals why.

These amazing dogs have been drawn onto the side wall of the Liguria Bakery (great focaccia) at 1700 Stockton St.

Trompe l'œil
These dogs are a good example of trompe l’œil, which is French for ‘deceive the eye’. It is an art technique that creates an optical illusion so that depicted objects appear in 3D.

One of the greatest practitioners of trompe d'œil is the pavement chalk artist, Julian Beever. Here’s his chalk drawing entitled, Eiffel Tower Sand Sculpture. If you look carefully at the drawing, you can see the lines in the sidewalk.

Notice that the artist is standing in the distance, giving the appearance that he’s actually standing on top of the sculpture.

Here’s another chalk drawing, entitled, Make Poverty History. Again, the artist is standing in the distance, making it seem as if he’s standing on top of the earth.

If you were to view this chalk drawing from the side, you’d see how distorted it is. Yes, it’s the distortion that creates the optical illusion.

Meet the Author: Samantha Vamos

On Tuesday March 22nd at noon, meet Samantha Vamos, whose most recently published children’s book is The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred. Join us at the Redmond Library, where you’ll get to chat with the author, look at early illustrations for her books, and watch a short movie on being an author. You’ll even get to take home an activity sheet.
Ages: preschool and older

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred
Synopsis:  When a farm girl starts cooking, all the animals want to help. The cow contributes milk, the hen offers eggs, and even the duck makes a special trip to the market.

While the pot is bubbling merrily on the stove, everyone dances and sings - but who is watching the cazuela? Samantha R. Vamos and Rafael López serve up a spicy tribute to the classic nursery rhyme "The House That Jack Built" in this bilingual celebration of community and food.

Watch the trailer:

For more information on Samantha Vamos, see About Samantha.

Redmond Library Schedule of Events
For upcoming events for children, including the popular Story Time program, see the Redmond Library’s Schedule of Events.

Teen Librarian…Extraordinaire!

I’m a little behind the curve here (better late than never…), but I wanted to take a moment to continue to congratulate Amanda Hirst, Redmond’s Teen Librarian. 

Amanda was honored by the Lake Washington School District Parent Teacher Student Association in February for her service to the community.  Each year, during their Founder’s Day Luncheon, Lake Washington PTSA honors individuals from the community for their outstanding work with children and youth. Amanda facilitates much networking and programming with the Redmond High School and faculty nominated her for the award.

Want to catch Amanda in action?  Visit the Redmond Library and check out a teen event!