Nature Cat, Booker Bear entertain kids at 11th book fest at Fellows gardens

YOUNGSTOWN

Several organizations worked together to “Plant the Seed to Read” in children.

The goal of the 11th annual book festival is to promote a love of reading, said Patty Zitello of Altrusa International of Youngstown, one of its planning organizations.

“All of the activities that we have today are to engage and stimulate children and encourage a love of reading,” she said.

Their second goal, she noted, is to provide a book for children.

“Every child gets to choose their own free book,” she said.

Typically, about 1,000 children attend the event at Fellows Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek Metroparks.

Other partner organizations for the free event are the park, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and Western Reserve PBS.

A variety of organizations, including The Vindicator, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio and the Carnegie Science Center participated Saturday. Storytellers and authors took part, as well. Kids could make crafts, enjoy a healthy snack and listen to stories. Nature Cat, from the PBS show of the same name, and Booker Bear, the library’s mascot, posed for photos.

Read more about the event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.