SPOT Visits Local Children at Barnes & Noble Milford

More than 40 children patiently sat on the floor Saturday morning in Barnes & Noble Milford's children's books' department--called The One Hundred Acre Wood--and awaited the arrival of one of their favorite book characters, SPOT the dog.

As the Community Relations Manager, I had the privilege of escorting SPOT onto the stage and invited youngsters to come up and say "hello."

I think they were initially overwhelmed by the over-sized, cuddly yellow pup standing before them because at first no one dared to venture forward.

In fact, the kids were pretty quiet as they stared intently at SPOT, trying to reconcile how their beloved character jumped from the book pages to Barnes & Noble Milford! 

And, then they started coming forward--to touch SPOT's soft fur, give him a 'High Five," and even a hug! 

When SPOT left to get some dog treats, Miss Peg, Lead Bookseller in the Children's Department, read a Valentine's Day book, "The Love Monster." The children had the opportunity to create their own Valentine's Day cards, too. 

Miss Amy, Lead Bookseller in the Children's Entertainment, Toys and Games department, facilitated an art program for older children utilizing the Hands-On Learning Creativity Can. Using all of the craft supplies contained in their Creativity Can, children were able to design three-dimensional figures and collages.

 A full-size Creativity Can is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble for $19.95. One young girl had such a good time that her mom bought her the Creativity Can for her upcoming birthday!

Mark your calendars now for this Saturday's Kindness Matters Story time at 11 am. As we read about a llama who gets bullied by a 'Bully' Goat, we will discuss the need for bringing kindness and compassion into all of our relationships. This is a message that we all need to be reminded about. Registration is not necessary for this event.