Children’s author and artist Ezra Jack Keats once appeared on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and now a mini-grant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation will make a Mister Rogers-themed program available at the Kimball Library. The $350 mini-grant will fund “New Friends, New Neighbors” at the library Saturday Feb. 28. Kimball librarian Carla Asfeld received information on the grant this fall and passed it along to Margaret Arnold, vice chair of Friends of the Library. Friends of the Library is a group of individuals, families and businesses that supports and advocates for the library. “We knew we wanted to do something special for February because it’s ‘I love to read’ month,” Arnold said. “We saw that it would benefit not only the current patrons of the library, but also people that are new to the community.” Before applying for the grant a committee from Friends of the Library developed a program. “We chose ‘New Friends, New Neighbors’ to honor Mister Rogers, our nation’s most beloved neighbor,” she said. “He’s timeless in his message and how he promotes literature and cares for children.” The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation offers mini-grants to public libraries to encourage literacy and creativity in children. Keats started the foundation in 1963. In his lifetime, he illustrated more than 85 children’s books and wrote and illustrated 24 children’s books. He was known for being ahead of his time for multicultural storytelling. His book, “The Snowy Day,” featuring a little black boy earned him the Caldecott Award in 1963. Keats died in 1983 and in his will requested that royalties from his books be used to support the foundation. The foundation supports programs that increase literacy, inspire creativity, and enhance appreciation of arts in children, families and communities. Arnold learned at the end of October that the library recieved the mini-grant. “New Friends, New Neighbors” will introduce the library and Friends of the Library to children age 3-9 and their parents or caregivers. Newcomers as well as long-time neighbors may attend. The event is from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Kimball City Hall. Children will have the opportunity to read books and do crafts in Mister Rogers’ house. Mister Rogers’ “Neighborhood of Make-Believe” friends King Friday, Queen Sara and Prince Tuesday will serve a morning snack. One of Mister Roger’s favorite character-building phrases was, “I like you just the way you are,” which he learned from his grandfather. Each child will recieve buttons with this messege on it in addition to a free canvas book bag and a book. Registration is limited to 35 children. Register by calling the library at (320) 398-3915.
