Published: April 10, 2008 09:03 am         

A great start for festival

Reading and writing well are vitally important in the information age in which we live, and there is no better time to develop those skills than as a young child.

Children who grow up in a home that places importance on books and reading are much more likely to be readers themselves.

Parents had a great opportunity to help instill a love of reading and writing in their children during the first Festival of Children’s Authors and Illustrators on Saturday.

The event was spearheaded by Charlene and Jim Vrooman, who helped put on a similar event where they lived previously in New Hampshire. The event was supported by the Friends of the Village Library and the Cooperstown Parent Teacher Organization.

``It’s a fun and educational introduction into the joy of writing and drawing,’’ said Jim Vrooman. ``It’s great for kids as well as adults. What an experience for a child to meet the authors and illustrators of some of their favorite books.’’ The day was filled with kid-friendly workshops, including drawing demonstrations, creating original stories with the audience, and question and answer sessions with authors and illustrators.

Jim Vrooman said the first Festival was a success and that plans are already underway for another festival next year.

``We’ll definitely do it again,’’ he said. We congratulate the Vroomans and all those who helped with Saturday’s Festival for their recognition of the importance of reading and bringing a new kind of event to the village.