First Reading!

Well, my picture book Little Bunny Kung Fu had it's first storytime debut!

I had taken my "dummy book" (mock up of the book to be printed), and since today was storytime, I was encouraged by my friends and fellow employees to go ahead and read it to the kiddies. I was planning on doing it once it was printed, but they felt my mock up book was storytime worthy, and I was happy to read it.

I told the kids at the beginning that they were the very first kids on the planet to get to hear and see the book. That worked! Then again... I did have stickers for them since they were being my guinea piglets. Stickers aside, I do think they loved the book!

I had much more success asking them if they knew the song "Little Bunny Foo Foo." I've asked adults and it's dimly remembered, but the kids knew the song and were all ready to sing the new Little Bunny Kung Fu, who we decided as a group, must be Foo Foo's Eastern cousin. hehe...

The best reaction was when the Tigress came down to talk to LBKF, and one little boy stood up, eyes wide as saucers and yelled "SHE'S GONNA EAT HIM!" It was like the whole process was worth it just to hear and see him say that! It was so funny and cute... just like I want my books to be: funny and cute.

The kids also liked finding the semi-hidden animals that witness LBKF's destructive habit and destroying bamboo. They also liked the Dragon, as kids do, and the message was simple enough that they "got it."

I even got some reactions from the parents. They liked the ways LBKF had to be restrained to listen, and how he gets around the last warning by doing the same thing in a slightly different manner (I got several laughs when they saw him use throwing stars).

So, it was an unexpected treat, and I look forward to having more storytellings where we can have color sheets and maybe even games.