PRESS RELEASE - Public Library Relaunches 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program
Program features artwork designed by local children’s book author, Faith Pray
PORT TOWNSEND – The Port Townsend Public Library is proud to announce the relaunch of the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program featuring new artwork designed by local children’s book author & illustrator, Faith Pray. Youth & Outreach Library Manager Emily Rucker (née Bufford), who will manage the program at the library, says: “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a program that many in our community know and love. Since we launched the program in 2014, countless families have participated with their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. We are excited to bring this program to a whole new group of families.”
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is an early literacy challenge first developed in 2013 by a nonprofit organization based in Nevada. Since that date, hundreds of public libraries and schools have offered this program within their communities across all 50 states. The goal is to encourage parents and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their children before kindergarten. For some, it may seem like a daunting task, but parents and caregivers have been surprised at how quickly the books add up once they start keeping track. Whether it’s a new book, or the same picture book read over and over again, it is equally beneficial for early child development. A 2014 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics states: “Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development, and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy and social emotional skills that last a lifetime.”
Ms. Rucker says: “We wanted to make this program more accessible to kids and families by creating reading trackers that are intuitive and easy to use. Any picture books that you read with your child count towards the goal. Simply color in a circle for each book you read.”
Families will receive a tote-bag with Faith Pray’s artwork when they sign up for the program, along with their first reading tracker. Upon completing the program, kids will receive a free book from the Port Townsend Library Friends and Foundation, a certificate signed by the library staff, and they have the option of having their picture posted in the Children’s Room of the library. Additionally, the family will receive a full-color print of Faith Pray’s artwork.
Faith Pray says: “Reading together and sharing my love of books has been one of the best parts of being a parent. In designing the artwork for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program, I wanted to capture that feeling of closeness and care, but with a touch of wild curiosity and a nod to folktale traditions. I also wanted to pull in a hint of my 2019 PT Library’s Summer Reading design. Hence, the bears. And where better to enjoy a book together than a sunny day at Fort Worden?
The library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is generously sponsored by the Port Townsend Library Friends & Foundation.
# # #
Find more information about the library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, sign up, and download the reading tracker on the Library’s website: https://ptpubliclibrary.org/library/page/1000-books-kindergarten
Signing up for the PT Rotary's Imagination Library program is a wonderful way for kids and families to receive free books that count towards their reading goals. Learn more here: https://imaginationlibrary.com/us/affiliate/WAJEFFERSON/
Read the American Academy of Pediatrics study on early literacy: Council on Early Childhood; High PC, Klass P. Literacy promotion: an essential component of primary care pediatric practice. Pediatrics. 2014 Aug;134(2):404-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-1384. Epub 2014 Jun 23. PMID: 24962987
