Photo Recap: Bertrand's Back-To-School-Birthday Bash

It's been more than ten years since I first conceived the idea of hosting a "Back-to-School Birthday Bash" for Bertrand the Mouse with the goal of connecting Bertrand the Mouse books to kids who need them. But the timing for hosting one was never quite right.

Why a "Back-to-School Birthday Bash" for Bertrand the Mouse that focuses on providing kids with books?

Because that is Bertrand's mission. His tagline reads, "Have you met Bertrand the Mouse? He’s always on the go and happy to lend a helping…paw…to bring the joys of reading to children."

During the pandemic, I read quite a bit about how remote learning was affecting kids and reading. So we started donating books for good causes. 

This year, we scheduled our first "Bertrand's Back-To-School-Birthday Bash" for August 19 at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

The whole point was for interested people to purchase discounted Bertrand the Mouse books for Santa (who was present that day) to give away to low-income children and special needs adults during the upcoming holidays.

Can you believe I actually missed the event?

I wound up in the emergency room that morning and was hospitalized for two days. 

But Santa, Jan Staley (owner of The Book Market), and Rebekah (pictured below) and Daniel carried on without me.

Santa gave away free ice cream to attendees. 

Rebekah baked miniature birthday cakes.

My granddaughter Riley read some of Bertrand's books to little Bertrand. That was his favorite part of the day! Look at him, how attentively he's listening!

And Jan actually sold seven books to one customer before the event. We had a few customers who bought books that day. And our family donated books, too.

I also had an order for a complete set of Bertrand books that arrived at my house after the event. I have some overstock. And Jan put together a box of overstock, non-Bertrand, children's book she had in the store.

So Santa left with nearly ninety Bertrand books, some overstock, and I have another  sixty-seven waiting for Santa at my house.

If you missed the event and would like to help, you still can.

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com, and I can coordinate an order for you.

Or pop into The Book Market in a week or so. 

Jan offered to keep a display going through the fall, so people can purchase one or more discounted Bertrand books for Santa to give away and read at events.

I am just waiting for more books to arrive. And then we can set up the display.

The display will also include Santa's contact information, in case you'd like Santa to visit your event or organization.

One of the best gifts Santa can give a ,low-income child or special needs adult during the holidays is the gift of literacy and a book of their very own. 

The joy of reading is a gift that will keep giving for many years to come.