Saturday, February 1, 2025: Families with children are invited to Take your Child to the Library for a day of Library joy, button-making from 12-1pm and a scavenger hunt. With the inspiration of the Children’s Mural art by Cynthia Meyers, we welcome special guest Doug Salati alongside our ROAR therapy dogs, Pistachio the Rooster, and BenAnna Band. To register or for more information, visit the event page.

10:30-11:00 am: Family Storytime with Doug Salati | Families with children of all ages are invited to celebrate Take Your Child to the Library Day with a storytime featuring our special guest, Doug Salati, author and illustrator of the 2023 Caldecott award-winning book Hot Dog. Come talk, read, play, move, and sing together in this celebration of Library Joy! 

11:15-11:45 am: Hot Dog Cart Art | Register to visit the Hot Dog Art Cart with Doug Salati to customize your own weiner dog inspired by the art in Hot Dog, Doug Salati’s Caldecott Award-winning picturebook. There will not be food served at this event. Registration strongly encouraged.

11:30 am-12:30 pm: Read to ROAR | Children entering grades 1-4 enhance their oral reading skills by reading to trained therapy dogs from ROAR Ridgefield. Time slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring a favorite book to read or pick one out in the library before your session. Registration is required.

1:00-2:00 pm: Play Pokemon with Pistachio the Rooster | Ridgefield Library’s very own Pistachio the chicken is teaming up with Pokémon Players Club for a special event. Join Pistachio as he learns how to play the Pokemon TCG and makes Pokémon crafts. Beginners and experts alike are welcome to attend. A very special “Pistachio ex Pokémon Card” will be distributed at the event. Don’t miss your chance to own this special limited edition card! What a great way to kick off the month of “love” by sharing it with Pistachio, Pokémon Players Club and, of course, the Ridgefield Library. 

2:00-2:45 pm: BenAnna Band Family Concert | BenAnna Band is a nationally touring children’s band that focuses on music and inclusion for kiddos of all ages, abilities and identities. This family-friendly, interactive concert will give you a chance to dance, sing and play along with Ben and Anna at the Library! This program engages both the caregiver and the child together, so all attendees should expect to participate. Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.