Authors, storytellers, and other guests are often invited to visit Whitewater’s Book Buddies program to share their unique insights on the importance of reading. This year, we have learned a lot about animal characters in stories and books. On October 6, Book Buddies welcomed Gayle Stettler who spoke about Wisconsin author Sterling North and his pet raccoon, the experience of which North formed the basis of his popular book, Rascal.

On Monday, October 13, Tammy Tomomitsu visited Book Buddies with her mini-donkey Otis and goat pal Geoffrey. The children were allowed to pet the animals while they asked a lot of questions and used their imagination to develop stories about Otis.

Book Buddies is a free, community after-school literacy program that pairs caring adult volunteers with children in grades Kindergarten through Grade 5. Volunteers read with their younger book buddies, thereby stimulating the child’s love of reading and hopefully improving reading skills. Guests who visit Book Buddies further demonstrate how enjoyable reading can be!

For more information contact Barb Penington at bookbuds1@gmail.com.

Editor’s note: This submission was provided by Barb Penington. Photos courtesy of Janie Anderson and Barb Penington.