Kenji Ono delighted first and second grade children who are studying Japanese at Dunsmore Elementary School when he greeted them in Japanese and then went on to tell them about his work as an illustrator of children’s stories. Ono, a resident of La Crescenta, was part of Assistance League of Glendale’s program Authors and Illustrators. The event encourages students to read and write as they meet with authors in their classrooms in an intimate setting and are able to ask the writers and illustrators questions.

Also at the school were Laurisa White Reyes who talked to fifth and sixth graders while Ann Whitford Paul met the third and fourth graders and Lisze Bechtold met with kindergarteners on campus on Friday, Feb. 5. After a full day talking to the children, the authors were available after school at a book sale where the authors’ and illustrators’ stories were sold at a 20% discount to the children who then were able to have the books autographed.

Assistance League of Glendale also presented the school with $1,500 to purchase new books for the school library. Assistance League of Glendale has been sponsoring this program since 1997, donating books by the authors that visit the school as well as buying new books chosen by the school, and giving their time to guide the authors and introduce them to the students and hold the book sale after school.