Buffalo News has a q&a with Kim Krug, who with her mother, Kathleen Skoog, opened Monkey See, Monkey Do children's bookstore in Clarence, N.Y., in 2009. Our favorite answer came to the question about what makes her store different:
"I think the extra is that we truly bring our books to life through our creative classes and programs. So not only is it that we pick very selective literature for our shelves, for children through adults, but we then put together really creative programs so that children get enriched learning from it.
"They're not just reading a book and going on to the next. They're writing about that book, they're discussing that book, they're doing an activity based on that book. We feel we've really helped spark that excitement in reading and learning again. We do book-themed birthday parties here. They're really popular. We'll pick any theme--"Alice in Wonderland," "Fancy Nancy," pirates and mermaids--and we'll pick books around that theme. We'll do crafts and activities."
