Amelia Island celebrity sighting

There was great excitement recently when a celebrity was sighted in the historic district on Centre Street, Amelia Island. Heads turned as an elegant foreign sports car moved down the busy street, its passenger waving at those who recognized him. Children were especially excited when they recognized a favorite literary character — Paddington Bear. The oversized bear loves meeting his public, and it turns out he was in town visiting preschools in the area.

Paddington Bear's enduring popularity is his humor, empathy, and kindness. In his duffle coat, red hat, and fondness for marmalade sandwiches, he is beloved by all ages. No matter how extreme his challenges are, he always ends up a winner. Old and young alike flocked to the two Paddington movie adaptations.

The Paddington's celebrity appearance was thanks to Story & Song Bookstore's ramped-up outreach to young children in Nassau County. Paddington Bear is the most recent character visitor. Over two days, the popular bear visited eight schools across Nassau County from Fernandina to Callahan. Bear visits included a gift book for each child, courtesy of the popular island bookstore.

The outreach program was made possible by Story & Song's foundation, which funds the expanded program. Dearsha Johnson, Director of Children’s Merchandising and Programming, has been a key player in children's programming since the early days of Story & Song. She worked as an Early Childhood educator for approximately 8 years with preschool children. She has been involved in her church's children's programming since age 13. Her published book, "Frontier Girls: The Trouble with Pearl," is available at Story & Song. Ms. Dearsha charms children at 10:30 each Saturday morning with a timely story and craft hosted in the bookstore.

Mary Pinkston, an enthusiastic volunteer, gets involved when children's book characters come to town. She literally becomes the character, be it Biscuit the Dog or, most recently, Paddington Bear. She climbed into the large Paddington costume, complete with a fan in the large head to keep it cool. Children are mesmerized when a favorite book character enters the room. They interact and get hugs. Pinkston shared, “Volunteering with Story and Song’s school visits as the costumed character is an honor and privilege for me. My goal is to make reading a fun, memorable experience for children, creating a positive association with books and encouraging children to approach literacy with enthusiasm.”

Many of us remember visits to our local libraries as children and listening to beloved stories. Many characters remain favorites: Babar, Curious George, the Cat in the Hat, Max from "Where the Wild Things Are," and Winnie the Pooh. I remember the excitement of going to the library and choosing books to take home, and how hard it was to choose. One of my favorite gifts to new mothers is a selection of these classic books.

Looking for some holiday magic? Pull a small child into your lap, open an illustrated copy of "Twas the Night Before Christmas," and read it together.