Continuing its digital offerings, the UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center has announced a live family-friendly bedtime reading on Facebook featuring Australia-based Monkey Baa Theatre Company. Monkey Baa will join the Fine Arts Center on its Facebook page Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. to read “Diary of a Wombat,” the iconic children's book that the theater company was meant to present as a live stage production at the FAC.
In addition to reading the book, Monkey Baa director Eva Di Cesare will share the backstory of the company’s connection to the book's author, Jackie French, and picture book illustrator Bruce Whately. At the end of the presentation, Monkey Baa Theatre members host a talk back and will be able to answer questions from the audience. Pre-event drawing activities and an educator resource guide are available for download at www.fineartscenter.com/wombat.
Since it's billed as a bedtime reading, the Fine Arts Center invites young participants to ponder the question: If animals wore pajamas what would they look like? Before the reading, viewers are encouraged to draw their favorite animals wearing PJs and share it with the Fine Arts Center on Facebook during the live event. Those who share will be entered to win a wombat prize pack including a copy of the book, a stuffed wombat, and more from our friends at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Millions of young people around the world have adored the multi award-winning picture book, "Diary of a Wombat" written by Australian Children’s Laureate, Jackie French, and illustrated by Bruce Whatley. During the reading, you'll meet Mothball, the naughtiest wombat in Australia. Bored with her daily routine, Mothball goes in search of food and shelter, creating chaos in the lives of the humans around her. This delightful story illustrates what happens when an animal’s natural habitat is overtaken by humans. But fear not, Mothball discovers that with a bit of persistence, the humans are quite easily trained.
Monkey Baa is Australia's leading professional theatre company for young audiences, based in the ARA Darling Quarter Theatre in Sydney, and has conducted over 27 national tours to 135 regional and remote communities across every state and territory of Australia, four international tours and over 2,500 performances, engaging with over 1.3 million young people.
This event coincides with Children's Book Week (May 4-10) as well as Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8), and is sponsored by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, WRSI 93.9, and Hotel UMass. For more information, visit www.fineartscenter.com/wombat or the Fine Arts Center’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/UMassFineArtsCenter.