June line-up includes: Bob the Builder, Elephant and Piggie, The Berenstain Bears, and the Animal Tales Players

Live celebrity children’s book readings:
Kathie Lee Gifford reading The Legend of Messy M’Cheany
Bernadette Peters reading Stella is a Star
Mike Berenstain reading The Berenstain Bears’ Really Big Pet Show

Enjoy arts, crafts, character parades and Little Flower Yoga on Astor Court

Bronx, NY – June 1, 2011 – Animal Tales Extravaganza at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo continues in June with celebrity children’s book readings, live performances, and costume character meet-and-greets.  Each weekend through Sunday, June 26 features top-rated children's entertainment in the New York Life Main Stage at the zoo’s Fisher-Price® Little People™ Grizzly Goodies picnic area.

In June, zoo-goers can watch Bob the Builder and the Can Do Crew in a special interactive performance on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5 or see The Berenstain Bears Live in  “Family Matters the Musical” on Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19. The Animal Tale Players from the Children’s Theatre Company at Lehman College are also returning in June with encore performances of “I’ll Huff and I’ll Quack and I’ll Blow Down Your Porridge.” Zoo-goers can “get lost in a book” as everyone's favorite animal books come to life. Weekends will include the chance to meet authors and celebrities at special readings on the Wild Asia Plaza.

Don’t miss television hostess Kathie Lee Gifford reading The Legend of Messy M’Cheany on Sunday, June 5; LuAnn Adams reading Elephant & Piggie on Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12; Mike Berenstain reading The Berenstain Bears’ Really Big Pet Show on Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19; and Broadway sensation Bernadette Peters reading Stella is a Star on Saturday, June 25. Performing their original show “If You Really Love Polar Bears…” on the Wild Asia Plaza, Making Books Sing will entertain and empower children through music, theater, puppetry, and physical comedy. Kids can walk through larger-than-life pages of some of the most popular children's stories as the zoo transforms new and classic tales into unforgettable interactive experiences including Penguin Group USA’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle; Simon & Schuster’s Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet; Macmillan’s Moon Bear, by Brenda Z. Guiberson; and Random House’s Wild About Books, by Judy Sierra.

Little Flower Yoga will lead families in animal-themed yoga sessions on Astor Court and the Animal Tales Players will lead a daily costume character parade starting at the arts and crafts area at the Dancing Crane Pavilion. Guests can visit New York Life's Child ID booths in Astor Court. All children who stop by will receive a complimentary Identification Card, complete with photograph and fingerprints. New York Life's Child ID program provides peace of mind to parents who are concerned about the safety of their children and want to take action to protect their children. 

  • Little Flower Yoga - Animal-themed yoga sessions, three times a day on Astor Court
    Weekends – June 12 at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm
  • Making Books Sing – Performances two times a day at Asia Plaza
    Weekends – June 25 at 12:30pm, 2:30pm
  • Character Parade – Two times a day on dates indicated
    Parades will go from the Dancing Crane Pavilion to the New York Life Main Stage
    Led by performers from the Animal Tales Players at 1:15pm, 3:00pm
  •  Arts and Crafts – Available throughout the course of the day at the Dancing Crane Pavilion
    11:00am – 4:00pm

Contact:
Max Pulsinelli: (o) 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org
Steve Fairchild: (o) 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adult admission is $16, children (3-12 years old) $12, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $14. Parking is $13 for cars and $16 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit www.bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.

If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to: www.wcs.org/donation.


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