Want to do something wild this summer? Here鈥檚 a surprising suggestion: Stop by Stacks Book Club in Oro Valley.
Stacks has partnered with the Reid Park Zoo to launch a children鈥檚 Story Time series called 鈥淭ales from the Wild,鈥 featuring Julia Beres, an animal care supervisor at the zoo.
Zoo-centric Story Times will be offered on the first Saturday of every month at 9 a.m.
Next up: Beres will narrate 鈥淥tter Spotter鈥 by Phoebe Fox聽鈥 and share insights about the otters she knows聽鈥 next Saturday, May 2.
鈥淲e鈥檒l make sure it鈥檚 fun, but my real goal will be to share the joy I have when I鈥檓 with these animals at the zoo,鈥 Beres said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping the kids will love them, too, and learn there鈥檚 something we can all do help them. Every single person, no matter how old we are, can have an impact when it comes to nature and conservation.鈥
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Both Beres and Stacks co-owner Lizzy Jeffrey-Franco hope the Story Time series is just the start of an enduring partnership between books and beasts.
Already in the works is a Little Free Library that Stacks has agreed to stock and sponsor in the children鈥檚 play area at the zoo.
鈥淥n our end, we鈥檇 love to make this a long-term thing,鈥 Jeffrey-Franco said. 鈥淏ringing kids and animals together through books? What could be better than that?鈥
It was Beres who initiated the conversation with Stacks earlier this year.
Julia Beres, the animal care supervisor for Reid Park Zoo鈥檚 ungulates, hoofed animals such as giraffes, zebras, rhinos and gazelles, hopes to share stories about them with audiences at book readings. Last summer, Beres coordinated the delivery and care of a newborn zebra, Tambi. Two months ago, she welcomed another new critter, a baby giraffe named Ndizi.
鈥淚 live in Oro Valley,聽and I鈥檝e been following them since they were a pop-up at Steam Pump Ranch on weekends,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淲hen they opened the bookstore a few years ago, I started bringing my kids. My son even did their summer reading challenge last year, so when the zoo started encouraging us to promote conservation in the community, I knew just where I wanted to start.鈥
In short, Beres offered to curate Saturday morning Story Times in the hope Stacks would sponsor the zoo鈥檚 Little Free Library, which is now under construction.
It was not a tough sell.
Jeffrey-Franco: 鈥淚 never knew Julia was a zookeeper, so that was a fun surprise, and when we heard what she wanted to do? Immediately, I was like yes! That sounds amazing!鈥
Stacks Book Club in Oro Valley has partnered with the Reid Park Zoo to launch a children鈥檚 Story Time series called 鈥淭ales from the Wild,鈥 featuring Julia Beres, an animal care supervisor at the zoo.
The Story Time concept resonates with Beres because she herself learned to love animals early on.
鈥淢y sisters were in 4-H, and I remember raising orphan squirrels in our backyard,鈥 Beres said with a grin. 鈥淚 loved reading books about animals. I loved going to zoos. The up-close connection with animals is just special.鈥
While a student at the University of Arizona, Beres interned at Reid Park. After graduating, she worked in the education department at the Phoenix Zoo.
Today, she is the animal care supervisor for Reid Park Zoo鈥檚 ungulates, hoofed animals such as giraffes, zebras, rhinos and gazelles, and it鈥檚 been a busy nine months.
Last summer, Beres coordinated the delivery and care of a newborn zebra, Tambi. Two months ago, she welcomed another new critter, a baby giraffe named Ndizi.
She hopes to share those stories and more with her young audiences this summer.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 just be reading a book or two,鈥 Beres said, 鈥淚 want to talk about the animals, and tell stories about the zoo. If I can help get kids to love books and animals as much as I do, it will be a pretty good morning.鈥
Stacks聽is an independent bookshop located in the Oro Valley Marketplace, 1800 W. Tangerine Road.
Admission is free, but RSVPs are encouraged so the store can clear enough blanket space for everyone who plans to attend. Just visit .
Footnotes
- Inventory is now being ordered for Stacks鈥 new location at 2920 E. Broadway, near North Country Club Road, Jeffrey-Franco said. Barring any further delays, it should open late next month.
- Poet Balam Rodrigo will read both in Spanish and English this Thursday evening, April 30, at the University of Arizona Poetry Center. A former professional soccer player, Rodrigo has published more than 40 books of poetry, one of them 鈥淐entral American Book of the Dead.鈥 For more, visit聽.
- The Rogue Theater will host a free poetry reading and friendraiser called 鈥淐oming to Our Senses鈥 this coming Thursday, April 30, at 6 p.m. Greg Hart will read from his newly published collection, 鈥淲e Are Here,鈥 and the audience will share their thoughts about the arts, education and philanthropy. Music will be provided by Arnulfo Velasquez, and refreshments will be served.
- Save the Date: Next year鈥檚 Tucson Festival of Books will be March 13-14, Executive Director Abra McAndrew announced.
- Full-time astronomer and part-time author聽聽is among 223 scholars and artists selected to receive this year鈥檚 Guggenheim Fellowships, the Guggenheim Foundation has announced.聽Hamden is an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Arizona.聽
