DuPage museum focuses on young children for a week

Naperville Mayor George Pradel spent part of Sunday reading the children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," but not just for his own enjoyment.

He was one of the special guests who helped kick off the DuPage Children's Museum's Week of the Young Child celebration by reading and promoting literacy in young children.

"The more that they get to enjoy it, it becomes repetition for them and it becomes a part of their life," Pradel said after his brief stint as storyteller. "They learn so much by doing that."

Pradel was the main event in a two-hour block of storytimes that included a morning deejay and Dolly McCarthy, an NCTV17 news anchor. Naperville Park District Executive Director Ray McGury, and the museum's executive director, Susan Broad.

"We thought it would be a great thing to bring attention to the importance of reading to children," Broad said. "Any time the whole community gets behind anything important for children, all of those things can have a much greater impact."

Children and parents listened as Pradel read the story of a mouse who wanted more after receiving a cookie from a boy. Christine Lane of Lockport said the event was a great change of pace for her, in her first visit to the museum.

"It's so much better than sitting in front of the television," she said. "It's great that they are trying to emphasize this because it's really important."

The museum has been around for 23 years, the last nine of which have been in Naperville. The museum's director of marketing and membership, Alison Segebarth, said the Week of the Young Child focuses on the future of children at a young age. The museum will host several events throughout this week to promote this.

"It reinforces that value, of just even connecting with your child," Segebarth said.