Dance lovers of all ages are invited to sing and dance to Angelina Ballerina The Musical, coming to the Valentine Theatre for one show on Saturday, September 21, at 2pm. The ballet-loving little mouse and her friends will be competing in a dance contest at their new school, and will invite audience members to join their hip hop, modern dance, and Irish jig performances.

 No puppets or head masks here—just real actors doing new songs and original choreography in a one-hour show. Come in your toe shoes and tiaras for lots of fun! Advance tickets at the box office are $14. On-line sales also available at www.valentinetheatre.com. This show is the first in a series of four (others are Charlotte’s Web on February 15, Five Little Monkeys on March 29, and Stuart Little on April 6.) Tickets for the series are $36 for kids and $50 for adults.

brary House Children’s Books in Grand Rapids— ‘Take it slow’. As you peruse the selection of gently used books for kids from preschool to grade five. 

Office Manager Kim Foote says, “We want kids to love books as much as we do. We encourage them to roam, to touch and feel all the books we have here. There is a feeling you get with the pages of a book between your fingers that you can’t get from an e-reader!”

The books in the little yellow house are finds from library sales, auctions, and private sales, most priced less than $5.00. The store encourages home-schooling parents to visit for books, toys, and puzzles, and offers discounts to teachers. Kids of all ages will appreciate story time (Tuesdays 11am-11:30am), holiday crafts projects, and the chance to decorate the sidewalk in front of the store with colored chalk, as well as the large bronze and aluminum animals decorating the store.

As long as you’re in the book-looking mood, consider shopping at the owner Dorinda Shelley’s other shops:  Library House Books and Art (with antiques, art and multimedia titles) and the Happy Historian book store, both on Front Street, and drop in to her Antiques on Front store.

Library House Children’s Books, 24124 Front Street and on Facebook at Library House Children’s Books. 419 830-8050. M-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12noon-4pm.