On Saturday June 4th, Malden Kiwanis Club along with Malden Reads hosted an event called “Bubbles and Books”. The event was held at Miller Park from 3:00pm – 6:00pm. At the event, there was face painting, a storyteller, a puppeteer and giant bubbles created by James Dichter. All young children who attended the event also received one book to take home, and the remainder of books were donated to the community of Malden.
Malden Kiwanis Club is an organization of volunteers who are dedicated to changing the community and providing for people within the community. George Holland is president with Trevor Young as vice president. Dr. Robert Moro is the treasure and Alex Dan is the secretary. The club meets weekly on Thursdays at Anthony’s in Malden and sponsors several Service Leadership organizations, including Malden High School’s Key Club, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School’s Key Club and Builder’s Club and Circle K and Simmon’s College.
Ditcher, also known as “bubble guy” is a bubble artist from Waltham, Massachusetts. He can create bubbles of all sizes, whether it’s big, small, large or wide. He has showcased his talents on several occasions in the Boston Area, such as the Boston’s Children’s Museum and on the Boston Common. He also posts videos of the bubbles he makes on his youtube channel.
The puppeteer at the event was Lindsay Aucella, owner of “Lindsay and her Puppet Pals.” According to her biography on her website, Aucella’s “comedic animation and timing, high energy, and uncanny knack for silly voices electrifies young crowds (and mastery of gentle crowd control will bring them back!) [She] believes the visual and interactive nature of puppetry can access the imaginations of even the youngest children.” Aucella typically makes annual visits to elementary schools, libraries, and early learning centers. She also performed at the inauguration of New Hampshire Governor Hassan and the 2014 Massachusetts Special Olympics at Harvard University.
Overall, the event was a success for the Kiwanis Club and Malden Reads. Young children were in awe of Ditcher’s bubbles and Aucella’s puppet performances.
