The Reading Ambassadors hosted their third session on June 10th, and it was truly a special evening. With just one event left in this four-part series, this night stood out for its warmth, energy, and rich cultural connections.
This was one of our first sessions held almost entirely in Spanish—a significant step in making our programming more inclusive and reflective of the families we serve. The story for the evening was Lola Wants a Cat, read aloud in Spanish by a dedicated parent, accompanied by her young son. As her animated co-reader, he supported her beautifully with his enthusiastic presence and lively participation. With a puppet in hand, he elaborated with emotion, movement, and sound effects that had the children absorbed into the story. One moment that resonated with everyone was when he paused and shared, with humor and longing, that he understood Lola’s desire for a cat—because he really wants one, too! It is a reminder of how deeply children can relate to the characters they meet through books.
Following the reading, the children eagerly took part in a themed craft activity: designing their own imagined cat companions. With a colored paper plate and used pre-printed sheets labeled in both English and Spanish to cut and paste whiskers, eyes, ears, and noses, each child created their own unique cat faces. The bilingual labels supported vocabulary development while letting creativity shine. The children beamed with pride as they showed off their creations and crowded for photos.
Adding to the joy of the evening, the team invited a family with three young children—who happened to be dining at Papa Gino’s—to join in for the craft and photos. The children quickly jumped into the activity and were included warmly. The team, ever prepared and resourceful, welcomed this spontaneous guest family with age-appropriate books in English, so that everyone participating could enjoy the session’s gifts to bring home. The joy of the whole group was contagious, and it was clear that all felt seen and celebrated.
The FACES team felt deeply fulfilled—by the children’s enthusiasm, the generosity of the venue, and the spontaneous moments of community connection that made the evening so memorable. We’re excited to build on this momentum as we prepare for the fourth and final Reading Ambassadors event!
Click here to read about the Reading Ambassadors second gathering
