Hats and hares as library goes mad for March

THE Family Library already gives children a head start in reading. Now it is adopting a Mad Hatter theme for March.

‘It coincides with the release of Tim Burton’s film Alice in Wonderland,’ said the Librarian in Charge of the Department of Education-run library, Mary Cousins. ‘We took the opportunity to celebrate the work of author Lewis Carroll and the original illustrations, created by Sir John Tenniel. Our Mad Hatter exhibition shows Tenniel’s work, photographs of the real Alice and the work of other illustrators including Tim Burton.

‘We’re running a Mad Hat competition, asking children to decorate a top hat in the maddest way they know how. Hats have to be returned to the library by Saturday 13 March for our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, when we’ll have an Alice in Wonderland treasure hunt, Mad Hatter Tee Hee teasers and a few other activities’

Mary said: ‘During the last two weeks of March we are also organising our Mad Hare Bad Hair competition, when children have to create a really bad, mad hairstyle for the March Hare.

‘We hope our young members will join in the fun and new members are always welcome.’

Junior membership of the Family Library, on Westmoreland Road, Douglas, costs £2 per child and members may borrow up to six books, three CDs and one DVD at a time.

Parents can join for £5 and teachers get free membership.