Children from UAMS Head Start react during a book reading by Craig O’Neill.  Television anchor and funnyman Craig O’Neill invites interaction with Head Start students. After reading to Head Start children, television anchor Jason Pederson signed publicity photos for each one.  Santa, aka James “Bubba” Witherspoon of UAMS, heard the wishes of Head Start students during the book fair. Some of the UAMS Head Start staff assisting at the book fair, (l-r): Yojaina Loyd, Maria Garcia, Cugini Madison, Carla Turpin and Krista Huddleston.

Dec. 12, 2008 | Today’s THV news anchor and funnyman Craig O’Neill, “accidentally” spilled the stack of books he carried on the stage as the group of preschoolers watched. 

When he repeated the clumsiness and more books fell to the floor, the 4-and 5-year-olds broke into side-splitting laughter – a great start to a children’s book reading in a style that is uniquely O’Neill’s.

O’Neill was one of several local celebrities and even one major star (with the white beard and red suit) who volunteered to read at the Barnes & Noble Book Fair on behalf of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Head Start children.

The book fair at the store’s 11500 Financial Center Parkway location in Little Rock continues through its 11 p.m. closing tonight. A percentage of its book sales will be dedicated to UAMS Head Start’s annual holiday toy fund, called Stuff The Stockings, benefiting preschoolers during the holidays.

UAMS runs the Head Start-Early Head Start program in Pulaski County, serving 1,090 students from low-income homes. Barnes & Noble each year selects a community project to support through its book fairs and this year selected the UAMS Head Start program.

Other television personality readers were Bob Clausen and Jancy Sheats of KARK, Jason Pederson of KATV and Donna Terrell of Fox 16. Each reader spent about 15 minutes engaging the preschoolers with readings in the cozy children’s section of the Little Rock book store.

The children also played their parts to perfection: sitting in rapt attention, laughing, shouting (on cue), squirming (just a little), and applauding their readers.

If you would like your Barnes & Noble purchases to support the toy fund, simply tell the store’s cashier. Head Start and Early Head Start offer health, education and social services to children from low-income families.

The book fair also includes a gift-wrapping booth to raise money for the toy fund. The booth’s hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. today.

In addition, Barnes & Noble is sponsoring a book drive through Jan. 1 at its Little Rock and North Little Rock stores. The goal is to donate two books to each of the 1,090 Head Start-Early Head Start students in Pulaski County. So far more than 1,000 books have been donated.

Barnes & Noble’s contribution to Head Start will be based on total sales. Head Start’s goal is at least $10,000 in sales, of which 20 percent would go to the toy fund.