National Press Club hosts magical Children's Book Rap
An 11-year-old girl visiting the National Press Club on Aug. 27 said she liked “the hat with magic.”
What?
She was not delusional. She had just attended a special National Press Club Children’s Book Rap featuring Deborah Kalb and her book "George Washington and the Magic Hat."
In addition to the Book Rap, magician Con Ward led off the program with tricks. And each child was given a tri-cornered hat so the young girl indeed experienced “the hat with magic.”
The Press Club’s Conference Rooms were filled with parents and their children, mostly 12 and under, as Deborah was interviewed by her father Marvin Kalb. Both Deborah and Marvin are Club members.
The book is “about a boy named Sam who was feeling bad because his friend had joined a basketball team,” Deborah said. At the Mount Vernon gift shop Sam found a hat that, when he put it on, he suddenly found himself back in time to when George Washington was “a teenager, a colonel, a general and president.”
Deborah told how Sam instantly traveled back and forth between the 18th and 21st centuries depending on whether he wore the hat or took it off.
“It was fun to use my imagination and to make up characters. It was a fun way to learn about George Washington and history,” Deborah said.
Following questions from Marvin, who indicated he was “beaming with pride” at what his daughter had accomplished, she read portions of her book including a segment near the end about Sam’s experience crossing the Delaware River with Washington and the troops.
Deborah plans to continue with a series of books about succeeding presidents and their wives, giving the audience a peek at her intent to write about John and Abigail Adams by using a bobblehead of Adams instead of a hat.
A nine-year-old boy said the magic show in particular was his favorite. “The ring on the string trick,” he preferred.
A 10-year-old girl said she liked “the book” while another young lad of 10 said he thought “everything” was good and had already read 41 pages of the book.
“I liked how she let people ask questions and having the magician involved,” said a 10-year-old girl.
Ward continued doing tricks periodically and that kept the children occupied and interested for some time following the presentation.
NPC Board member Mike Freedman delivered the introductions on behalf of the Book & Author Committee.