Parents of Young Children Flocking to Early Risers Storytime Program

If you’ve recently visited Dedham Square, you may have spotted gaggles of parents, children and strollers in the early morning hours every Saturday. Word has it that they're going straight to Early Risers Story Time, hosted at TLC Studios & Media Lab right in the heart of Dedham, MA. 

For those with little ones who wake up in the wee hours, it can be a big challenge to find opportunities that keep them entertained - without resorting to tablets, devices and screens. The Early Risers Story Time, which is held on  Saturdays at 8 a.m., has become a wonderful option for families who want to find a fun, free, educational, in-person experience for their children.  

Early Risers Story Time began at the independent bookstore Blue Bunny Books in Dedham Square, owned by best-selling children's book author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. The event quickly outgrew the shop's space, and moved its new location right around the corner at Reynolds' nonprofit creativity center TLC Studios & Media Lab at 390 Washington St.

Reynolds notes, "Over the past two decades, The Blue Bunny has been known for quality events for all ages. After taking an obvious break during COVID, we've ramped up our events. As we've done that, we wanted to be sure we were offering something to families during those early hours when parents are in need of a good cup of coffee and quality learning experience for their little one."

Then, Reynolds met Kiersten Case, a local music educator, and children’s performer, who also happens to be a neurodivergent adult with special sensitivity to children who learn differently. The two worked together to launch​ the weekly Early Risers Story Time, which features Case's performer character Ms. Kiersten.

Case shares, "I love bringing joy and representation to children while helping them connect through story, music and movement - so this collaboration with Peter and his team has been an incredible opportunity to expand my impact." 

Case runs a children’s YouTube channel, Ms. Kiersten’s Music Corner, and released her debut album, Connecting the Dots, featuring songs that celebrate neurodiversity, fun dance tracks, and whimsical tales of honeybees living under toasters. Currently, she is working on Lilypad Academy, a puppet-and-live-action children’s show inspired by classics like Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, designed to offer representation she didn’t see growing up.

Early Risers Storytime meets every Saturday morning from 8-9 a.m. at TLC Studios, 390 Washington Street in Dedham, MA.  

As Peter Reynolds reminds everyone, "Be sure to grab a cup of coffee from Mocha Java and hop on over!"  TLC Studio offers a newsletter to provide information about its literacy & creativity workshops for all ages.