BY LYN JERDE - SUN NEWSPAPERS
(Created: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 7:09 PM CDT)

Now and then, employees in Eden Prairie's inspections or planning departments had their workday punctuated with the chants of children, emanating from the lower level of the Eden Prairie City Center.

Hundreds of voices would shout, in unison, "Sniggledy-sneed, we want to read."

"Read" is exactly what 800-plus Eden Prairie School District first-graders did on My Book Day May 11, as soon as they received their very own book.

Some curled up on the City Center Steps to read silently from "Actual Size" or "A Chair for My Mother."

Some followed along with their own copies of "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon" as firefighter Bill Baumer read aloud the story of the little girl with buck teeth so big, she could put pennies between them.

One Eden Lake Elementary School pupil had a one-on-one reading session with Eden Prairie School District Superintendent Melissa Krull, as she sat on the floor with him to read from his new book. The title: "Reading Makes You Feel Good."

This was the third Eden Prairie edition of My Book Day, a project of the Noon Rotary Club.

As in past years, the national founder of My Book Day, John Jorgensen of Casper, Wyo., came to tell the story of Good Queen Sue, her magical kingdom of books and the magic incantation: "Sniggledy-sneed, we want to read."

Good Queen Sue was Jorgensen's late wife, in whose memory he created a program in which first-graders, who are just learning to read, receive a book of their very own, complete with their name printed on a nameplate.

After one rendering of the story of Good Queen Sue, Jorgensen was mobbed by children who wanted him to autograph their book's nameplate.

"This is too funny," he said. "A lot of them are asking me to write 'storyteller' under my name, so that they can remember why they asked me to sign it."

My Book Day participants also signed up for library cards, and heard local celebrities - police, firefighters, Mayor Phil Young, City Manager Scott Neal - read aloud from any of the six books that were offered.

For the youngsters sitting at Baumer's feet, there was a difference of opinion as to which book should be read first. The girls wanted "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon," and the boys wanted "Traction Man is Here." The matter was settled by Baumer hiding both books behind his back, and asking the audience, "Right or left?"

Boy Scout leader Vince Vanella interrupted his rendition of "Reading Makes You Feel Good" by asking, "Who likes pizza?"

"Me! Me!" said the youngsters, as their hands shot into the air.

"Well," he said, "my favorite book is my pizza book. And if you can read, you can make pizza, too.

"You can travel to faraway places just by reading a book," he added. "And now we're going to Africa."

"Going to Africa" meant reading aloud from "The Lion's Share," an illustrated retelling of a Somali folk tale, produced by the Minnesota Council for the Humanities and premiered at the Eden Prairie Library.

Several adults came dressed as The Cat in the Hat, and honored children's requests to pose for pictures with the children and their new books.

Rotarian John Steinlicht came dressed as a character from one of the books.

"I'm Traction Man," he proclaimed. "Can you read my shirt?"

In unison, the group read, "Traction Man Loves to Read."

Jorgensen told the children that "all these grown-ups here" took time off from their regular work schedules to participate in My Book Day, because reading is very important to them.

"We're here to tell you," he said, "that the city of Eden Prairie cares about its children."

As they lined up on the staircase, Jorgensen reminded departing children of a promise they made to him: "Remember to read every day."

In unison, at the top of their lungs: "We will."

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