Mesa County 4-Year-Olds Get a Free Book in April

Your four-year-old can get a free book from the Mesa County Library. Here's how.

Okay, so libraries always "give out" free books. That's what they do. Well, in this case, it's a little different. I'm not talking about "checking out" a book.

In this case, between April 8 and 22, every four-year-old in Mesa County can get a free copy of "Penguinaut!" as part of the annual One Book Colorado Program.

Where do you get them? You can pick up your child's copy at any Mesa County Library branch:

• Downtown Grand Junction
• Clifton
• Collbran
• De Beque
• Fruita
• Gateway
• Orchard Mesa
• Palisade

What do you have to do to get a copy? Simply stop by and pick it up. It's yours to keep.

If you're like me, you're not familiar with the book "Penguinaut!" It's the story of a small penguin who hatches a big idea for a trip to the moon. It was written by Marci Colleen and illustrated by Emma Yarlett. Copies are available in both English and Spanish.

What's the scoop with the "One Book Colorado" program? According to the Mesa County Library:

The purpose of the One Book Colorado program is to encourage early literacy skills. There is no better way to instill a love of reading in children than for family members to read with them.

In 2019 alone, One Book Colorado will provide more than 75,000 books to 4-year-olds statewide. For information, visit onebookcolorado.org.