Thank You, Keiko

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

Keiko Matsuura, a volunteer in the Youth Services department of Bernardsville Public Library, is responsible for all the charming "reading bugs" that have taken up residence throughout the library. These adorable insects, posed with their books and magazines, mark the beginning of the library's summer reading program called "Catch the Reading Bug @ Bernardsville Library."
Although Keiko has had no formal art training, she is obviously very talented and possesses an artist's eye and imagination. Michaele Casey, Youth Services Librarian, reports that Keiko took her inspiration from the drawings of illustrator, Harry Bliss, bringing his bug illustrations to 3-D life. Using styrofoam balls, corrugated paper, and even some special packaging paper from Japan, Keiko sculpted and formed a variety of insects, turning them into the kinds of bugs we would actually like to have in the library! Keiko carved and sandpapered large styrofoam balls to create the facial structure of each bug and then hand painted them with vivid, eye-catching colors. Posed at ease in beach chairs and on sofas, these larger-than-life reading bugs surely know how to pass a lazy summer day - with a good book, of course!

Bernardsville Library has been so fortunate to have Keiko as a volunteer over the last two years. She moved to Bernardsville with her husband after leaving Japan, where she studied English, and it wasn't long before Keiko found her way to us. She has done children's programs on Japanese culture and origami and will be teaching origami in 3-D for teens on August 4th at the library.