On Jan. 5, Queens-based children’s book Author Crystal Velasquez and Rep. Grace Meng met at the Queens Public Library in Flushing to read to local kids and hold a brief Q&A with them to discuss the book’s themes and more.
Around 40 kids and their families came out to listen to Velasquez read from her new book, “Elmer and the Talent Show,” a heartwarming story about a senior dachshund with several illnesses living at a rescue facility and the boy who adopts him after moving to town. Queens Public Library CEO Dennis Walcott and other executive staff members of the library attended the reading to show their support, as well.
“As a mom of two boys, I know firsthand how important reading is for children, and I was thrilled to see local kids listening to and enjoying this wonderful story,” said Meng. “I thank the Queens Public Library for being such a valued resource for children and thank you to Crystal Velasquez for reading one of her great books. In Congress, I have worked on many issues to improve the lives of children and will continue to do so. We need to remember that our children are our future.”
Velasquez, who is from Queens and lives in Flushing, wrote the book with the help of Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta, the founders of Danny & Ron’s Rescue, a non-profit dedicated to rescuing dogs, fostering and finding them new homes. Danny & Ron’s Rescue began in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina left plenty of pets on the streets without either a home or someone to care for them. Since then, the pair of dog-lovers have branched out and begun rescuing animals in other abusive situations, such as puppy mills and dog-fighting, while also helping provide food and care to elderly dog owners’ pets. Velasquez’s story, based on one such neglected pooch, “explores the idea of acceptance” when it comes to finding a canine companion and how the idea of “perfect” can be different from what you expect.
“Having grown up in Flushing, I’m thrilled to now be part of the incredible programming that the library is providing in the community,” Velasquez said. “The library helped spark my love of reading as a kid, so it does my heart good to see that spark being passed onto the next generation, and to see Grace Meng supporting this important institution.”
The author, who has been writing books since the early 2000s, has written over 20 books to date for children of all ages and are available online on Kindle and as hard copies. Velasquez, whose family is Puerto Rican, has attended other events at New York’s network of libraries such as Wepa! Puerto Ricans in Comics after writing a short story in an anthology graphic novel by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez titled Ricanstruction: Reminiscing and Rebuilding Puerto Rico and other events such as Comic Con. As written on her blog, Velasquez is working on several more books at the moment and hopes to be able to hold similar reading sessions at the library she visited throughout her childhood.
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