In honor of National Book Month, the creators of the JoJo Sing & Learn bilingual musical board book series will host a Mandarin-English storytime and author/creator panel at Gritters Library, 880 Shaw Park Rd., Marietta 30066, on Monday, October 13.

The 2 pm storytime will be followed by the Living Legends panel at 3 pm. The panel will feature – all Marietta residents – author/lyricist Christine Yang Barry, illustrator/design director Lukas Miao Zhang, and music producer Felton Pilate. They will discuss the creation of the series for families teaching a second language to children based on combining developmental science, music and art. The panel will be presented in-person and virtually through Google Meet.

The JoJo Sing & Learn series introduces Mandarin to young children through original songs, vivid illustrations, and press-to-play sound buttons. The series received the 2025 IPPY Gold Medal (Best Interactive Children’s Book) and the 2025 Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Best Children’s Non-Fiction Book Award.

Christine Yang Barry is a first-generation Chinese American with a background in global education, business and entrepreneurship, and advocacy for early childhood bilingual education. Illustrator Lukas Miao Zhang is an award-winning mixed-media oil painter and accomplished animation film director and producer. Pilate is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music producer (MC Hammer), and a member of the R&B/funk band Con Funk Shun.

The JoJo Sing & Learn series is developed on a foundation for creating connections for young children, Christine Yang Barry said.

“In my decades of helping families raise bilingual children, young parents always ask me the same question: Where do I start? This series is my answer – created with deep love and grounded in early childhood developmental research,” she said. “I wanted to find the purest, most natural first words that parents say and sing to their children – words of love and everyday connection – and then shape them into music.”

For more information on the October 13 storytime and panel, including registration, visit cobbcounty.gov/events/living-legacies-national-book-month.

For information on programs and resources offered by Gritters Library, call 770-528-2524 or visit cobbcounty.gov/library.