SAN ANTONIO – Friday mornings at Pearl have become a weekly tradition for families gathering outside The Twig Book Shop.
Every Friday during the school year, Miss Anastasia leads a 10:30 a.m. story time filled with engaging books, lively songs, and plenty of animated voices tailored for babies, toddlers, and young children.
This summer, the beloved storyteller will host two reading sessions: one from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and another from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Miss Anastasia has dedicated 26 years to leading story time at The Twig Book Shop, a testament to her passion for fostering a love of reading among children.
“We started inside, but we’ve kind of grown out of the inside, so now we have it underneath this pretty awning,” she said, highlighting the growth of the program and its warm, inviting atmosphere.
Miss Anastasia emphasizes the significance of reading aloud to children, noting it as one of the most impactful activities parents and caregivers can engage in.
“It stimulates the brain, it fosters a connection between parent and child, it expands their vocabulary, and it creates a sense of safety,” she remarked. “If you read to your baby, then one day your baby will read to you.”
The story time sessions are designed to be a screen-free space where families can slow down, connect, and enjoy the simple pleasure of storytelling.
“For little children, they just want a human face,” she explained. “There’s just nothing that can compare with all the dimensions and all of the senses of a real person versus a flat screen.”
The free story time is open to everyone, and Miss Anastasia warmly welcomes toddlers—even those who may prefer to wander during the session.
“If they wander off, you just wander off with them,” she advised. “Even if they get just a few minutes of it, it’s priceless.”
