Aug 23, 2008

2008 Fairy House Tour

Brush off your wings and take flight for the 4th annual Fairy House Tour! G.Willikers is busy getting ready for this wonderful weekend of imagination and fairy house building!

This is one of the most creative fundraising events we have been a part of and it just keeps building each year! Inspired by Lee, NH author/illustrator Tracy Kane's Fairy House Book Series, this event brings thousands to Portsmouth's South End. The Friends of The South End have done an incredible job putting together this event that benefits many of Portsmouth's most cherished historic treasures.

You can now purchase admission buttons at G.Willikers, check out Tracy Kane's Fairy House Books, and on Sept. 16th, preview fairy houses in our storefront window!

Aug 21, 2008

Seacoast Buy Local Cruise

Buy Local Cruise

Last Tuesday night, my brother and I attended the Seacoast Buy Local Cruise aboard the Thomas Laighton. The skies cleared making for a perfect night to explore the Portsmouth Harbor.

We joined over 100 fellow business owners for a fabulous evening of food, music and mingling. We had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new business owners.

It was a comfortable, casual night that lent itself to easy conversation and the sharing of stories, ideas and potential future collaboration. The day to day tasks of running a business can keep you from stepping outside your own four walls, so this evening was a particularly great opportunity to broaden our horizons!

Thank you to the folks at Seacoast Local who worked so hard and enthusiastically to make this a successful night. Thank you to the generosity of the local restaurants who donated the delicious appetizers, and to our fellow business owners who took the time to come out and remind us all what a great community the Seacoast is to do business in!

Jun 17, 2008

Local Illustrator Signs Newly Released Book: "Lady Liberty• A Biogrqphy"

G.Willikers! Toy Shop is very excited to welcome back Maine author/illustrator Matt Tavares to sign his newly illustrated book, Lady Liberty• A Biography.

"A powerfully moving, authentic portrait of the Statue of Liberty, told through the eyes of those who created her and illustrated in glorious detail."

This book will be a keepsake in my family library, and should certainly grace the shelves of classrooms, libraries and homes throughout our country. It shares a slice of our history in a way that brings you closer to the real people behind this amazing statue and symbol. It tells the story of the conception, construction and realization of Lady Liberty in an honest, accurate and personal way that will surely engage readers young and old.

Jun 14, 2008

Tractor Mac Visits G.Willikers! Toy Shop

The sun was out, the temperatures were in the 80’s and Pro Portsmouth celebrated Market Square Day’s 31st anniversary in style.

The annual street festival brings tens of thousands of visitors each year to Portsmouth, NH to discover some of the sights, sounds and tastes of our beautiful downtown. On Market St., G.Willikers! Toy Shop joined in the fun by welcoming noted children’s book author/illustrator Billy Steers and his special friend, Tractor Mac.

A Real Working Tractor

Tractor Mac is a hard working 1948 Farmall cub tractor that lives with Billy and his family in Roxbury, CT. Interest in the Tractor Mac books was brisk all day as curious festival goers wanted their picture taken with the bright red tractor. Those who bought any one of the six titles were treated to signed copies complete with an original drawing on the title page.

Tractor Mac Titles

Tractor Mac Arrives at the Farm
Tractor Mac Learns to Fly
Tractor Mac You're a Winner
Tractor Mac Builds a Barn
Tractor Mac Harvest Time
Tractor Mac Saves Christmas

We’d like to thank Billy and his family for sharing their time with us and allowing so many children (and some adults) to sit on Tractor Mac and get to know his many adventures. We hope he’ll consider coming back for next year’s Market Square Day! See more photos.

Check out Tractor Mac's Fun Pages!

May 05, 2008

Children's Day 2008 Cancelled, But the Fun Continues at G.Willikers!

Portsmouth, NH Children’s Day 2008 will down in history as the first time this family-friendly event had to be cancelled. The heavy rains Sunday morning prevented Pro Portsmouth from being able to safely host this year, but clearing skies in the afternoon saw many hundreds of visitors hoping to still have some fun.

G.Willikers! Toy Store and other downtown businesses were able to carry on and bring smiles to a lot of children. Cookie Mouse (the star of the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie") was on hand to welcome visitors to the store and hand out cookies. Children were also treated to readings of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” and those adventurous enough could even have their nose painted like a cute little mouse.

(See photos of the event) 

One customer was overheard to say “I wasn’t sure what we’d be able to do today, I’m just happy to find some of the activities still going on.” Others were busy using their Children’s Day maps like a treasure map, hunting for and planning their next stop. All in all, parents and children alike took things in stride.

We’d like to thank Pro Portsmouth for all the effort they put in coordinating such a large event. Even though Mother Nature didn’t cooperate this year, we are indebted to Barbara Massar and everyone at Pro Portsmouth for bringing so many wonderful events to downtown Portsmouth. This city is a very special place, in part do to their vision and commitment.

Cross your fingers that next year on the first Sunday in May we’ll have bright skies and lots of fun!

Feb 25, 2008

G.Willikers! and Portsmouth Public Library host Game Day

The Portsmouth Public Library played host to G.Willikers! Toy Shop’s first ever Game Day on Saturday, Feb. 23rd.

We brought (and then donated) over a dozen of our favorite games to the Children’s Room and taught a large crowd of kids and families how to play. Titles like Mystery Garden and Zingo were enjoyed most by 3 & 4 year olds, while Doodle Dice was the runaway favorite of kids in the 5-8 age range. Bananagrams, Ruckus and Rush Hour were favored by older children. Click here for photos from the event.

A few of the kids had played these games before and were eager to show their friends or mom & dad how to play. It’s especially fun to watch the pride of a child who can teach his parents something new!

We were also very lucky to have Patti Marsh, creator of the board game Fun Meal Caper, on hand to demonstrate her game to a very enthusiastic group. Patti invented the game 25 years ago but shelved it after Parker Brothers turned it down (they were no longer accepting ideas from independent developers). Judging from the response here at the library she made a smart decision to bring it back this year!

We hope to participate in more of these events and look forward to collaborating with the Portsmouth Public Library again in the near future.