At National Library, kids curl up on bean bags inspired by books
Poof Sipur is library’s summer attraction for children, bringing textile artists to design giant cushions for comfy reading
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
The best way to beat the summer heat may be curling up in a cool spot with a good book.
The National Library of Israel is welcoming young readers, ages 5 to 11, to Poof Sipur (in Hebrew, “poof” is a bean bag chair), July 28 to August 8, a celebration of textile cushions inspired by favorite childhood books.
Each Poof Sipur event will offer two hours of storytelling in Hebrew only, experiential theater, crafts, and time to plop down with a book on any of the nine giant cushions.
The bean bags were created by a team of textile artists and designers, each one choosing a favorite children’s book or story as their inspiration.
There’s a wide range of stories represented in the “poofs,” including the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors by clothing designer Ofir Ivgi; Rumpelstiltskin as imagined by media designer Bat Dzaveli and the Greek myth of Penelope designed by artist Neta Bachrach.
There’s also Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as conceived of by textile designer Naama Ben Moshe and designer Anat Friedman’s take on “Juha and the Cloak,” among others.
This latest textile art installation was curated by Hagar Raban with Tsila Hayun, head of the library’s culture department.
Entry to Poof Sipur costs NIS 45 per person, with discounts available for seniors, soldiers, reservists and displaced families.
For more information and to buy tickets, go to the National Library website.
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