As part of our Story Explorers events programme, join Haruka Kuroda from A Thousand Cranes for Milky Way: The Story of Tanabata, a kamishibai  (paper) theatre performance and a chance to learn a Japanese nursery rhyme.  

Tanabata (たなばた or 七夕), also known as the Star Festival (星祭り, Hoshimatsuri), is a Japanese festival. In Japan people celebrate this day by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku (短冊), small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. After the festival the bamboo and decorations are often set afloat on a river or burned. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on 7 July.  Taking place at various venues:

Thursday 23rd July, 10.30am-11.30am - Moor Allerton Community Hub and Library
Thursday 23rd July, 1.30pm-2.30pm - Horsforth Community Hub and Library
Friday 24th July, 10.30am-11.30am - Ardsley and Tingley Library
Friday 24th July, 1.30pm-2.30pm - Leeds Central Library

A free family friendly event recommended for children aged 3+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. 

You can play your way around our Story Explorers family exhibition at Leeds Central Library until 29 August. Story Explorers is co-produced by the British Library and Leeds Libraries. 

 This is a Leeds Libraries event, to keep up to date with further events please follow us on social media @leedslibraries and sign up to Leeds Libraries Newsletter for Children and Families: bit.ly/FamilyLibraryNews 
 We are always happy to welcome you, find your closest library or get in touch: libraries.leeds.gov.uk