THERE’S NO MORE BOREDOM IF YOU VISIT STORYTIMES ALL OVER HOUSTON.

Several organizations, from traditional to unusual, offer storytimes for kids. Here's a few for you to check out this month:

• Thursdays, 3:30-4:30pm, www.thefishgallery.com
• Wednesdays, 11am (Deerbrook and Baybrook Malls); Thursdays, 10:30am (Copperfield); Saturdays, 10:30am (Vanderbuilt Square); and Saturdays, 11am (Westheimer), www.barnesandnoble.com
• Wednesdays, 10:30am (Looscan); Saturdays, 11am (Central); Tuesdays, 10:30am (Oak Forest), www.hpl.lib.tx.us/

CATCH “SEUSSICAL, JR.” BEFORE IT ENDS THIS WEEKEND.

This Sunday, August 8 at 2pm, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ Broadway Studio Workshop presents “Seussical, Jr.”. Families will take a trip down memory lane with favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and all of the Whos of Whoville! These classic, colorful tales are seamlessly brought together by Jojo, a young boy who thinks the things you can think! The performance takes place at Oliver Theatre in CentrePointe, 17170 Mill Forest Road, Webster.

For more information, call 281.480.1466 or log onto www.royalacademyoffinearts.com.

BEGIN THE NEW YEAR WITH MUSIC LESSONS AT THE MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

Send your children (or yourself) to the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music! The Preparatory and Continuing Studies Department offers a variety of private lessons and group classes for students of all ages and abilities to the greater Houston community. Classes include The Suzuki String Program, The Piano Program, and Private Instruction [voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, saxophone, flute, guitar (classical & jazz), theory/composition, trumpet, French horn, organ, and most orchestral instruments].

For more information, call 713.743.3398 or log onto www.pcs.uh.edu.

JOIN ME FOR A PARENT/CHILD ART WORKSHOP AT BODY MIND & SOUL.

Next Saturday, August 16 at 2pm, I’m presenting an “I Can Fly!” workshop for parents and children together. This is a great opportunity to connect with your child (or children) in a unique way: by learning what makes them sing and by creating a work of art together that you will take home. Enjoy this quiet two hours to learn concrete ways to encourage children to find their bliss. This discussion will be followed by an art activity specifically designed to reveal each person’s creativity and joy. Children will be encouraged to speak up about what makes their hearts sing!

Sign up early, as class size will be limited. $30 per pre-registered parent/child pair (children 6-10 years old, please); $35 for walk-ups. If you have more than one child you will be bringing, please add $5/child. Each attendee will receive a $25 gift certificate for Hollywood Frame Gallery.

For more information and to register, call 713.993.0550 or log onto www.bmshouston.com.

For more about my marketing company, Gish Creative, and the services we offer, please click here. You are on this list because I thought this e-newsletter would be helpful to you or because you signed up for it. However, if you want off this list, click here and you're a goner. Please feel free to tell your friends to subscribe by clicking here.

My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

• GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in print through the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);
  
  
• THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and
  
  
• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, AND ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children, and parents helping their children), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.