Beardsley Zoo has teamed up with 25 area libraries to help put the ‘bear” in Bear-dsley Zoo, while supporting literacy and reading. To celebrate the opening of the Zoo’s new Andean bear habitat and a summer of Be Bear Aware, the Zoo is sponsoring 500 prizes hidden in books at participating libraries (see below).

Children are invited to paw through books on bears at local libraries to find prizes on Saturday, June 17. Libraries in 18 towns throughout the area are participating in the giveaways.

Five hundred prizes hidden in children’s books include:

Find a special card in one of those books and find a peel off to learn your prize!

• Three GRAND PRIZES: A Zoomobile Classroom Visit (1) and a Birthday Party at the Zoo (2)
• Zoo Family Membership (2)
• 10 Pack of Carousel Rides (4)
• Individual Carousel Rides (100)
• Zoo Water Bottles (10)
•  Bear Zoo Water Bottles (50)
• Centennial TO GO Thermoses/Mugs (10)
• Plush Prairie Dogs (15)
• Soft Serve Ice Cream (100)
• Family Four Pack of Zoo admission (50)
• Individual Zoo Admission (100)
• Animal Adoption Kits (6)
• 20% off gift shop (100)

Libraries participating in the search are in the following towns: 

• Ansonia
• Beacon Falls
• All six branches in Bridgeport
• Cheshire
• Danbury
• Derby
• Easton
• Two branches in Fairfield
• Hamden
• Milford
• Monroe
• New Canaan
• Newtown
• Seymour
• Branch 41 in Shelton
• Stratford
• Trumbull

On Saturday, June 17, children and their families are invited to the libraries to search through books on bears, both fiction and non-fiction, in the children’s book departments.  The Monroe library will hold their event on Friday, June 16, due to a scheduling conflict.