Yes, monsters are coming to Kennett Square but don’t be afraid. As the book title says, “It’s Not Mean to be Green.”
The author is Jamie Kleman and she’s bringing her children’s book to the Kennett Library in musical form as a camp from Monday, July 15 to Friday, July 19. The campers, about 30 of them as cast and crew, will show what they’ve learned about theatre and the environment that Friday. The environmental lessons come from Frankenstein, some witches, and a swamp monster named Finn.
Kleman, who lives in Landenberg and has written six children’s books, said the idea came to her about 14 years ago when she saw signs about going green in many public places. She asked her then-5-year-old son if he knew what being green meant.
“He said, ‘I know that witches are green, and Frankenstein is green, and monsters are green.’ I said, ‘Oh, it’s not mean to be green.’ That was a lightbulb moment. As soon as I said it, I knew that was going to be my next book. I wrote it to help kids understand that not only is it not mean to be green, but not to judge people or monsters by the color of their skin, and that you can take simple steps to help the environment. Kids can turn off the water and turn off lights. We can all make a difference.”
Kleman explained that the monsters in the story represent different elements of environmental responsibility.
“Frankenstein represents recycling because he’s made from used parts. The witch represents alternative transportation because she rides a broom. My swamp monster represents clean water.” There’s also a vampire that represents sustainability, she added.
“We’ve always had an obsession with witches and vampire stories and magic. So, I gave them a starring role and they wound up being The Green Team, the heroes of the planet.”
Over time, the little story became a musical after someone from the Dupont Theatre read it and asked Kleman if she could turn it into a musical. So, after a year’s work, she did. The musical debuted in Delaware in 2014.
Amanda Murphy, the Kennett Library’s director of marketing and communications, said hosting the camp and production — which will take place in the library’s auditorium — is a perfect fit with the library’s mission.
“This is a beautiful thing. It wraps environmental literacy. It wraps arts and culture. And it’s a heavily themed project. It involves kids getting creative. It involves kids focusing on basic literacy. They’re working together. They're in a camp involved with books, and they’re experiencing theatre so there’s public speaking. And they’re learning how to be green, what it means to be green. I think it’s wonderful that it’s all under our roof,” Murphy said. “It’s really an honor that Jamie wanted to bring this here. It absolutely aligns with our mission.”
Kleman added that she agrees with everything Murphy said.
“It feels like such a great partnership because libraries are inherently green because of reusing books…We’re making a monster difference.”
Show time is 11 a.m. on Friday, July 19.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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