ANAHEIM : ‘Sesame Street’ Stars Wow the Romper Set

When Bert and Ernie of “Sesame Street” entered the city’s Central Library, 3-year-old Katie Brown was star-struck.

“I love you Bert and Ernie,” the Tustin youngster yelled out, blowing kisses. A blue sailor hat adorned with a red ribbon was sitting atop her blond locks. “I love you.”

The Muppet duo visited 200 children aged 1 to 10 and their parents Monday as part of a special Family Reading Day at the library. The Sesame Street characters will be performing this Friday through Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Also appearing Monday was actress Lydia Nicole, who is in the movies “Indecent Proposal” and “Stand and Deliver” and who read the children’s book “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.”

“All Katie talked about the last week was seeing Bert and Ernie, and she was really upset when we were running late and it looked like we would miss them,” said Cathy Brown, Katie’s mother and a worker at the library.

M. Kevin Moore, the library’s manager, said programs such as Monday’s are part of the library’s effort to introduce reading to children at a young age while also teaching parents how to read to the child. The library and its branches offer story reading on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and an expanded program during the summer.

“Because of budget cuts, we’ve had to cut a lot of programs, but we’re doing everything we can to save our children’s services,” Moore said. “To do anything less would be to inhibit the educational experience of the next generation before it even gets started.”

Nicole, who works with the group “Athletes and Entertainers for Kids,” had a tough crowd Monday. Coming on before Bert and Ernie, she had to get the attention of 200 restless children and read aloud, without aid of a microphone, Judi Barrett’s book about a town where it rains food.

“Program’s like this are important for children because they learn that reading is fun and enjoyable,” Nicole said.