Chaucer’s Storytime and Fundraiser for Elings Park

Sunday February 8, 2026 – 3:00 PM

Chaucer’s Books (3321 State Street) hosts  co-authors Bruce Giffin and Dean Noble, executive director of Elings Park, along with illustrator Laura-Susan Thomas for a kids storytime and activity hour to celebrate the release of Bobcat’s Tail.  In addition, from 2:30 to 4:30 PM, 10% of all sales will be donated to the Elings Park Foundation.  Elings Park is the largest community supported, nonprofit, public park in America.  

Bruce Giffin has loved children’s books since, well since, he was a kid. As a 5 year old, an exciting ride in the back of his uncle’s pickup truck with a load of trash to take to the Santa Barbara City Dump introduced him to what would become Elings Park.  As a long time Elings Park Foundation Board member, Bruce pondered for many years how to explain the amazing story of a community working together to create Elings Park, America’s largest non-profit park and an environmental pioneer in landfill conversions. Bruce is pleased to let Jerry Harwin and Puff the Bobcat tell that story.  Courtesy of Bruce Giffin

Laura-Susan Thomas is an artist and educator. She has worked as a Walt Disney Imagineer creating for the theme parks from EuroDisney,  Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Tokyo DisneySeas. As a freelance illustrator Laura-Susan creates work for children’s books and media, and as a Fine Artist creating and showing works in galleries and public spaces.

To learn more, please visit her website- https://laurasusanthomasillustrator.carbonmade.com  Or Instagram- @seismiccowink