Wonders of the World Book and Toy Store in Gulfport is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day this Saturday and they’re inviting the entire Gulf Coast! WoW Book and Toy Store is the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s only multicultural children’s bookstore and they are hosting their first Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday April 30, 2022 from 1p to 5p at their location at 1520 29th Ave, Suite 3, Gulfport MS 39501.
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Independent Bookstore Day (IBD) is a celebration of books, readers, and indie bookselling that started in California in 2014. IBD is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April. Every store is unique and independent, and every party is different.
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For Tonisha Kimble, owner of WoW Book and Toy Store, this IBD is particularly special for her and her store. “This is our first Indie Bookstore Day we’ve been able to host since opening our physical space last summer, so we’re just excited to have folks come visit and see what all we have to offer.”
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WoW Book and Toy Store has several fun activities planned throughout the day on Saturday. David Jackson, a talented caricature artist and illustrator based out of Jackson, MS, will be doing free caricatures for customers from 2p to 4p. Treats will be available while they last by fellow Gulfport based Black woman owned business, Crumb Bucket Novelty Cakes and they will be giving away signed copies of books by some of your favorite diverse children's book authors every hour.
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Indie bookstores have much to celebrate this year as they, like many industries, have spent the past couple of years worried about the pandemic and dealing with the supply chain disruptions that came along as a result. However, according to American Bookseller Association CEO Allison K. Hill, independent booksellers have largely avoided disaster and as of May 2020 ABA membership has grown to 1,701 members. While the numbers of independent booksellers have grown over the past couple years, diversity among booksellers is still low, as approximately only 6 percent of independent bookstores are Black owned.
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The Mississippi Gulf Coast is home to several independent bookstores and Black owned independent bookstores in addition to WoW Book and Toy Store, including: Pass Christian Books, Southern Bound Book Shop, Covenant Christian Bookstore, and Black Authors Rock Bookstore.
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Wonders of the World Book and Toy Store is a multicultural children’s bookstore located in beautiful Gulfport, MS. They opened their physical location this past summer, but have been in operation since 2017. WoW Book and Toy Store offers diverse children’s books for all ages from baby to young adult, and several genres including comic books and graphic novels. They also delight in making handmade stationery and book accessories.
