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In April 2016, OPB commemorated the 100th birthday of beloved Oregon children’s author Beverly Cleary and brought communities across the state together to celebrate. At the center of the celebration was the development of a new Oregon Art Beat television special, “Discovering Beverly Cleary.”
A first-ever documentary about Beverly Cleary, it featured an extremely rare, new interview with the author herself, and a profile of her life, her work and her enduring legacy in the world of children’s literature.
The half-hour special aired on OPB TV and online to reach more than 145,000 households in its first week alone.
In addition to the television special, hundreds of Beverly Cleary fans joined OPB for a community celebration and advance screening of the program. In partnership with the Oregon State Library and others, OPB hosted four events and distributed birthday party kits that provided more than 130 libraries in Oregon and southern Washington the ability to host their own birthday celebrations and screenings.
Our partnership with the Multnomah County Library and the Oregon State Library opened the door for all Oregon public libraries to receive an advanced copy of the DVD to share with families throughout the region.
Fans of all ages celebrated this beloved author at one of more than 70 Oregon public library-hosted birthday parties. The television special was also accompanied by a multimedia web presentation which included photo galleries, special videos, quizzes, fun facts and an interactive map of Beverly Cleary's old neighborhood.