Bookbug Takes Hold in Kalamazoo

When friends Nicole Butz and Joanna Parzakonis first met, both had eight-month-old baby girls, and both, it turns out, had long wanted to open a children's bookstore. In the two years since, they drafted Parzakonis' husband, Derek Molitor, outlined a business plan, found a location, and opened up shop in February 2008. Bookbug, a 900-square-foot children's bookstore in Kalamazoo, Michigan, "grew organically from our friendship and our separate dreams of opening a children's bookstore," explained Butz.

Although the three co-owners had no prior bookselling experience, all had been involved in retail, and all were committed to promoting literacy in Kalamazoo and to serving as a gathering place for kids and parents. "It was important to us to become a community hub," said Butz. "We wanted to emphasize programming to bring the community together, especially parents and their kids."

Parzakonis also noted the store's commitment to community service and said that Bookbug puts its own spin on that effort. "There are many facts to support the idea that Kalamazoo was the right place, and 2008 was the right year, to open an independent children's bookstore," she said. "We certainly relied on those stats prior to our opening. But the truth, as I see it, is that ... the idea of providing high quality art and story to young people, in a welcoming and intimate space, is a timeless concept that every town needs and every child deserves. We are simply filling that previous void here, and striving to do it in a meaningful and unique way."

Filling that void includes offering a full line-up of free events -- author readings, daily story time, biweekly tales told by professional storyteller, regular performances by local musicians, and a children's cooking class. "We're right next door to a kids' cooking school, so we held a 'Cooks and Books' event," said Butz. "In the fall, we hope to do a semester-long cooking class based on kids' books."

Bookbug has also hosted a bat specialist, who brought a Big Brown Bat, and an upcoming event with a spider specialist will feature "photos of all things creepy and crawly," as well as some live specimens.

Although the first several months have been full of the hard labor of launching a business, the response to Bookbug's programming and title selection has been overwhelmingly appreciative, said Butz. "The community has been so supportive. It's been absolutely fabulous."

Located in a residential area of Kalamazoo, Bookbug is part of a shopping center occupied primarily by independent businesses -- a natural grocery store, an ice cream shop, pharmacy, and the kids' cooking school. The store is multicolored with eco-friendly fixtures. "All of our shelving is made from pine. Our floors are bamboo, and we have a little brick entryway," said Butz. "We have a wonderful mural in the bathroom done by a local artist [that features] kids in Bookbug t-shirts under a tree with bugs everywhere."

The store stocks about 15,000 titles, and top sections are picture books and the young adult/teen section. A popular kids hangout in the store is a big crooked playhouse. "Inside we have a cash register, a little table, books, and toys, along with a bean bag chair," said Butz. Sidelines continually revolve, but include plush, stickers, magnetic paper dolls, and puppets from Folkmanis.

Long-range plans are still a bit out of focus for the new booksellers who are more concerned with maintaining day-to-day operations. "We're trying to deal with the immediate future," explained Butz. "We're concentrating on building relationships with the community and with the schools. But we hope to be wildly successful and still be here years from now." --Karen Schechner