The Friends of the William G. Reed Public Library (Shelton Timberland Library) offers Allan Hirsch’s presentation, The Real Toy Story: Folk Toys and Whistles from Around the World, to the public from 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, April 22 at the library. The program is free of charge and is geared to an age 5 to adult audience. The Friends group will elect officers for the coming year at the beginning of this event.

Hirsch (left) will demonstrate a selection of unusual historical toys and provide the audience an opportunity to play with them. The toys will include centuries-old noise makers, weapons and tools that became toys, the Chinese toy that inspired the helicopter, gadgets and whistles from cultures around the world, and many others.

Hirsch highlights the historical value of toys, folk tales, and storytelling in his presentations. A lifelong collector of toys, tales and songs, Hirsch is a presenter with one criterion: it has to be fun. He has performed at festivals and schools all over the Northwest and is the recipient of two Parents Choice awards for his recordings. In 1997, he performed with Pete Seeger at Northwest Folklife. Currently, Hirsch is a member of the Humanities Washington nonprofit organization’s prestigious Inquiring Mind speaker bureau.

For more information, the public can call the Shelton Timberland Library at (360) 426-1362.