Super Cat And Reptile Robot Coming To Hillsborough County Libraries

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will offer special programs throughout the month of February in honor of Black History Month as well as a theater series for children.

The events listed below are a sampling of the many scheduled. Find more listings under the “Events & Classes” tab at HCPLC.org.

Children’s Theater: 'Super Cat And Reptile Robot Series'

"Super Cat and Reptile Robot" is an interactive tale of boundaries and superheroes. Nearly 10-year-old Cass (aka Super Cat) and 10-year-old Ray (aka Reptile Robot) embark on the most awesome sleepover in recorded history, grapple with who gets to call the shots, and how to tell someone when something just isn’t your thing.

Larger groups wishing to attend together should contact the library in advance to confirm available space. "Super Cat and Reptile Robot" by Rachel Bublitz is presented by Creative Arts Theatre Company, the city of Tampa’s professional theater company for young audiences. The play is best-suited for ages 6 and up.

• Thursday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. at Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa.
• Friday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd., Tampa.
• Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. at C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa.
• Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Riverview Branch Library, 9951 Balm Riverview Road, Riverview.
• Thursday, Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. at North Tampa Branch Library, 8916 N. Boulevard, Tampa.
• Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at Seminole Heights Branch Library, 4711 Central Ave., Tampa.
• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. at Ruskin Park and Community Center, 901 6th St. SE, Ruskin.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. at Town ’N Country Regional Public Library, 7606 Paula Drive, Suite 120, Tampa.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Bloomingdale Regional Public Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico.
• Monday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., Tampa.
• Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. at Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, 1505 Nebraska Ave., Tampa.
• Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. at Arthenia L. Joyner University Area Community Library, 13619 N. 22nd St., Tampa.
• Thursday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. at Seffner-Mango Branch Library, 410 N. Kingsway Road, Seffner.
• Monday, Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. at SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin.
• Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Port Tampa Recreation Center, 4702 W. McCoy St., Tampa.

Caribbean Quarter: Roots, Rhythm, Culture

Maria Ortiz-Haynes creates mosaic art to express and capture her Afro-Cuban roots from Havana to Key West to Ybor City. Using different sizes of hand-cut stained-glass in brilliant colors, she creates an overall fluid, painterly effect of Latin rhythm and flavor. Her exhibit will be presented at The Gallery on the Avenue, 1505 Nebraska Ave., Tampa, from Tuesday, Feb. 7 to Thursday, April 6.

Pressed Flower Craft

Children age 6 to 12 can engage in a hands-on STEAM project or activity Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m., making a pressed flower craft using collected leaves and flowers, newspaper, heavy books, waxed paper, plain stationery or construction paper, and glue. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org.

Whales Of The World With The Florida Aquarium

Celebrate World Whale Day by joining a knowledgeable educator from The Florida Aquarium to learn about whales of the world. Discover how they eat, where in the world you can find them, and how large they can grow on Monday, Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org.

Meet Author Jon Patric Nelson

Celebrate Black History Month with author Jon-Patric Nelson, who will join the class virtually to discuss writing, read passages from his books, and answer audience questions on Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

Nelson is the author of "Right There with You" and "Running for Planet Earth." Nelson fell in love with storytelling when his older brother introduced him to writing rap lyrics at 6 years old. Since his introduction, Nelson has explored poetry, novels and storytelling. Now, he writes books for young adults. Link to register at HCPLC.org.