Author/actor Paul Carafotes will meet fans and sign copies of his books “The Adventures of Charlie Bubbles” and “Charlie Bubbles 2 Smartsville!” as well as the new Spanish translation “Las Aventuras de Carlitos Burbujas” Pauline Books & Media on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 2 to 4 p.m., located at 3908 Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City.
Alongside Carafotes the day of the book signing will be his son and inspiration for the books, Charlie.
“I would read all these books to him and one day he was laying on my chest and I was blowing bubbles and he reacted with smiles and tried to grab at them,” Carafotes said. “That set me off: Charlie’s Bubbles. What would it be like if he could blow a big-enough bubble and go on these adventures in this magical bubble? Where would he travel? Who would he meet? And what would it be like?”
Carafotes, who has been an actor, writer and director for more than 30 years has appeared in numerous movies and television shows but had never ventured into book writing until Charlie was born.
“I thought it was a good idea to write this book and that it would be an easy thing to do, to write a children’s book, and I learned quite quickly that it wasn’t,” Carafotes said. “It took me five years to write the first book and as he (Charlie) got older, I was able to read what I wrote for him. He would ask me questions about the character and ask me why he did certain things. So in a way not only did he inspire it but he guided me through writing the book.”
Actors such as the late James Gandolfini and award-winner Joe Mantegna haver supported “The Adventures of Charlie Bubbles” and “Charlie Bubbles 2 Smartsville!” and its message which seeks to encourage people to be helpful, loving and kind.
“The Charlie Bubbles’ books inspire children to imagine and dream,” Educator and Sister Mary Thecla said.
A third book is scheduled to come out in April titled “Charlie Bubbles to Fenway,” which was also inspired by Charlie and his idea to write about baseball and his favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox.
“People can expect to have a joyous time because it is going to be lots of fun,” Carafotes said. “We are going to talk to the people and they will get to know us a little bit. We are going to read this to the kids in hopes that they will read it themselves and we hope that it will become part of their reading history growing up.”
Copies of the books will be available at the book signing. For more information persons interested can call (310) 397-8676 or visit http://www.pauline.org/
