Winners of Storybook Contest Announced Today

More than 600 elementary school kids from the San Ramon Valley entered the annual Street Smarts Storybook Poster Contest.

And tonight, the kids whose art won a spot in the storybook will be announced at an awards ceremony in the Dougherty Valley.

The contest is put on by Street Smarts, a local traffic safety coalition. It ran from January through February. Eleven winners were chosen – one for each page in the storybook.

The awards ceremony will take place from 5 to 6 tonight at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, in San Ramon. Tori Campbell, a news anchor for KTVU Channel 2, will emcee the event.

San Ramon Mayor H. Abram Wilson will present the awards with Danville Mayor Karen Stepper, Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board President Paul Gardner and Alex Mehran Jr. of Sunset Development Company.

This year's storybook is titled "The Great Zoo Escape." The plot involves animals fleeing from a zoo and a group of students who have to guide them back. Along the way, students learn some lesson sin traffic safety and the benefits of walking or biking to school.

Local novelist and Street Smarts volunteer authored the book.

 Thousands of local children will get a free copy of the storybook, the fourth in the annual contest series.

“The storybook has been an effective way for students to learn about important traffic safety concepts by reading a fun and engaging storybook illustrated by local children their own age,” said Nat Rojanasathira, Street Smarts Coordinator, in a statement.

There will be a book signing right after the ceremony with Mentink and the students whose art won a place in the storybook.

Beginning on Monday, anyone will be able to pick up a free copy of the book at Danville, Oak Hill Park and the San Ramon community centers. They'll also be available at the San Ramon and Dougherty Station libraries and local elementary school offices.

The contest is sponsored by Sunset Development, community sponsors and a federal grant. Street Smarts' mission is to educate children about traffic safety. The coalition is made up of the local school district, the Town of Danville, the City of San Ramon, the county and the San Ramon Valley Council of PTA's.

To learn more, go to www.street-smarts.com.