Munce Group is holding its annual "Kid's Day" in an effort to help member retailers connect with their communities for Easter.

Scheduled for Saturday, March 23, the event is designed to draw parents and children to Christian stores for a day of crafts, games, story time and giveaways.

Hosted with help from the Christian Authors Network (CAN), the event will spotlight books, including Bill Myers' "T.J and the Time Stumblers" series (Tyndale House Publishers) and Crystal Bowman's Lily's Easter Party (Zonderkidz). Promotional materials will include a coloring page by Marsha Hubler, author of the "Keystone Stable" series (Zondervan); craft activities by Sherry Kyle, author of The Christian Girl's Guide to Style (Legacy Press); and games and puppets by Karen H. Whiting, CAN's treasurer and author of My Mini Dream Room (Legacy Press).

Mary Bittle, co-owner of Morning Star: A Perfect Gift in Thurmont, Md., plans to use Hubler's coloring page at her store for a contest before Kid's Day.

"We go all out for Kid's Day," said Renee Davis, manager of Living Word Christian Bookstore in Sarasota, Fla. "We bring in costumed characters, have someone do face painting and hold an Easter egg hunt. This year we'll have the Berenstain Bears and the Chick-fil-A cow. The children especially love making crafts in our learning center."

Kid's Day will also feature activity handouts for parents. One created by Jocelyn Green, author of Stories of Faith and Courage From the Home Front (AMG Publishers) and Faith Deployed (Moody Publishers), offers tips for celebrating special days such as Easter when one parent is absent due to travel or deployment.

Munce Group formed a partnership last June with CAN, a marketing co-op with more than 100 members, which seeks to educate authors and promote their books. Munce serves more than 500 stores nationwide.

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