by Le Anne Lindsay (Tinsel & Tine)

The Free Library of Philadelphia presented a special  Nanny McPhee book signing event with Academy Award-Winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson on Friday afternoon. PFS was among the  invited press to cover the event. Otherwise, the signing was only open to local children organizations (Kids 4 Change, Caring People Alliance, Project H.O.M.E.,  The Rowan House, The Girard College Elementary School, Spring Garden Academy, Christian Street YMCA and West Philadelphia YMCA).

I fell in love with these little future film buffs from Project H.O.M.E. (lft. to rt. Keyana, Shamiyyah and Ceyana). I’ve never seen the movie Nanny McPhee (Director Kirk Jones), but these girls were able to fill me in on the particulars of the first feature with great detail, and all three can’t wait to see Nanny McPhee Returns (Director Susanna White) in theaters August 20th. They also seemed genuinely excited to receive a copy of the book; so much so they immediately began to read to me aloud.  (by the way, how do you tell a kid to sound out a word like “does”?  I certainly wasn’t about to get into verb tense).

I don’t know who was more excited by the arrival of Emma Thompson, me or the kids!  She looked wonderful as you can see from these pics. Although I kinda hoped she’d come dressed in warts and the long tooth.  One of the children asked Thompson why she became an actress.  She replied that she first considered being a hospital administrator.  I think, although not nearly as glamorous or lucrative,  she would have done equally well as an elementary school teacher.  She was so good with the kids, entertaining, educating, but at the same time conversing with them as if they were adults.  The children in turn were attentive and asked some very good movie making questions, which prompted Thompson to reveal some fun behind the scenes CGI techniques.

Click HERE to listen to complete Q&A with the children.

I’m assuming Thompson is on a book signing, press junket tour for Nanny McPhee Returns. I was informed about this event last minute and wasn’t given a press release,  so not sure if the Free Library of Philadelphia asked to be a stop on the tour or if they were approached to host.  Either way, I’m always up for meeting celebs in my own backyard. More importantly, a couple of lucky children now have a great show and tell(Emma Thompson signed book) to bring back to school this fall.

What was next on my agenda? Seeing Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love opening day!  See my commentary on Tinsel & Tine.