Never has our giraffe in construction worker couture felt more apropos.

You may have noticed some big changes around the Square. Another raised crosswalk construction project is happening down at the corner of Brattle and Church St., and closer to home (as in, right over our employee area!) a total sidewalk makeover is... well, not happening.

The city of Cambridge has declared the sidewalk around the store unsafe (says owner Donna: "We've been saying that since we moved in!") and in need of a major overhaul. Unfortunately, neither the city nor our landlord is sure who is responsible for the area underneath the sidewalk: our store room, bathrooms, and offices. Until the dispute is resolved, the construction is stalled, because no one's sure what to do or who's going to do it.

You may have seen some construction in our art room last week, when we put a new doorway into our office spaces. Now that that project is finished, impact on shopping should be minimal. The Chapter Book Room, which is directly beneath the Picture Book Room on the ground floor, is totally safe; only our employee area is affected by the construction. Mostly, at the moment, it means there's no convenient place to eat our lunches! However, it means staff and customers alike need to take a key to use a bathroom upstairs. (Just ask at the Hut!)

We'll keep you updated as to the project's progress. Thanks for your support and flexibility during this time. Despite the dust, we always have great merchandise and great staff to help you find the perfect book or toy for your youngster (or yourself!).