Childrens Events

When Robert Fish's young boys saw televised images of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year, they immediately felt sorry for the children of Tohoku, the devastated region. His son Avi, then 6, said, "They must really want a teddy bear."

By LAUREL GRAEBER

Published: March 8, 2012

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'A DAY OF REFLECTION'

Breaking news about the arts, coverage of live events, critical reviews, multimedia and more.

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A sortable calendar of noteworthy cultural events in the New York region, selected by Times critics.

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On Sunday, Japan Society, where Mr. Fish is director of education, will offer small visitors a real chance to give something to the children of Tohoku. Not teddy bears, exactly, but dolls, messages and art.

They're included in "A Day of Reflection," part of Japan Society's monthlong initiative "One Year Later: Commemorating the One-Year Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami." Taking place exactly a year after the events — March 11 — the day will offer opportunities to honor the lives lost and the rebuilding since.

"We wanted to show that there was a tragedy," Mr. Fish said about the youth activities, "but we also wanted to show children in the region being strong and starting to recover, and give New York children a chance to respond."

Japan Society will display artwork from two cities: 93 drawings by preschoolers in Soma, who made images reflecting joy, and 80 photographs of work by elementary school students in Ishinomaki, above, who turned actual debris into toys and sculptures. Young visitors can write messages or make their own art in response.

HappyDoll , a nonprofit that makes plain cloth dolls to be decorated by children for children, will donate its products for visitors to embellish. "We can always help them if they want to try a little Japanese," Mr. Fish said. A K Akemi Kakihara, a Japanese pop singer, will lead a singalong.

The day will also feature documentaries; comments by Shigeyuki Hiroki, the consul general of Japan in New York; a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. (the time of the earthquake in Japan); and "Memory: Things We Should Never Forget," an exhibition of news photographs. None are graphic, Mr. Fish said. One evokes the deaths of young students in subtle but heartbreaking imagery: row after row of abandoned backpacks.

Mr. Fish emphasized that he did not want children to leave feeling helpless. "The worst thing you can say to a child is 'There's nothing you can do,' " he said. "That's a terrible lesson. We want to show that there is something Americans can do."

(11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 333 East 47th Street, Manhattan. Full schedule, japansociety.org . Registration for HappyDoll project, 1 to 2:30 p.m., is suggested: 212-715-1275 or via e-mail to jseducation@japansociety.org . Free, except for two of the films: $7; $5 for students, 65+ and members. )

For Children

'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' (Friday through Sunday) A murder plot, first love and, of course, the famous fence-painting scene unfold onstage in this adaptation of Mark Twain's novel, written by Laura Eason. The production, closing this weekend at the New Victory Theater, has original music and a cast of adult actors playing Tom, Huck, Becky and the gang. Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday at noon and 5 p.m., 209 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (646) 223-3010, newvictory.org; $14 to $38; $9 to $25 for members.

'Aesop's Fables' (Friday, Monday and Thursday) "What goes around comes around," the triumphant Wolf sneers at the Fox. That describes not only the moral of a fable, but also the action at Circle in the Square Theater, where animals run up and down the stairs and through the aisles in this revival of Michael Milligan and Joziah Longo's musical adaptation. A Theodore Mann production presented by the Alumni Ensemble of the theater's school, this inventive show for ages 5 and older uses elaborate masks to bring Aesop's characters (and four fables) to life. (Through Mar. 16) At 10:30 a.m., 1633 Broadway, at 50th Street, (212) 307-0388, circlesquare.org; $5. Reservations are required via phone or an e-mail to admissions@circlesquare.org.

'Alice in Wonderland' (Saturday and Sunday) Animals don't usually go to church, but St. Michael's will make an exception for the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Dormouse and a few others this weekend. St. Michael's Music & Arts, its performance division, is presenting "Alice in Wonderland," Robert Chauls's opera for families. Kathleen Cantrell, a lyric soprano, will portray Alice, but most of the roles will be played by young people in the St. Michael's choirs and students from nearby schools. Saturday at 5 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; St. Michael's Church, 225 West 99th Street, Manhattan, (212) 222-2700, saintmichaelschurch.org/alice-in-wonderland; $30; $15 for students and 65+; $10 for ages 10 and under; $50 for priority seating.

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This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: March 10, 2012

A Spare Times for Children entry in some editions Friday about "A Day of Reflection" scheduled for Sunday at the Japan Society in Manhattan, using information from the society, misstated the number of photographs of work by elementary school students that will be on display. It is 80, not 54.

Theo www.nytimes.com