Nila Priyambodo
Managing Editor
Five year old Derek Meyers and his classmates all sat in three straight lines of eight with their legs crossed Indian style and their hands folded and placed on their laps.
“I want her to read ‘Mystery Bear,’” Derek shouted with one of his hands raised in the air.
“No, I want her to read ‘Rainbow Fish,’” one of his classmates screamed.
When the kids settled down, they found out that the first book they would hear is “Mystery Bear.”
“Yes,” Derek softly whispered to himself.
This is a typical day at Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, where story time is a daily routine.
Located on the corner of Damien and Bonita avenues, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, which has been opened for 20 years, is a family business run by Judy Nelson and her husband, Byron Nelson. The store was moved from its original location in Covina to a bigger site in La Verne in 1990.
Judy Nelson, who worked as a physical therapist, wanted to have a big family. She quit her job to raise her one daughter and her twin boys. Judy Nelson’s favorite activity as a mother was to take her kids to the library.
“I remembered how the library became a tradition in our family,” she added. “I wanted other families to have a special place, besides the library, where they can bring their children to read.”
When her sons started kindergarten, Judy Nelson had a lot of free time on her hands. Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop was Judy Nelson’s idea of work to keep her busy.
“I was bored sitting at home waiting for my kids to come home from school,” Judy Nelson said. “But I wanted to have a job that I loved and enjoyed.”
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop offers over 35,000 titles of books for all ages from pre-schoolers to teenagers. Mrs. Nelson’s shop also carries a variety of toys for both boys and girls, such as legos, stuffed animals, train sets and dolls.
Besides books and toys, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop also carries arts and crafts supplies, costumes and stationaries.
However, when walking in Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, the eyes go straight toward the stickers that cover the walls, the bright colorful play/toy stations dispersed throughout the store and the huge wall dedicated to science.
“I love going to this store because I can play and read at the same place,” Meyers said.
With bigger bookstore and toy store chains, like Barnes & Nobles, Borders and Toys ‘R’ Us, smaller independent stores like Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop are threatened.
But Manager Lisa Gustafson and Judy Nelson have their own strategy: to make the shop personal and appropriate for kids.
“We want to make it a place where the whole family can shop,” Gustafson said. “It’s child friendly and parents don’t have to be afraid of us carrying something that they don’t want their child to be exposed to.”
In addition, the staff of Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop consists of former teachers.
“Having workers who used to be teachers is a great benefit to the store,” Gustafson said. “Larger chains like Barnes & Nobles don’t have this.”
“Our staff can recommend the perfect book for any child because they know what is appropriate,” she added. “I doubt the staff of Barnes & Nobles can do what our staff does.”
Derek Meyers’ mother, musician Dana Meyers, added: “I don’t like going to places like Borders because they recommend some book they know off the top of their heads, but my son ends up hating them. Whenever we go here, they know exactly what he would like and they’re right. It’s amazing.”Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop also adapts to the changes in the economy. When book sales were decreasing, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop went back to its target audience: schools. Mrs. Nelson’s shop holds book fairs at schools throughout California, from La Verne to Los Angeles to Visalia.
To add, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop has also teamed with the city and is one of the local stores where the La Verne Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificates can be used.
Because of these specific strategies, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop’s revenue has never been lower than $750,000.
This past year Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop’s annual revenue was $1.75 million, despite the obstacle they had to overcome when their co-manager Jamie Barsumian died.
After Barsumian’s death in November, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop underwent a decorating transformation. The store was recarpeted, the walls were re-painted and the layout was reorganized. In addition, there is a new multi-purpose area for story time, included with computer support for presentations.
“We had to start new and let go of the past,” Gustafson said. “Jamie would have wanted it this way.”
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop has support from the community, but it also has support from the city of La Verne as well.
One of Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop’s main supporter is La Verne Mayor Jon Blickenstaff. He believes the business brings the perfect element to La Verne.
“Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop brings a very unique niche in the community,” said Blickenstaff, who was a teacher and principal in the Azusa school district for 35 years.
“From first hand experience, this is a wonderful business,” added Blickenstaff, who was a regular customer when Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop was in Covina. “The city supports this store 100 percent.”
Blickenstaff also applauds Judy Nelson and her staff: “Judy is so knowledgeable of children literature. She knows the perfect book for every child. I know educators that come from out of town just to shop here because the staff is so helpful.
“It’s a wonderful addition to our city,” he added.
On April 11, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop will host author Eleanor Updale, who wrote “Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?,” and the following day Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop will host cartoonist and author Jeff Smith, who wrote “Out of Boneville.”
Nila Priyambodo can be reached at npriyambodo@ulv.edu.
