FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Garrison Commander Col. Joel D. Hamilton reads "Zen Shorts" by John J. Muth to Fort Carson community children at the "Tell Me a Story" event hosted by the Fort Carson Parent to Parent Program at the Special Events Center, March ...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- More than 30 Fort Carson community Families joined Garrison Commander Col. Joel D. Hamilton at the Special Events Center, March 15, 2015, for an event that doesn't occur too often in today's world of advanced media -- reading books made of ink and paper.

Hamilton was on hand to read to Joint Task Force Carson children as part of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) "Tell Me a Story" Program.

Fort Carson's Parent to Parent Program, which is funded by the MCECC, hosted the event and organized all activities, which included Hamilton's reading, along with music and activities for the attending children.

As Families filtered in from the warm spring sunshine, they were greeted by a few contemporary hits. The 4th Infantry Division Band's Barkeley Avenue group put on a free show for the kids, and they didn't disappoint. Their upbeat tunes set a relaxed mood and created a smooth transition for each of the event's segmented activities.

Hamilton had a captive audience as he sat down to read.

"We put on these types of events twice a year at Fort Carson," said Parent to Parent Program Team Lead Louise Webb. "We also host workshops for military parents at Fort Carson and the surrounding area. Our goal is to educate parents about transitioning issues involved with children. Military Families change locations often and we want to help ease their children's educational transitions."

Organizers selected the book "Zen Shorts" by Jon J. Muth, in part because it addresses some of the issues transitioning children often face.

Hamilton's smooth delivery and easy speaking voice mesmerized the children as they spread out on the floor around him. Event organizers also projected the book's graphics onto a large screen nearby, so the children could follow along.

"This format is interesting because we often educate Soldiers in a similar way -- by telling stories," Hamilton said. "In the Army, we call them vignettes, but they serve to teach Soldiers valuable lessons."

Hamilton explained that though the book was geared for 4-12 year olds, the story really related to all age groups.

"I liked it," he said. "It's made up of three separate stories that entail some of the challenges our military kids encounter, how a person can handle those challenges while maintaining a positive attitude and that there are a lot of things to be thankful for despite adversity."

Barkeley Avenue followed the reading with a set composed of songs most children might recognize, including numbers from the "Muppet Show" and "Toy Story."

Families then gathered in smaller groups to discuss the story in an interactive format and the event ended with an arts and crafts activity.

The Parent to Parent program provides workshops for military Families in areas of transitioning children from post to post, resiliency, early literacy and math literacy. For more information on the Parent to Parent team and the next "Tell Me a Story" event, tentatively set for this fall, contact Webb at 808-258-5961 or email PtoP.carson@militarychild.org.