BOOKS

BIRDS ON THE BRAIN Mo Willems reads from his latest books for toddlers, “The Pigeon Loves Things That Go” (Hyperion) and “The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too” (Hyperion). Wednesday, 4:30 p.m., Bank Street Bookstore, Broadway and 112th Street, 212-678-1654, free.

BABYSITTERS CLUB Melissa de la Cruz reads from her new book for young adults, “Au Pairs 2: Skinny-Dipping” (Simon & Schuster), a sort of “Nanny Diaries” for the pre-teen set. Wednesday, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Upper East Side, 240 E. 86th St. at Second Avenue, 212-794-1962, free.

SUBWAY SERIES The New York Transit Museum celebrates Kids’ Day, first observed in 1829 as a day off for schoolchildren in Brooklyn and Queens. The authors of “My Subway Ride” (Gibbs Smith), Paul Jacobs and Jennifer Swender,read from their picture book and lead a workshop in making a collage inspired by the subway system. Thursday, 1 p.m., New York Transit Museum, Sanford Gaster Education Center, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, 718-694-1600, free with admission, $5 general, $3 seniors and children under 17, free for members.

DANCE

MOZAMBIQUE MOVES The National Song & Dance Company of Mozambique presents an evening of traditional folk dances. The program includes Makway, a dance of joy usually performed by men at wedding ceremonies; Ngoma,used to prepare for battle, and Niquetxe, which expresses the frustration of laborers in tea plantations owned by foreign companies. Prophecy Dance Company also performs at the event, which is part of the New York Family Arts Festival. Friday, 7 p.m., Theatre of the Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave., between 120th and 122nd streets, 212-870-6784, free. Go to www.theriversidechurchny.org for a full schedule.

FOOD & DRINK

BIG BARBECUE The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party draws some of the biggest names in barbecue. There will be meat, jazz and bluegrass, several panel discussions, a screening of “Barbecue: A Texas Love Story” (which features Dan Rather), and more meat. Last year, attendees consumed 1,500 racks of babyback ribs, 4,700 pounds of brisket, and 1,800 slices of watermelon. Saturday and Sunday, noon-6 p.m., Madison Square Park, Madison Avenue, 23rd to 26th streets and Fifth Avenue, free to attend. Please go to www.bigapplebbq.org for a full schedule.

MUSIC

SOUNDS FROM ALL OVER A world-music festival at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum welcomes a variety of bands and includes several hands-on programs. Children can also test instruments from conga drums to xylophones. Saturday, 1-5 p.m., Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave. at St. Mark’s Avenue, 718-735-4400, $4 general, members free.

PARENTING

BACK TO WORK A career expo for mothers showcases programs supporting working parents, introduces attendees to recruiters, offers resume critiques, and presents seminars throughout the day. The event, which is sponsored by Women for Hire, also focuses on older workers interested in re-entering the workforce. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Manhattan Center, 311 W. 34th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, $10. Please go to www.womenforhire.com for more information.

SUPPORT FOR NURSING MOTHERS Two drop-in support groups for breastfeeding mothers take place this week. A program at the Jewish Community Center invites attendees to nurse while they talk with other mothers in a discussion led by lactation consultant Beverly Solow. Pregnant women are also welcome. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street, 646-505-5708, $15 general, free for members).At the 92nd Street Y, a summer series of weekly group meetings offers advice on the emotional side to breast-feeding, how to juggle it with a job, and the pros and cons of supplements. The group is for mothers of children up to 6 months (Thursdays, June 9 through August 11, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $20).

TALKS

FOR BUDDING BOOK-LOVERS Author Carol Weston reads from the latest book in her Melanie Martin series for young readers, “Melanie in Manhattan” (Knopf), with special attention to passages that take place among the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. She’ll also discuss how ideas turn into books, how covers are chosen, and the importance of rewriting. The talk is intended for children ages 8 to 12. Sunday, 2-3:30 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Linder Theater, 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-769-5200, $20 adult and child, $12 each additional child.

THEATER

LOUIE, LOUIE In the family musical “Captain Louie,” a little boy named Louie, lonely on a Halloween evening, builds a city in a shoebox and begins a fantastical journey into his imagination. The play is based on “The Trip,” a 1978 children’s book by Ezra Jack Keats. During the final week of performances, actress Rebecca Luker reads “The Trip” before a weekday show (Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.). Jeff Subik’s set design imitates Keats’s distinctive cutout style. Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell”) has added two new songs for the revival’s staging. Meridee Stein directs the musical, which is a production of First All-Children’s Theatre. Through Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Friday, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.,York Theatre at St. Peter’s, 619 Lexington Ave. at 54th Street, 212-868-4444, $35 general, $25 members, $17.50 Wednesdays and Thursdays and 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. showtimes.

WORKSHOP

MAKE A MAQUETTE A family workshop at the National Academy Museum invites participants to make a maquette, an experimental early version of a sculpture. Children first explore the maquettes on view in “Disegno: The 180th Annual Exhibition” to find inspiration. Then they make their own sculpture or sketch in a workshop conducted by artist Hannah Frassinelli. Saturday, 1-3 p.m., National Academy Museum, 1083 Fifth Ave., between 89th and 90th streets, 212-369-4880 ext. 225, $6, reservations recommended, ages 6 and older accompanied by an adult.

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