Brian Malony, senior marketing manager of Fashion Fair Mall, will host "Storytime with Mr. B" on the fourth Thursday of every month starting at 10 a.m. It will be held at center court in front of Macy's. Photo via Fashion Fair Mall

Fresno’s newest Barnes & Noble is taking part to bring family fun to Fashion Fair Mall starting this month.

The new partnership may cause some excitement for Fresno bookworms who welcomed Fresno’s second Barnes & Noble location last November in the outdoor portion of the mall.

Brian Malony works as Fashion Fair’s senior marketing manager. But he’s also a former professional voice actor with credits in radio, video games and television. And he plans to volunteer those skills while hosting monthly reading sessions called “Storytime with Mr. B” at Fashion Fair’s center court in front of Macy’s Backstage. 

Malony said in an interview that this opportunity came about from Barnes & Noble highlighting a children’s book of the month. They wanted to partner to find a way to transport kids into the story. 

“We wanted to be able to bring it to life in a public way, in center court, and offer a place for families to come in and have a fun experience,” Malony said.

The storytime will take place in the center court every fourth Thursday of the month, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. No storytime will occur during November or December due to the shopping center’s holiday hours. 

The program launches Aug. 28.

“We’ll have mats on the floor, and in addition we will be doing fun, interactive themed crafts that encourage creativity and hands-on engagement for the kids,” Malony said.

Maloney has over 17 years of marketing experience, and has worked at Fashion Fair for about ten years.

“He’s passionate about enriching the lives of Fresno’s youngest residents through the joy of reading and imaginative play,” according to a news release announcing the program. 

“I think more than anything else, we want to continue to give our local families an opportunity to come and spend time here with us, to grow with us and have a wonderful experience at the center itself,” Malony said.