Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, 1030 Bonita Ave. in La Verne, announced Friday that it will close after 28 years. The children’s book specialist has cut prices in half and will close when the stock is depleted or Jan. 31, whichever comes first. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune has the story here.

Mrs. Nelson’s was the subject of one of my columns in 2010 and a related blog post. Owner Judy Nelson blogged in 2010 upon her store’s 25th anniversary that year, recounting highlights that included author appearances.

I’ve been to the store a few times over the years, including for a couple of author appearances, the highlight being when I met and interviewed cartoonist Jules Feiffer in 2000. (I regret I didn’t ask him to sign a book for me, but at the time that struck me as an unprofessional way to end an interview.) Very sorry to hear they’ll be closing.