Children’s Book World welcomes Bad Kitty author and illustrator Nick Bruel at 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17. Bruel will sign copies of Bad Kitty - Drawn to Trouble, the seventh installment of the New York Times-bestselling series. Bruel will talk about how he creates the Bad Kitty books and also give a drawing demonstration. There will also be a face painter to give fans kitty faces. Recommended for kids from age 6 to 10 years old.

On Friday, Jan. 17, the world-famous Cirque du Soleil returns to Los Angeles, where the renowned nouveau cirque (contemporary circus) made its American debut in 1987. TOTEM follows the journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage designed to evoke a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations. The famed big top is back at the historic Santa Monica Pier from Jan. 17 to Feb. 23, 2014.

In celebration of the Year of the Horse, the USC Pacific Asia Museum presents the fourth annual Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The family-friendly event features performances by lion dancers, traditional Vietnamese and Korean folk dancers, acrobats, and taiko drummers. Activities inside the museum include crafts, Chinese flower arranging, docent-led tours and more. Admission to the festival and museum galleries is free.

Wanda Coleman was an Emmy Award and Lenore Marshall Prize-winning poet and writer, widely regarded as “the unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles.” Friends and peers are paying tribute to the larger-than-life figure on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Central Library in Downtown LA. The evening features readings and shared memories, with musical accompaniment provided by David Ornette Cherry. Audience members are invited to share a favorite line from one of Coleman’s poems. A public reception immediately follows the program, which is taking place at 5 p.m. in the Mark Taper Auditorium.

On Sunday, Jan. 19, the California African American Museum (CAAM) honors the legacy of two great men who changed the course of history: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. The free celebration of the two Nobel Peace Prize laureates is taking place at CAAM from noon to 5 p.m., and includes screenings of Dr. King’s speeches and Mandela’s 1990 speech at the LA Coliseum, as well as music, theatre and dance performances that represent Los Angeles in all its diversity.