The 11th annual Millbrook Literary Festival will feature a special line-up of children’s programs
The 11th annual Millbrook Literary Festival will feature a special line-up of children’s programs as part of its day-long celebration of reading, writing, and illustration. Along with a variety of literary offerings for adults, there will be workshops, music, picture book readings, and much more for the younger crowd. All events are free and take place at Millbrook Library on Saturday, May 18, 2019.
To start the day at 10 a.m., young literary fans can gather for a series of picture book readings with Karen Kaufman Orloff and several other local authors. Orloff is the author of 11 books for children, including the popular I Wanna series. Her latest book is Some Days.
One of the many highlights of the day will be an American Girl tea party with Jennifer Castle, author of the Blair Wilson American Girl series, which is set in the Hudson Valley. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the author and enter a raffle to win a Blaire doll!
For those who enjoy song, Beatrix Potter’s classic “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck” will be performed with musical accompaniment by storyteller and composer Marian Grudko. This musical adaptation will be followed by a panel discussion on adaptations of classic books, featuring authors Iza Trapani, Gail Carson Levine, and Alan Katz. Along with having written 35 children’s books, Katz is a six-time Emmy-nominated writer for series including The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Pinkalicious, the Grammy Awards and Tony Awards, various Nickelodeon shows, network specials, and game shows. Theirs is sure to be an entertaining discussion.
To round out the book talks will be a panel on picture book biographies. Did you ever wonder who invented the chocolate chip cookie? Author/illustrator Gilbert Ford reveals the truth in his book How the Cookie Crumbled. Other eclectic topics covered will be artist Thomas Cole, author Herman Melville, and British royal pooch Guy.
Along with the writing, a highlight of children’s books is the colorful illustrations. Ford will end the day by conducting an illustration workshop where he will teach children to create their own book covers. Ford is the illustrator of numerous New York Time best-selling middle grade books and books for younger children.
Books by all authors and illustrators at the festival will be available for purchase. Authors will be signing their books immediately following their program or activity. In addition, many will be in the Book Tent on the library lawn to sign their work and meet visitors all day.
See the Millbrook Literary Festival website at https://millbrookliteraryfestival.org/ or follow the festival on social media for more details and updates on the full 2019 line-up of Festival events.
