A steady rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of attendees of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Children’s Day, held in downtown Brooklyn on Saturday, September 30. Events included panels for readers of varying ages, read-alouds, activities, and publisher tents for guests to acquire new books. Here we present a selection of Children’s Day photos.
Booklovers stopped by the Enchanted Lion booth to discover and read a selection of picture books. Here, two visitors read Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Josh Cochran, and Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya, translated by Michael Blaskowsky. Photo: Erica Silverman.
McNally Jackson at City Point hosted the Thrills and Chills Tour, in partnership with the Brooklyn Book Festival and Fierce Reads, with (from l.) authors Tomi Oyemakinde, Jamison Shea, moderator Tamara Fuentes, Kayln Josephson, and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
The Romance for Every Reader panel was moderated by Camryn Garrett (r.) (Friday I’m in Love) and featured authors Melissa See (l.) (Love Letters for Joy) and Alexandra Bracken (c.) (Silver in the Bone). They discussed writing love stories across genres, from fantastical Arthurian fantasies to Cyrano retellings, and gave advice for up-and-coming writers.
At the annual Illustrator Drawoff, hosted by Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg (the AstroNuts series), the audience cheered and clapped to declare which of the competing illustrators had the best interpretation of various challenges presented by the emcees. Seen here (from l.): Scieszka, Juana Martinez-Neal (the Alma series), Lian Cho (Oh Olive), Josh Cochran (Sylvester’s Letter), and Abhi Alwar (Super Pancake). This year’s winner was Lian Cho.
(From l.): authors Krystal Marquis (The Davenports), Dan Clay (Becoming a Queen), Jennifer Baker (Forgive Me Not), and moderator Aamna Qureshi (When a Brown Girl Flees) appeared on the Breaking All the Rules panel about teens rebelling against societal expectations and forging their own identities.
The Out of This World panel was moderated by Melissa Albert (Our Crooked Hearts) and featured Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes, co-authors of the Nubia fantasy series. They discussed the process of writing an epic saga set in a climate-ravaged New York, their message to young readers, and their favorite stories. After the panel, Epps (l.) and Haynes met with attendees and signed books.
Author Matthew Burgess and illustrator Josh Cochran led a poetry and banner-making workshop for children inspired by their picture book, Sylvester’s Letter. Burgess helped the participants create a poem together, which Cochran then illustrated on a large banner. Here, Cochran puts the final touches on his marker outlines, which the children colored in and added to. Photo: Erica Silverman.
The authors on the Keeping It Real panel (from l.), moderated by Susan Tan, with Stephanie Rodriguez, Andrew Eliopulos, and Janae Marks, discussed the inspirations behind their stories, how they tackle tough topics, and the importance of community.
In Conversation: authors Oliver Jeffers (Begin Again) and Roxane Gay (Opinions) discussed the roles that art and storytelling play in shaping human identities and communities, and how these stories have contributed to prejudices and global conflicts throughout history and today.
The Looking Within panel: (from l.) YA authors Wendy Xu (Infinity Particle), Christine Suggs (¡Ay, Mija!), Sarah Myer (Monstrous), and moderator Whitney Leopard, senior editor at Random House Graphics, in a discussion about understanding and nurturing our younger selves, and how it affects our relationships with others.
(From l.): Brigid Martin (Totally Psychic!) moderated the Fantastical Wonders & Magical Stories panel, joined by Isi Hendrix (Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans), Corey Ann Haydu (The Widely Unknown Myth of Apple & Dorothy), and P. Djèlí Clark (Abeni’s Song). The authors talked about the mythological and cultural origins of their middle grade fantasies and the worldbuilding that went into their stories.
