SEE BOOKS COME ALIVE!
About Multicultural Children's Book Festival |Additional Events | Authors & Illustrators
Schedule | Sponsors | The Kennedy Center Education Department | Contact information

Sponsored by Target Stores

Guest Celebrities, Illustrators, Performers and Storytellers include :
Cantaré, Lulu Delacre, Dora the Explorer, Anthony Chee Emerson, Edwin Fontánez, Eloise Greenfield, Nikki Grimes, Grace Lin, Carolyn Marsden, Walter Dean Myers, Step Afrika!, and more....

Learn more about the Book Festival

The festival is a project of the Kennedy Center Education Department. The event attracts more than 7,000 people who are able to find many new volumes for their school and family libraries among the hundreds of collected and displayed books. More than 750 titles and multiple copies of story books, picture books, fairy tales, biographies, historical perspectives, novels, specialty books written for toddlers through teens, and a special selection of performing arts books will be available for purchase at prices ranging from $3.50-$25.

The subjects of these books are the lives, cultures and stories of African, African American, Asian, Indian, Arabian, Afghani, Caribbean, and Latino peoples. Free posters, bookmarks and other small gifts will be distributed while supplies last. The Multicultural Children's Book Festival is produced for the Center by the non-profit organization Kids Cultural Books, the sister organization to the Stamford, Connecticut-based Black Books Galore! A portion of the book sale proceeds will benefit the Kennedy Center education programs.

The festival will explore cultures from all around the world with interactive performances in African American stepdancing by
Step Afrika! and Latino Percussion by Cantaré, illustration workshops by Asian author/illustrator Grace Lin, Native Americanillustrator Anthony Chee Emerson, and Puerto Ricanauthor/illustrator, Edwin Fontánez. Free photos with Dora the Explorer courtesy of Target and free Coloring Station courtesy of Exit Studio.

Festival attendants will be able to enjoy live performances during the readings of works by Jabari Asim, Lulu Delacre, Nikki Grimes, Pooja Makhijani, Walter Dean Myers, and Dr. Raouf Mama.
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TENTATIVE Readings and Performance Schedule in the Theater Lab Time Reader & Book, Performance 12:00-12:10 p.m. Commencement of Festival with Kennedy Center Vice President Darrell Ayers, recognition of sponsors from Target 12:10-12:30 p.m. Walter Dean Myers reads from a selection of his books including Blues Journey and Harlem 12:40-1:00 p.m. Indian author Pooja Makhijani reads from her book, Mama's Saris 1:10-1:40 p.m. Interactive Step Dancing Performance by Step Afrika! 2:20-2:40 p.m. African American author, Jabari Asim reads his book Daddy Goes to Work 2:50-3:10 p.m. African Storyteller, Dr. Raouf Mama will tell stories from his book, Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin 3:20-3:40 p.m. African American author Nikki Grimes reads from a selection of her books 4:00-4:30 p.m. Interactive Latin Music Performance by Cantaré All readings will be sign-interpreted. back to top

Coloring Station and Tentative Illustration Demonstrations in the Terrace Gallery Time Activity 12:30-1:00 p.m. Puerto Rican Author/Illustrator, Edwin Fontánez leads an interactive "Draw to Music" Demonstration 1:00-2:00 p.m. Kids Coloring Station provided by Exit Studio 2:15-2:45 p.m. Asian Author/Illustrator Grace Lin leads an Illustration Demonstration 2:45-3:15 p.m. Kids Coloring Station provided by Exit Studio 3:30-4:00 p.m. Native American Illustrator Anthony Chee Emerson leads an interactive Illustration Demonstration ALL DAY Free pictures with Dora the Explorer of Nickelodeon courtesy of Target in the South Gallery. back to top

Edwin Fontánez

Lulu Delacre

Dr. Raouf Mama

Nikki Grimes

Walter Dean Myers

Lulu Delacre was born in Puerto Rico and her first formal art training was in Buenos Aires when she was ten. She later attended the University of Puerto Rico and L'Ecole Supérieure d'Arts Graphiques in Paris, France, where she realized she wanted to become an illustrator of children's books. Inspired by the folklore, songs, and dance she grew up with, Delacre creates bilingual books out of love and the conviction that they are sorely needed.

Jennifer Elvgren is the author of Josias, Hold the Book, the story of a Haitian boy who discovers the joy of books and convinces his parents to allow him to attend school. Her work has also appeared in Highlights for Children and Ladybug.

Anthony Chee Emerson is the illustrator of four children's books, How the Rattlesnake Got its Rattle, Songs of Shiprock Fair, First Fire and My Horse. In 1999 he opened Emerson Gallery, featuring Anthony Chee Emerson Paintings, Betty Begay Emerson Folk art and Friends of Anthony Chee Emerson. He resides in Kirtland, New Mexico with his wife, Michele, and their two children, Zachary and Cheyanne.

Edwin Fontánez has dedicated his art and career to creating original stories for children of all ages about the beautiful culture and folklore of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Through his company Exit Studio www.exitstudio.com, founded in 1994, the Puerto Rican artist, author and producer is reaching new generations of U.S. Latinos through wholesome multimedia storytelling and encouraging them to assert their cultural identity, recognize their traditions, and share them with friends and family. His works include On This Beautiful Island; Taíno: Guanin’s Story; The Vejigante & the Folk Festivals of Puerto Rico; The Legend of the Vejigante; and Heart of the Imaginero: Little Wood Carver.

Eloise Greenfield's illustrious list of books for young people includes Me and Neesie; In the Land of Words, an NCTE 2005 Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts; Honey, I Love; and How They Got Over: African Americans and the Call of the Sea. She is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, as well as the Award of Excellence from the D.C. Area Writing Project. Additionally, she has received the Milner Award; the Hope S. Dean Award from the Foundation for Children's Literature; and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Ms. Greenfield lives in Washington, DC.

Nikki Grimes is the author of many award-winning books for children and young adults including the novels Bronx Masquerade, winner of the 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Jazmin's Notebook, a Coretta Scott King honor book and Bank Street College Book of the Year. Ms. Grimes has also written articles for such magazines as Essence, Today's Christian Woman, Book Links, and Image, Journal of Arts & Religion. An accomplished and widely anthologized poet of both children's and adult verse, Grimes has conducted poetry readings and lectures at international schools in Russia, China, Sweden and Tanzania, while short-term mission projects have taken her to such trouble spots as Haiti. Forthcoming poetry titles include When Gorilla Goes Walking, Thanks a Million, and Welcome, Precious.

Karen Katz has always made art - posters, quilts, costumes, prints, sculptures, paintings, collages, book illustrations and designs. After graduating from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, she attended the Yale Graduate School of Art and Architecture where she became interested in folk art, Indian miniatures, Shaker art and Mexican art. Her book, Counting Kisses, was a Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection and an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio 2002 Gold Seal Award Winner. Karen, husband, Gary Richards, and their daughter, Lena, divide their time between New York City and Woodstock, New York.

Grace Lin is the author and illustrator of more than a dozen picture books, including The Ugly Vegetables and Dim Sum for Everyone! Her book Robert's Snow became the inspiration for the cancer fighting fundraiser, Robert's Snow: For Cancer's Cure www.robertssnow.com and was featured on NBC's Today Show. Most recently, Grace's first children's novel The Year of the Dog was released with glowing praise. While most of Grace's books are about the Asian-American experience, she believes, "Books erase bias-they make the uncommon everyday, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal." See more about Grace and her work at www.gracelin.com.

W. Nikola-Lisa is the author of many popular children's books including Bein' With You This Way, and Summer Sun Risin', a Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year selection. He is also a winner of Parenting magazine's Reading Magic Award. In addition, Nikola-Lisa is a professor of education at National-Louis University in Evanston, Illinois. He and his wife live in Chicago. To find out more about W. Nikola-Lisa, visit his web site at www.nikolabooks.com.

Pooja Makhijaani began her writing career in her very pink bedroom where she wrote mystery stories, babysitting stories, English boarding school stories. Her bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Indian Express, Time Out New York, India Today and Time Out New York Kids among others. She is the editor of Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America an anthology of essays by women that explores the complex ways in which race shapes American lives and families. She is also the author of Mama's Saris which tells the story of a precocious girl's desire to dress up in her mother's beautiful saris. Pooja received the 2003 Magazine Award Honor in Nonfiction by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her essay, "The First Time" , in the November/December 2003 issue of Cicada.

Dr. Raouf Mama is an internationally known bilingual storyteller, the only one in the world today who performs in English and French indigenous tales from his native Benin, a French-speaking country in West Africa. Drawn from one of the richest oral traditions in Africa, Mama's stories have strong connections to African cultures on both sides of the Atlantic. His first book, Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin, was published in February 1998 to critical acclaim and won a Storytelling World award for the story: "How Hare Drank Boiling Water and Married the Beautiful Princess."
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Walter Dean Myers is a poet, playwright, collector, and musician renowned for his gripping and honest writing for children and young adults. For this work he has received many awards and honors, including two Newbery Honor Book Awards, five Correta Scott King Awards, the first Michael L. Printz Award, and numerous others. He grew up in Harlem, the topic of his and his son's first picture book collaboration, Harlem.

Step Afrika! USA is an explosive, US-based percussive dance ensemble based in Washington, D.C. A by-product of annual sojourns to the Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Soweto, South Africa, SAUSA is the American arm of this historic festival. Founded in December, 1996, the company highlights the African - American fraternity and sorority art form of stepping and its links to dance traditions around the world.

Gaylia Taylor discovered her passion for writing children's stories during her years as a reading teacher. Now retired, Taylor finds inspiration in newspaper articles, travel experiences, and memories of her childhood. She discovered the idea for George Crum and the Saratoga Chip while researching African American inventors. Taylor lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with her husband.

Linda Trice has always loved to write. She has published several articles and books for children. Linda is a Black Studies professor and a former elementary school teacher. A graduate of Howard University, she holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Columbia University and a doctorate from the Center for Minority studies. She has taught writing and Black Studies at Trinity College, Lincoln University and City University of New York.



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The Kennedy Center has established one of the most extensive arts education programs in the world—reaching more than
11 million people across the nation each year. Since its establishment in 1972, the Kennedy Center’s Education Department has dramatically expanded its education programs. Young people, teachers, and families take part in innovative and effective education programs initiated by the Center, including performances, lecture/demonstrations, open rehearsals, dance and music residencies, master classes, competitions for young actors and musicians, backstage tours, and workshops. The Kennedy Center’s Education Department is committed to its leadership role in promoting higher standards for national performing arts education programs and policy.
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Kids Cultural Books
Kids Cultural Books, based in Stamford, Connecticut, is a non-profit organization launched in 1999 by Toni Trent Parker, president and co-founder of the children's book service Black Books Galore! Parker’s 1998 paperback, Black Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children’s Books (John Wiley & Sons), is a comprehensive guide for parents and educators. Featuring annotations on 500 books and references to more than 200 others, it was the most complete in the field. Indexed to help readers navigate through the four chapters, grouped by age from babies and toddlers through early teens, the pages are delightfully embellished with actual book cover illustrations, textual excerpts from many of the books and lists of award-winning titles, including the Coretta Scott King Award and Reading Rainbow lists. Since then, Wiley & Sons has published three more of Parker’s Black Books Galore! Guides:…to Great African American Children’s Books About Boys (2000); …Books About Girls (2000), and …to More Great African American Children’s Books (2001). Parker’s five other books, all published by Scholastic in 2002, are Hugs and Hearts, Painted Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies, Sweets and Treats; Snowflake Kisses and Gingerbread Smiles, and Being Me: A Keepsake Scrapbook for African American Girls.

The original book service began 13 years ago when the three, all African American mothers who were frustrated by the paucity of children’s books featuring African American themes, came together to create Black Books Galore! Since then they have become known as experts in the field. Through the organization of touring book fairs and festivals such as the Kennedy Center’s annual Multicultural Children's Book Festival, BBG! has discovered thousands of titles and sold tens of thousands of fine African American and other culture-specific books. BBG! has been recognized as Parenting Leaders in Parenting Magazine (March 1998) and has been featured in articles in The New York Times and American Visions, among others, as well as on television and radio. Kids Cultural Books has produced the Kennedy Center Multicultural Children’s Book Festival since its inception in 1996.
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Phone: (202) 467-4600
TDD (hearing impaired) (202) 416-8524
www.kennedy-center.org
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