knoxville children's festival of reading

The Knoxville Children's Festival of Reading. Awesome. Here's a mug shot of most of the presenters. Donna Washington, Mike Thaler, Jack Gantos, Chris Raschka, moi, Chris Grabenstein, Judy Schachner, Liz Mangual and Bob Kanegis.

We're almost in focus, in this photo. It was dusk on Friday, and I didn't use a flash.

Here's a peek at what World's Fair Park looked like on Saturday. The day started out overcast, then turned sunshiny and muggy. But, as you can see, people didn't let the heat keep them from having a grand time.

Two-month old Connor's first book, my lullaby/bedtime book One Wide Sky. I'm honored!

I forgot my security-blanket red shawl, so I brought The Ponder Heart with me instead.

Thousands of kids and their grown-ups, book sales by one of my favorite indies, Carpe Librum Booksellers in Knoxville, and a day full of actors, singers, dancers, storytellers, writers, food, crafts, carriage rides, and a fountain to cool off under when it got too hot. Not bad!

I stuck my feet into the water garden at the other end of the park, when it was all over. I had my bouncers with me all day, RockyBella and MissyEarle, otherwise known as Christen Mays and Elizabeth Cantrell, two teacher friends from Webb School of Knoxville, where I worked in March. "It takes two people to manage you," asserted Missy Earle, and she was right. Thank you, you strong, beautiful, capable women.

Thank you, Mary Pom Claiborne and your entire crew of Knox County Librarians, and all your partners, including the Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature at the University of Tennessee, good friends. I loved seeing you again.

The sixth annual Children's Festival of Reading in Knoxville. Good work, y'all. Thanks for inviting me to partner with you.