The Knox County Public Library is very pleased to host the 3rd Annual Children's Festival of Reading on June 2 in World's Fair Park.
The Festival includes a rambunctious gathering of giant street puppets, storytellers, magicians, musicians, and lots of children's writers. The event is free and open to the public, and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In keeping with this year's theme of the Summer Library Club - Rompin' Stompin' Reading Roundup-the Festival is a western hoedown complete with four performance stages: The Rompin' Stompin' Stage opened by Dollywood's stage show, "The Gruffalo"; the Hootenanny for fun-filled, sing-along music; Campfire Chats for storytelling; and the Writer's Roundup for intimate conversations with writers. The fun continues with an arts and crafts tent, a children's play area with massive inflatable slides, and a dip or two in the popular interactive fountain not to mention a hay ride around the perimeter of the Park.
This year's featured author is renowned children's writer/illustrator Tomie dePaola. He has written more than 200 books including Strega Nona and has been honored with numerous awards including the prestigious Caldecott and Newbery Honor Awards. Six of Tomie's books are featured in the Imagination Library collection. Tomie's appearance at the Festival is made possible through a partnership with Dollywood Foundation and UT's Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature.
The Animal Band will headline the Rompin' Stompin' Stage with their lively music, wacky costumes and unique stage props. No doubt this Nashville sensation will have the audience up and dancing to their colorful and educational tunes. The Animal Band won the NAMMY Award for Best Children's Music Recording of the Year for their 1999 album, Animal Rock, as well as Media and Entertainment's Excellence Award presented by members of Congress for their efforts in educating children through positive message music.
New this year! - Kids of all ages are invited to join in a Giant Puppet Parade starring Pecos Bill, Davy Crockett, Annie Oakley and others. These whimsical nine-foot characters were made by area kids in workshops all spring long.
More than 45 community groups and food vendors are coming out to support the wonderful world of reading with special crafts, storytelling and games.
Join a Reading Program! - Knox County Public Library is hosting the Festival to encourage people of all ages to join a reading club this summer. There's a program for everyone! For children (both listeners and readers), prize packs include $200 worth of rewards from area attractions and merchants. This year's Teen Reads program features a tailored reward book with prizes such as a ride on the Three Rivers Rambler and entrance to Tennessee Valley Fair. The Adult Reading Challenge encourages older folks to take time to slow down and pick up a good novel. When adults read, they model good reading habits for the children in their lives and learn something for themselves along the way.
The Children's Festival of Reading is made possible through the generous support of Books-A-Million, ORNL Credit Union, Downtown Knoxville, Friends of the Library, Target, Knoxville News Sentinel, WBIR, Comcast, B97.5, the City of Knoxville, and East Tennessee Foundation.
For a complete program, list of authors and performers and more information, please go to
www.knoxcounty.org/library or call 215-8767.