Children's Festival Of Stories
This premiere event was a collaborative creation between Second Star to the Right children’s bookstore and Denver Arts & Venues cultural program. This day-long FREE public event featured national, regional and local children’s books authors and illustrators of board books, picture books, chapter books and middle grade novels. The featured presenters offered book signings, panel discussions and book-themed crafts. A unique creation station and children’s performers engaged the whole family in reading fun! Additional events for educators, aspiring children’s book creators and librarians were also part of this event.
Children’s Festival of Stories also included an Evening of Story for sponsored educators and librarians to meet featured presenters. A day of panels and workshops for educators, writers & illustrators of children’s books to learn from our invited presenters was also offered through this event.
Denver’s Children’s Festival of Stories was supported by contributions from individuals, foundations, corporations, collaborating schools and libraries.
Participating Authors & Illustrators
MIRIAM BUSCH
SARAH ARONSON
F.T. (FLEUR) BRADLEY
PABLO CARTAYA
ABBY COOPER
MELANIE CROWDER
JULIE DANNEBERG
LUKE FLOWERS
KRISTEN FOOTE
LEAH GILBERT
JENNY GOEBEL
JULIE HEDLUND
DEBBI MICHIKO FLORENCE
CLAUDIA MILLS
BRAD MCLELLAND
JEANNIE MOBLEY
CATHY MORRISON
TONY ORTEGA
DOW PHUMIRUK
AMMI-JOAN PAQUETTE
HEATHER PREUSSER
JEAN REIDY
ELLY SWARTZ
LOUIS SYLVESTER
KIKI THORPE
DENISE VEGA
ELAINE VICKERS
ANDREA WANG
LILY WILLIAMS
NATASHA WING
STAN YAN
Participating Performers & Special Guests
EMILY ARROW
(and her ukulele Bow) create literature inspired music and media for children, cultivating an appreciation for literacy!
ASSÉTOU XANGO
is a poet and community activist.
DENVER CITY COUNCILWOMAN
COUNCILWOMAN DEBBIE ORTEGA
DENVER NUGGETS COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS
WALTER DAVIS
ERVIN JOHNSON
MARK RANDALL
SPECIAL GUEST INSTRUCTORS
SETH MAISEL
is the Education Director for the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center.
CIPRIANO ORTEGA
Cipriano works with two foundations that teach the arts: The Arvada Center of the Arts and Humanities and Historic Elitch Theater Academy.
MARK ROEDER
received Writing/Directing and Acting Certificates from Colorado Film School.
A World of Workshops
A collection of workshops put on by the participating Authors and Illustrations
for Adults and Children!
Here are some of the workshop themes:
Create a Storybook (for writers and artists of all ages – parents & children)
Do's and Don'ts of Writing Dialogue (for adult writers)
Drawing comic character designs (for younger artists)
Picture Book Panel Q&A (for writers of all ages)
Chapter Book and Middle Grade Panel Q&A (for writers of all ages)
Creative Non-fiction Story Writing (for younger writers)
Making Picture Books with Heart and Clarity (for adult writers)
On Finding Your Voice (for younger writers)
Embracing Theme (for adult writers)
Filmmaking: Telling Stories with Moving Pictures with Denver Open Media
(for younger storytellers)
What Makes a Story? (for younger writers)
Creating Characters Through Art Games & Story Building (for younger creators)
Finding Layers in Picture Books (for adult writers)
Where Art and Poetry Unite (for adult creators)
Film Making Story (for younger creators)
The Power of Play: Climbing back into the Writing Sandbox (for adult writers)
Sponsoring Businesses
Help from these sponsoring business made this 2018 Festival possible!
