Preparations are underway for the Talbot County Free Library’s 8th Annual Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival (CCBF) on Saturday, June 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Easton Library, 100 West Dover St.

The festival is a one-day, rain or shine, free event that celebrates children, community, diversity, and the joy of reading. The CCBF will also serve as the kick-off event for the Talbot County Free Library’s annual Summer Reading Program.

Children who sign up for the Summer Reading Program, and attend the festival, will receive a voucher good for one free book (while supplies last) from the attending author of their choice. It’s always fun to see the pride children take in asking the author of their choice to sign their very own book. The theme of this year’s Summer Reading Program is “All together now!”

“The day of the Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival is always one of my favorite days of the year,” said Dana Newman, Talbot County Free Library director. “All the happy children, the wonderful storytelling and art, the authors sharing their thoughts with little ones—it just can’t be beat.”

This year’s festival will feature twenty-four of the country’s finest children’s book authors and illustrators, including writers whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue. Among the authors attending will be a writer/designer for Sesame Street, a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, and a former member of the faculty of the Corcoran Museum’s acclaimed School of Art and Design.

Many of this year’s writers have won prestigious awards for their work; and all of them went through a rigorous vetting process before being selected to participate in this year’s festival. And of course, like all children’s book authors, they love to interact with their young fans.

Throughout the day of the festival, authors and illustrators will be available to discuss their books, and several of the authors will be giving readings. There will also be a wide-range of crafts, displays, entertainment and giveaways.

It will be a fun-filled day for all ages come rain or shine. Please join us for this celebration of Summer Reading!

Funding for the festival has been provided in part by grants from the Friends of the Talbot County Free Library, the Talbot County Free Library Foundation, Stories of the Chesapeake*, Bay Imprint, Talbot Arts (with revenues provided by Maryland State Arts Council, and the governments of Talbot County, Easton, Oxford, and St. Michaels), and Talbot County Council. Maryland Public Television (MPT) will be a media partner for the festival.

Partner organizations at the festival will include: Imagination Library of Talbot County (which will also be celebrating its 10th Anniversary), Maryland Public Television, Judy Center, Flying Cloud Booksellers, Talbot 4H, University of Maryland Extension – Master Gardeners, the Friends of the Talbot County Free Library, Talbot Humane, Choptank Health, ShoreRivers, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, and Talbot County Public Schools.