Book fair
Clifford and Jonathan
On Saturday evening I stopped by the reception at the Dodd Center for the 2009 Connecticut Children’s Book Fair. The Fair filled the Rome Ballroom Saturday and Sunday with presentations and book signings by well known authors and illustrators, storytelling, crafts, holiday shopping, two breakfasts with Clifford the Big Red Dog, and presentation of the 2009 Raab Associates Prizes for Illustration and Writing.
The Connecticut Children’s Book Fair brings together prominent children’s authors and illustrators and the general public in an annual event designed to foster the enjoyment of children’s literature. Each year it’s open to the public without an entrance fee. Children, parents, grandparents, book collectors, and interested members of the public attend to meet the writers and artists, hear readings and storytellings, and meet some characters from their favorite books.
At the reception I met Katelyn Fox, 2009 Raab Prize in Illustration Winner and John Allie, 2009 Raab Prize in Writing Winner. The Raab Associates Prizes are intended to promote the field of children’s book writing and illustration. The illustration competition was created in 1999 by Susan Salzman Raab, founder and co-owner of Raab Associates, a children’s book marketing agency based in Chappaqua, New York. Ms. Raab, who is also a 1980 UConn alumna with a degree in English, especially wants to encourage and support people who have interests in the arts and the world of publishing. The competition is held annually and the prize is awarded to students enrolled in the University of Connecticut’s School of Fine Arts’ illustration courses or in the English Department’s creative writing courses offered during the fall semester. In 2009, Susan Raab established the Raab Associates Prize for Writing in conjunction with faculty in the English Department, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Brinley Franklin; children’s author Lois Lowry; children’s author PW Catanese; me; Lisa Catanese.
The Connecticut Children’s Book Fair is a project of the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center and the UConn Co-op. Proceeds from sales at the event are used for the growth of the Northeast Children’s Literature Collection in the Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries.
The Book Fair is a great program that reaches out to our younger readers while supporting writers and artists who produce children’s literature. Thanks to Jean Nelson at the Dodd Center for the photos.
