Well, I didn’t have to run around so much today because all the sessions were in the same room, so I got to actually see the sessions.

Ashley Bryan started us off with a rousing communal poetry recital. His enthusiasm makes you just about want to jump up out of your chair. At all other times he seems to be a very mild-mannered gentleman, but put some Langston Hughes in his hand and he is jumping around, grinning, declaiming poems loudly and proudly. Every child in America should hear him.

Then we heard some stories from storyteller Diane Williams. Her beautiful speaking and singing voice brings every story to life.

Pat Scales provided us with a bibliography of children’s books set in, told about, or written by authors from the South.

Then, of course, it was Judy Blume’s turn. Her heartfelt speech had an entire auditorium wailing. I sobbed like a child!

After book signing, storyteller Yuyi Morales opened up her bolsa de sorpresas (hope I spelled that correctly…I speak Japanese, not Spanish) and brought out Señor Calavera and remembrances of Coleen Salley.

Now my favorite part: My signed books!

Louise Borden’s true story of the Reys:

Yuyi drew gorgeous little illustrations in the books she signed!

She signed it in silver ink on the deep purple-blue background….preeeeetty.

And here’s her counting book–she drew Señor Calavera in it!

And here are the Judy Blume books!

Tomorrow I probably won’t have time to see many sessions, as I will be running around from faulty laptop to faulty laptop. Thank goodness for blister cushions!

Tags: Ashley Bryan, Diane Williams, Judy Blume, Louise Borden, Pat Scales, storytelling, Yuyi Morales

So I’m here in my official capacity as Lugger-Arounder and Makey-Worker of Laptops and Other Electronic Equipment at the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival. I didn’t get to sit in on many of the sessions, but I did get to meet the presenters and authors. There was one very interesting session on “hush harbors,” places out in the woods where slaves would go worship in their own way, done by Freddi Evans. I did sit in on that one, largely because I needed to help with the technology.

SPEAKING OF WHICH. O my every god. The computers the USM tech people loaned out to us should not even exist. They didn’t bother to clean them, so they were dusty and smudgy; at least one is completely out of commission because it is acting very strangely; they don’t appear to have the capacity to play sound, although I know that they must. They are slooooooow and their touchpads are way too responsive, so you end up opening five or six windows trying to open just one, which slows them down even more. They are stocked with Office 2003, when most of the presenters are using 2007. It’s really frustrating for me, and even more so for the presenters. Poor Ms. Evans couldn’t get most of her material to work, and the lack of sound was really bad for her because her presentation mostly involved song and dance. The out-of-commission computer decided to completely lose its mind right in the middle of a big presentation later on, and we had to swap computers entirely.

BUT ANYWAY. I got some books signed, pictures of which I will post…now.

Here’s a book a former professor (and director of the Festival) wrote. She seemed surprised to find that she now has a fangirl. (Fractured faerietales are my FAVORITE THINGS.)

She got all smart-alecky signing it.

Here’s a collection of African folktales by Ashley Bryan.

A spooky offering from Arthur Yorinks…

A sweet poem by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated and signed by Jan Spivey Gilchrist.

Finally, another Ashley Bryan; this time, a colorful celebration of Satchmo.

More tomorrow! (Say a prayer to whatever gods govern technology that these abysmal laptops will cooperate.)

Tags: Arthur Yorinks, Ashley Bryan, Catharine Bomhold, Eloise Greenfield, fractured faerietales, Freddi Williams Evans, Jan Spivey Gilchrist