For families, everything we offer at the Festival looks, smells, and tastes like free fun—stories read by the actual authors of favorite picture books, DIY craft activities, a kids’ storybook fashion show, and more! We always aim for our children’s programming to be as fun and energetic as possible, but our ultimate goal is more serious: we want kids to read more and to get excited about reading.

The 2014 Festival will feature some of the nation’s most entertaining children’s authors and books on Oct. 25 and 26 at the State Capitol and surrounding areas

Children’s book and author highlights include: Ziggy Marley, a Jamaican musician, the oldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, and children’s book author, who will present his most recent book I Love You Too. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham’s new book Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher, is a special illustrated adaptation of his New York Times bestseller Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power that teaches young readers about the life and political philosophy of one of our Founding Fathers. Drawing from family history, Pat Mora and her daughter Libby Martinez tell the story of a girl named Libby, whose 80-year-old Mexican-born great-aunt, Lobo, becomes a U.S. citizen in their new children’s book I Pledge Allegiance.

The youngest readers will enjoy the Children’s Chapter, by presenting sponsor H-E-B, which includes the Children’s Read Me a Story Tent, the Children’s Entertainment Tent, and the Children’s Activity Tent.

New at the Festival this year: there will be a Where’s Waldo scavenger hunt, hosted by Candlewick Press. The scavenger hunt checklist entry forms can be picked up in the Children’s Activity Tent, and there will be several large Waldo cut-outs scattered throughout the Festival grounds for children to find as well as a real-life Waldo making several appearances, popping in and out of venues. All participants get a sticker when they finish and will have their names entered to win a Waldo deluxe prize pack. Two lucky kiddos will win prize packs, and there will also be Where’s Waldo books available for purchase.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY TENT

Saturday:

• 10- 11 a.m.–Austin Dog Alliance: Meet the Bow Wow Reading Dogs
• 11 a.m.- noon–Storybook Character Fashion Show: Come dressed as your favorite storybook character and walk the runway
• 1- 2 p.m.–All Over the Alphabet: Fun with alphabet activities, crafts and stories with Rawson Saunders teachers
• 2- 3 p.m.–TLA Presents 2x the Fun: Learn how to expand your child’s reading experiences with fun activities you can both share after reading award-winning Texas 2×2 books

Sunday:

• 11 a.m.- noon–Create a Calavera! Get ready for Dia de los Muertos by coloring or crafting your own paper calavera
• Noon- 3 p.m.–KLRU/PBS: Kids Transmedia Demonstration Station
• 3:15- 3:45 p.m.–Made By You! Come by to create your own Texas Book Festival souvenirs

CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT TENT

Saturday:

• 10- 11 a.m.–Magician Ken Cummins puts on anunforgettble show that’s sure to entertain audence members of any age
• 11 a.m.- noon–“I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”: Presented by Thomas Hellman and Emilie Clepper
• Noon- 1 p.m.–Lucas Miller, The Singing Zoologist
• 1- 2 p.m.–Kathi Appelt presents Mogie: The Heart of the House
• 2- 3 p.m.–Boitumelo: Songs and Stories of South Africa: Presented by Rochelle Raboui
• 3- 4 p.m.–Joaquin Hancock and the Hancock Family Band with Chataqua
• 4- 5 p.m.–Knights of Steel: A returning Festival favorite, the McCallum High School steel band entertains with its musical stylings

Sunday:

• 11 a.m.- noon–Hand to Mouh Puppet Theatre: puppeteer, painter, graphic artist, costume designer, and book illustrator Ellen Turner Scott amazes with the art of puppetry
• Noon- 1 p.m.–The Biscuit Brothers: the hosts of the EMMY Award-winning PBS kids’ music and education program will capture all that’s best about children’s music
• 1- 2 p.m.–Joe McDermott: “the maestro of imagination”
• 2- 3 p.m.–Mr. Will Dupuy

CHILDREN’S READ ME A STORY TENT

Saturday:

• 10- 10:30 a.m.–Erzsi Deak reads Pumpkin Time
• 10:30 – 11 a.m.–Pat Mora and Libby Martinez read from I Pledge Allegiance
• 11- 11:30 a.m.–Aree Chung reads selections from Ninja!
• 11:30- noon–Shannon and Dean Hale read from their book The Princess in Black
• Noon- 12:30 p.m.–Mac Barnett reads from his book Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
• 12:30- 1 p.m.–London Ladd reads from his book Under the Freedom Tree
• 1- 1:30 p.m.–Bluebonnet Master List Announcement
• 1:30- 2 p.m.–Monica Brown reads from Conoces a Pablo Picasso
• 2- 2:30 p.m.–Tad Carpenter reads from Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop
• 2:30- 3 p.m.–Andrea Beaty reads from Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau
• 3- 3:30 p.m.–Keith Graves reads from The Monsterator
• 3:30 – 4 p.m.–Lorisse’s Dog Training
• 4- 4:30 p.m.–John Rocco reads Blizzard
• 4:30- 5 p.m.–Diane Gonzales Bertrand reads from Cecilia and Miguel are Best Friends/Cecilia y Miguel son mejores amigos

Sunday:

• 11- 11:30 a.m.–Barbara Renaud Gonzalez reads from The Boy Made of Lightning
• 11:30-noon–Penguin Party: Molly Idle reads from her book, Flora and the Penguin
  
• Noon- 12:30 p.m.–Penguin Party: Melissa Guion reads from her book, Baby Penguins Love Their Mama
• 12:30 – 1 p.m.–Poetry Fun with Rawson Saunders: the Rawson Saunders Writer’s Workshop is an intensive writing program for middle and upper school students, and they will be reading selected works of their free verse poetry
• 1- 1:30 p.m.–The Young Writers Award
• 1:30 – 2 p.m.–Chris Barton reads from Attack! Boss! Cheat Code
• 2- 2:30 p.m.–Ziggy Marley reads from his book I Love You Too
• 2:30 – 3 p.m.–Carolyn Dee Flores and Rene Saldana, Jr. read from their book Dale, dle, dale: Una fiesta de numeros / Hit It, Hit It, Hit It: A Fiesta of Numbers

• 3- 3:30 p.m.–Divya Srinivasan reads from her book Little Owl’s Day