PHILADELPHIA – Big Blue Marble Bookstore presents the 6th annual Mt. Airy Kids’ Literary Festival from Friday, April 13 – Sunday, April 15. This year’s weekend-long festival celebrates illustrators, cartoonists and animators, using visual art to bring stories to life. All events are free and appropriate for children in preschool through young adulthood.

Among the festival highlights are a reading of Seriously, Just Go to Sleep (Akashic Books), a G-rated version of the New York Times bestseller Go the F– to Sleep (Akashic Books) by the illustrator Ricardo Cortes, and a reading and signing of the book Fuddles by Disney and Warner Bros. animator Frans Vischer, known for his work on several animated films including The Princess and the Frog and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Local Mt. Airy artists include author and illustrator of The Popularity Papers (Abrams Books) Amy Ignatow and illustrator of Sasquatch’s Big Hairy Drawing Book (Chronicle Books) Chris McDonnell. Philadelphia illustrator Brian Biggs will be on hand to present a collection of his animated works and Narberth author Zachariah OHora, currently on a state-wide tour with the 2012 Pennsylvania One Book Selection Stop Snoring Bernard! (Henry Holt), will also stop by to read.

The festival will include door prizes and/or book giveaways after every reading, plus opportunities to meet authors, make crafts, draw cartoons, and participate in hands-on creative writing games for kids. More information and an updated list of events can be found online at http://www.bigbluemarblebooks.com/kidslit12.html or by calling (215) 844-1870.

Schedule of Events

Friday, April 13

10:30AM
Storytime with Amy Vaccarella. Our weekly storytime led by Mt. Airy’s own Amy Vaccarella celebrates Kids’ Lit with singing, stories and a special craft! Suitable for age 1 and up.

7:00PM
Amy Ignatow, author/cartoonist. Author of The Popularity Papers, Amy will be reading from the fourth and most recent book in the series, The Rocky Road Trip of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang (Abrams Books, April 2012). Followed by a pizza party and signing. Suitable for kids ages 9 and up.

Amy Ignatow is a cartoonist and the author of the Popularity Papers series of scrapbook-style illustrated novels. She is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design and also makes a decent tureen of chicken soup. Ignatow lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Mark, and their cat, Mathilda, who just isn’t very bright. http://www.abramsbooks.com/popularitypapers/

Saturday, April 14

10:00AM
Frans Vischer, author/illustrator. Frans has had a long career working as an illustrator on such films as The Princess and The Frog and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? at Disney, Cats Don’t Dance at Warner Bros., and The Road To El Dorado at DreamWorks. He wrote his first book Jimmy Dabble (Dutton) in 2001. Frans will be reading from his latest book Fuddles (Simon & Schuster, 2011), followed by a signing. Suitable for kids ages 4-7.

­Frans Vischer immigrated to the United States from Holland with his family when he was eleven years old. He met legendary Warner Bros. cartoon director Chuck Jones at a local junior college event and with a recommendation from Mr. Jones was accepted into the California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) in Valencia, Southern California, where he studied animation under Disney veterans. Upon graduation in 1981 Frans went to work at The Walt Disney Company and continued his career with films at Warner Bros. and DreamWorks. http://www.fransvischer.com/

11:00AM
Zachariah OHora, author/illustrator. Zachariah is the author of the 2012 PA One Book selection Stop Snoring, Bernard! (Henry Holt, 2011). He’ll be reading from his book and leading a related craft. Suitable for kids ages 3-6.

Zachariah OHora is an award-winning illustrator and children’s book author. Stop Snoring, Bernard!  is his first book for children and it is the recipient of the 2011 Society of Illustrator’s Founders Award. He illustrates posters, album covers, toys, and his clients include The New York Times, The Atlantic, Philadelphia Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, and NPR. He just finished illustrating Pet Project (Atheneum) written by Lisa Wheeler and is hard at work on his next book “No Fits, Nilsson!” (Dial Books Spring 2013) about little girl and her fit prone best gorilla friend. Zach lives and works in Narberth, PA with his wife Lydia, and sons Oskar and Teddy.  http://zohora.com/home.html

12:00PM
Ricardo Cortes, illustrator. Ricardo is the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller Go The F*** to Sleep (Akashic Books). He has reunited with author Adam Mansbach for the G-rated children’s version, Seriously, Just Go to Sleep, which he will be reading during a slide presentation of the story. Suitable for kids ages 3 and up.

Ricardo Cortes has illustrated books about grass, electricity, the Jamaican bobsled team, and Chinese food. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine, the Village Voice, the San Francisco Chronicle, and on the O’Reilly Factor and CNN. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, where he is working on a book about a shark. http://www.rmcortes.com

1:00PM
Susan Johnson and Sueli Melo Vieira, authors/illustrators. Amusement Trains: The Story of Freddy and Flash originated from a manuscript that was written by Leta Gunn Dahigren in the 1930’s and discovered by her granddaughter Susan Cadwalader Johnson over half a century later! Join us for an interactive reading of this whimsical tale about the adventures of amusement park train Freddy and his roller coaster car brother Flash. Includes authentic train sounds and a catchy sing-along to an original song! Suitable for ages 4 and up.

After an illustrious career in choral music, Susan Johnson embarked upon another dream career path—to become a published author. After having earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Davis, and a masters degree in music education from Westminster Choir College, Susan, a lifelong journal-keeper, set out to see that her grandmother’s manuscript was finally published. Susan lives in Philadelphia with her husband Stephen, a retired software systems engineer. They have two grown children, Amy and Mark.

Sueli Melo Vieira is a Brazilian-American web and graphic designer, internet marketing consultant, and illustrator. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, she now resides in Wyndmoor, PA, just a block northwest of Philadelphia, where she runs Blue Square Web, a web design and internet marketing company. Sueli is currently working on an illustrated version of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, to be published in 2012. In the summer of 2011, she took up lap swimming at the neighborhood high school pool, where she met Susan Johnson, who was looking for an illustrator. This book is the result of the enthusiasm that both Sueli and Susan pour into their projects.

2:00PM
Brian Biggs, author/illustrator. Brian is the author and illustrator of the three-book Everything Goes children’s book series (Balzer + Bray, 2011). He is the illustrator of I’m a T. Rex (Little Golden Books) and the eight-book series Brownie & Pearl (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster). Brian will be reading from a new book he has illustrated, The Boy Who Cried Alien (Hyperion, March 2012), and will be presenting an interactive slideshow of some of his work. Suitable for kids ages 4 and up.

Brian Biggs has lived in Philadelphia since 1999. He has worked as an art director and graphic designer, animator for interactivity and multimedia projects, teacher, writer, and illustrator. He has written and drawn comics and graphic novels, designed publications, and illustrated for many, many magazines and newspapers. He illustrates children’s books, magazines, newspapers, advertisements, posters, toys and puzzles. He also works with animation, music, and various other media. http://mrbiggs.com/

3:00PM
Matt Phelan, author/illustrator. Matt is the author and illustrator of Around the World (Candlewick Press,2011), a graphic novel about three explorers in the late 1800’s who take on the challenge of circumnavigating the globe. He’ll read from his work and share tips on how to make a graphic novel. Suitable for kids ages 9 and up.

Matt Phelan is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including ALWAYS by Ann Stott and THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY by Susan Patron, winner of the 2007 Newbery Medal. His graphic novel The Storm in the Barn (Candlewick, 2009) won the 2010 Scott O’Dell Award and has been adapted for stage by the Oregon Children’s Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Matt lives in Philadelphia.  http://www.mattphelan.com/index.html

4:00PM
Philadelphia Stories Jr. reading. This brand new literary magazine especially for young writers (K-12) presents a reading by kids for kids. Several young writers published in the magazine’s first issue will read their work and participate in a brief panel discussion about their experiences being published and how to submit writing. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

Philadelphia Stories, Jr., a division of the nonprofit Philadelphia Stories, is a new literary magazine by writers age 18 and under who currently live in Pennsylvania, Delaware, or Southern New Jersey (writers must still be within K-12 education or home-schooled). Philadelphia Stories, Jr. expands the Philadelphia Stories’ mission to develop a community of writers, artists, and readers through the magazine and education programs by bringing these opportunities to area young writers and artists.

Sunday, April 15

10:00AM
Gwyn Linsalata, puppeteer. The Waldorf School of Philadelphia presents artist and puppeteer Gwyn Linsalata as she performs two brand new puppet plays, The Old Women and the Little Mouse and How We Came to Have Umbrellas. Suitable for ages 3-6.

Gwyn Linsalata is a trained and certified Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher and she teaches Parent- Child classes at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia. She has been teaching young children and performing puppet plays for the past eleven years. She also holds a backyard summer camp called TWIGS, for 3-6 year olds.

11:00AM
Tammy Keorkunian, Children’s Music Express. Tammy is a musician, teacher and educator. She will be leading a free music class for children ages 3-5 that fosters early childhood music appreciation through singing, dancing, chanting, movement activities and playing a variety of rhythm instruments.

Tammy Keorkunian, MA, BA, founder/director of Children’s Music Express has been teaching parent/child music and movement classes since 1999. Her studies and experience in early childhood music education, kinesiology, and children’s yoga/mindfulness, have shaped her unique, warm, energetic and upbeat teaching style. Tammy offers classes in Manayunk, Jenkintown, Glenside, Elkins Park, and she plays the guitar, African djembe, various percussion instruments, including the zils, spoons, coffee cans and more! http://www.childrensmusicexpress.com/Childrens_Music_Express,_Inc./Home.html

12:00PM
Chris McDonnell, author/illustrator/animator. Chris will be leading a cartooning activity related to Sasquatch’s Big Hairy Drawing Book (Chronicle Books), an interactive book he has written and illustrated, that includes prompts to fill in characters, gags and doodles. Suitable for kids ages 6 and up.

Chris McDonnell has provided animation for a variety of programs including two seasons of the Adult Swim show Tom Goes To The Mayor, several episodes of the Nick Jr. show Yo Gabba Gabba!, and segments of the Season Cinco episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. He is currently a part-time faculty member of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia teaching Sequential Format in the illustration department and is a member of The Philly Cartoonists Society. http://chrismcd.com/

1:00PM
Mônica Carnesi, author/illustrator. Mônica Carnesi is the author and illustrator of Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic. She will read from her book and lead children in a special craft where they are invited to make their own Baltic paper dolls.

Mônica Carnesi is an artist and a librarian, which allows her to combine her love for illustration and her passion for children’s literature. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mônica lives in Philadelphia with her husband and her own little dog. http://www.monicacarnesi.com/Monica_Carnesi/Welcome.html

2:00PM
Cordelia Jensen, writer. Cordelia will be leading Playing With Words: Creative Writing Games for Kids for children ages 8-12. During the workshop children will be playing writing games meant to unlock their creativity, generate ideas, and spark a bit of laughter with word play.

Cordelia Jensen was Poet Laureate of Perry County in 2006 and 2007 and is completing her MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cordelia works at Big Blue Marble Bookstore where she is surrounded by books and people who love stories and language, and is currently working on a YA novel of poems. She lives in West Mt. Airy with her husband, Jon, and six-year-old twins Tate and Lilly.

3:00PM
Gail Silver, author. Gail is the author of the award-winning children’s book Anh’s Anger (Plum Blossom Books, 2009). She’ll stop by to read and sign her latest book Steps and Stones (Plum Blossom Books, 2011), which follows the further adventures of Anh as he learns about slowing down and taking care of his strong emotions. A free Mommy-and-Me Yoga Class will be awarded to one lucky winner at this event. Suitable for ages 4 and up.

Gail Silver, ERYT, JD., is the founder of Yoga Child, the Yoga Child school-based yoga and mindfulness program, Co-creator of the Mind Body Birth program, and the primary teacher of theYoga Child Teacher Training programs. Gail is the author of award winning children’s books Anh’s Anger and Steps and Stones. She provides prenatal yoga editorials to the Expectant Mother’s Guide, and has received many awards and honors for her classes, curriculum and children’s yoga CD. Most importantly, Gail is blessed with the love and support of her husband, Michael, and their three children.