UConn Book Fair Draws Thousands

Some of the estimated 4,000 people who attended this year's Connecticut Children's Book Fair.

On November 11 and 12, nearly 4,000 parents, children, teachers, and collectors turned out for the 15th Annual Connecticut Children's Book Fair, sponsored by the UConn Co-op and the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center in Storrs, Connecticut. The event benefited the Northeast Children's Literature Collection at the University of Connecticut, which archives original materials (papers, art, manuscripts) plus books and ephemera from authors of children's books.

UConn Co-op's Suzy Staubach and Terri Goldich, the curator of the Northeast Children's Literature Collection, were co-chairs of the fair, which included an array of authors and illustrators who talked about their work and autographed stacks of their books.

Wendell Minor shows off the 15th Annual Connecticut Children's Book Fair cake.

Participants included Tonya Bolden, Elise Broach, Michael Buckley, Eileen Christelow, Etienne Delessert, Mordicai Gerstein, Robie Harris, Janet Lawler, Salley Mavor, Wendell Minor, Florence Minor, Heidi Stemple, Eric Velasquez, Walter Wick, Hans Wilhelm, Andrea Wisnewski, and Jane Yolen.

Storybook characters Brother and Sister Berenstain, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Strega Nona, Tacky the Penguin, The Wild Thing, and Winnie the Pooh were also featured.

Walter Wick greets one of his many fans.

To publicize the event, which was held on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus, organizers sent mailings to schools as well as to individuals and conducted a public relations campaign that garnered coverage in all of the local newspapers.