Virtual virginia canvas11/21/2023 ![]() “These were well-received, but what people really missed was that authentic interaction between author or illustrator and children, which is part of what makes the in-person festival so magical. ![]() “During the spring, we did several presentations with authors for families that were homeschooling during the pandemic,” said Giles. Some of the most well-loved authors and illustrators like LeUyen Pham ( The Princess in Black illustrations, Bear Came Along) and Todd Parr ( The I Love You Book, The Family Book) appeared live on Facebook with inspirational words-and a unique lesson for students learning from their kitchen tables. The groundwork for the 2020 festival was laid over the spring, when Giles tapped her vast network of VCBF alumni for some presentations made available to homeschooling families across the state. Registration is still free and sessions will be available for only a limited time after the festival ends. The month-long virtual festival concludes with Picture Book Week. 31, with each week themed for a different age group. The lineup includes VCBF alumni like Timothy Basil Ering ( The Story of Frogbelly Ratbone, The Tale of Despereaux illustrator), two-time Caldecott Award winner Sophie Blackall ( If You Come To Earth, Ivy & Bean) and Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet), with new faces like Torrey Moldanado ( What Lane?) and Brad Meltzer with Chris Eliopoulous ( Ordinary People Change The World series). Students in classrooms not only across the Commonwealth are tuning in for some of the country’s best-loved authors and illustrators-they are joining from far-flung states like Washington and even Canada. This year, instead of it’s typical gallery show of one illustrator’s work, the LCVA is displaying a retrospective of past VCBF shows, including works by Ellie MacKay, John Parra, LeUyen Pham and Victoria Kann. Instrumental in that plan were Longwood partners, especially Dean of Greenwood Library Brent Roberts and Director of the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts Rachel Ivers, who have been stalwart backers of the VCBF mission for all six years of its history. “We knew we couldn’t have the big, excited crowds of students and families like normal, but we actually figured out ways to expand our reach so we are serving even more children.” “We looked at this year like an opportunity, not a lost year,” said VCBF director Juanita Giles, who runs the daily sessions from a room tucked in the back of Greenwood Library at Longwood. This year, the virtual VCBF will be attended by more than triple the audience of the in-person festival.
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