Say “Hooray for Reading” at the Poughkeepsie Children’s Book Festival

Over 2,300 attendees gathered in Falcon Hall at Dutchess Community College. Photo courtesy of Michele Muir.

Over 2,300 people attended the Poughkeepsie Children’s Book Festival at Dutchess Community College on March 29, hosted by the Poughkeepsie Public Library District (PPLD). The event featured more than 100 authors and illustrators of children’s and young adult books to promote literacy and a love of reading. 

The content ranged from storybooks and chapter books to picture books and graphic novels, covering a variety of genres, including general fiction, fantasy, adventure and non-fiction titles.

Rows of tables filled Falcon Hall, the gymnasium of Dutchess Community College, where authors sat with copies of their books to sign and converse. Among the authors were Dan Gutman, writer of the “My Weird School” series; Debbie Dadey, known for the “Adventures of the Bailey School Kids” series and J.J. & Chris Grabenstein, partners and co-authors of “Shine.”

Some authors in attendance were local to the Hudson Valley, including Susanna Hill, author of five New York Times bestsellers and over thirty additional children’s books.

Nancy Castaldo showcased her new spring releases, focusing on the Hudson River and environmental activism. Her picture book “Whales in the City” discusses how the industrial revolution, overfishing and pollution drove whales away from New York Harbor and the Hudson River by the early 20th century. Castaldo’s middle-school level book “Riverkeeper” delves into the history of environmental activism in the Hudson River watershed and teaches readers how they can assist organizations like Riverkeeper in protecting clean water around the globe.

For James P. Bernard from Poughkeepsie, the festival was an opportunity to promote his first-ever book, “Frank,” to his community.

“My favorite part of the festival was getting the chance to meet authors in person whom I’d met previously via Zoom,” said Alyse Castonguay, a Pre-K-to-6 library media specialist. “I enjoyed having authentic conversations and learning more about their personal backstories as well as the stories behind their books.”

In addition to meeting the authors, attendees had the opportunity to take photos with some of their favorite storybook characters. Esteban the Magnificent, Mouse from “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, Curious George and Elephant & Piggie from their respective eponymous series interacted with and posed for photographs with their young readers.

Children had the chance to meet some of their favorite storybook characters. Photo courtesy of Michele Muir.

“It was so heartwarming to see so many kids excited about books and reading,” said Alyse’s daughter, Abby Castonguay, a soon-to-be Master’s student at NYU. “Being able to interact with authors and meet book characters is a great way to get kids excited about reading and learn about the many kinds of books that are out there.”

“I love Curious George,” said six-year-old Layla. “He is my favorite, and I got to take a really cool picture with him.”

Children could also enjoy crafts and interactive activities, such as a “Make Your Own Book” station, provided by The Art Effect and the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District, visitors aged 17 and younger received a $15 voucher to spend at the festival, resulting in over 1,000 books being distributed to young readers.

“[We] aim to encourage reading and make these wonderful books available to all families to have as part of their own collections,” said Michele Muir, development officer for the Poughkeepsie Public Library District. One of the PPLD’s core beliefs is that reading materials should be accessible to all and aim to combat any financial barriers.

Collaborative efforts between the PPLD and its partners resulted in a fun-filled afternoon, drawing a crowd of over 2,300 attendees. This was the organization’s fifth year hosting the festival and marked its biggest turnout.

“[Attendance has] grown every year, but this year showed phenomenal growth—nearly 1,000 more people attended,” said Muir.

With the support of the community, the festival generated excitement for readers of all ages.