Take a gentle woolly mammoth, a sincere but sniffly zookeeper, a bear with a story to tell, and a trusty canine sidekick and what do you get? A bookshelf filled with warmth, friendship, and above all, kindness. The dynamic duo Erin and Philip Stead live and work side by side creating heartwarming stories of quiet everyday moments that ring true for both children and adults. Much like the faithful zookeeper in their first picture book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, they went quietly about their work, crafting captivating illustrations, tending to their stories, and in the process, winning the 2011 Caldecott Medal for Erin’s tender, poetic pictures of a saggy elephant, a shy penguin, and gentle Amos McGee. Fast forward a few years and the Steads have brought to life plenty more beloved characters. Erin’s forthcoming book Tony returns to themes of friendship and loyalty with the late poet Ed Galing’s tale of a boy and his horse. Philip’s latest, Samson in the Snow, highlights the power of simple acts of kindness to bring hope and light to even the coldest world.
“The purpose of art is to transmit some kind of power and magic into the world, and nothing is more powerful and magical than a small kindness.” —Philip Stead, Library Journal Blog
3:30–4:30 p.m. Illustration workshop (ages 6 and older) led by Erin and Philip Stead. Tickets are $8 and priced separately from their talk.