This year’s lineup includes dramatic readings, book signings, craft activities, a marionette theater performance, and more, attracting both Abilene natives and non-Texans.
Jessica Gunther says it was worth it to bring her family from Oregon, “It's a lot of fun to see the story characters. My two oldest boys are really excited to write their own storybook and illustrate it.”
The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council started the annual festival in 2012.
Angie Castenada, an Abilenean who has been attending CALF for years, says that it’s a tradition in her family, “I started with my own kids and now with my grandkids. And I think it's a blessing. I try to just instill the love for reading and drawing.”
More than 100 local groups and businesses sponsor CALF and provide volunteers. Essie Childers is a retired educator and founder of the nonprofit Young Ladies Success. She handed out buttons to kids and described her passion for encouraging kids to love reading, "I cannot overemphasize how important reading is. _ you need to take every opportunity to read to children, whether it's reading from cereal boxes or helping them read street signs. Just take small opportunities to read for children in order to help them.”
This year’s festival featured author-illustrator Matt Phelan, creator of the Plum the Peacock series. Audiences gathered in locations around downtown to hear dramatic readings of several of his books, including “Druthers,” which invited the kids to join in at the NCCIL.
Father and daughter duo Kevin and Kyla Johnson were excited for the chance to meet Matt Phelan.“Our big thing that we were looking forward to this year was checking out Plum and then hopefully getting one of the new books from Matt."
This year’s festival also brought a major expansion to the Storybook Garden. The Clear Fork Bank edition is home to characters from Phelan’s books Leave It to Plum and Turtle Walk. The sculpture collection has now grown to 46.