By Tammye McDuff
The annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival is a free event for Southern California residents to inspire the wonder of science, the love of engaging education and the joy of reading.
This year, the Festival will be particularly exciting because it is being held in conjunction with the sneak preview of Orange Coast College’s new, state-of-the-art planetarium. The book festival is placing strong emphasis on STEM books and will be featuring authors of science and space books on one of their six performance stages
The additional stages will showcase storytellers, with puppets and marionettes; illustrators teaching how to draw characters; animal acts and books about animals. There will be an early reader stage and the main entertainment stage with family friendly acts throughout the day.
The Orange County Children’s Book Festival assembles over 100 authors and illustrators and literacy loving exhibitors to the festival. Everyone’s intention is to offer children and their families a wide range of exciting stories and meaningful lessons. Attendance expected to be more than 25,000.
Executive Director and Co-founder Pat Burns states, “We are proud to announce a three-member celebrity panel featuring actor, comedian, and popular creator of The BooCrew, Shawn Wayans; his sister, actress, producer and author and of the Amy Hodgepodge book series, Kim Wayans and Nicole Stott, Artistic Astronaut who lived on the International Space Station for 90 days. It has been confirmed that Astronaut Nicole Stott will be speaking at the book festival and showcasing art she created while living in the Space Station. Stott is the only astronaut to ever paint in space. “Reaching for the stars in school, education, and kindness” will highlight compassion; getting along in school amid peers; discovering the fun in math and how doing well in school can take you out of this world. The panel will be featured on the main entertainment stage.
“I’m excited to be returning to the OC Children’s Book Festival this year; I had a blast last year! We are here to show kids that learning is fun!” says Shawn Wayans, actor, DJ, producer, writer and comedian who starred in ‘In Living Color’, ‘The Wayans Bros.’ and ‘White Chicks’. In his family, he is number nine of ten children.
Additionally, the doors will open for the first time and give attendees a sneak preview of the nation’s newest Planetarium and the Disability Services Corporation will feature Robin Borakove and Paul Smith M.S.W., founders of RelationshipsAreUs.Com, where through the art of storytelling and life coaching, special needs adults can learn about dating skills, making and maintaining friendships. Autism Spectrum Disorder Supports ASDS, is proud to present their latest program, “Ensuring quality of life for those with Diverse Abilities through healthy relationships.”
The festival is one day only, Sunday, September 30, 2018 at Orange Coast College, located at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. For more information, times and activities visit kidsbookfestival.com.
