On October 15th, one of Chappaqua’s most beloved events returned to town: The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. The event was first established in 2013 and has been running annually ever since (with the exception of the past two years that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), making this the ninth year the festival took place. There were a variety of booths with over 140 authors and illustrators who signed books, shared details regarding their latest works, and held read-alouds and discussions. Visitors from Chappaqua, neighboring communities, and even nationwide came to the event to enjoy the festivities at the Chappaqua Train Station free of charge.
The town was eager to greet a vast array of renowned authors and thousands of visitors at the upcoming event. One of the most well known visiting authors was Dan Gutman, the appraised author of over 160 children’s books including The Genius Files and the My Weird School graphic novels. Another acclaimed author who returned to the festival is Nick Bruel, who wrote the well known Bad Kitty series. Additionally, Tommy Greenwald, author of the Charlie Joe Jackson series, has attended the book festival every year since it first started. “I have loved the book fair from the first year [it was held]. It was great and much smaller and I have watched the book festival grow,” Greewald noted. “I love meeting readers and people who love books and getting to say hi to fellow authors. Especially after the pandemic [when] we all get to be together again.” Greenwald also emphasized that the festival offers authors the opportunity to share their stories and network with one another. In addition to authors, the Chappaqua Book Festival helped promote local businesses and organizations who sponsored the event including 914 Cares, Draws for Paws, World Cup Nursery School, CareMount Dental, and more.
This year, the festival’s theme was “A Walk Through the Woods,” inspired by Hudson Talbott’s poster art for his recent book A Walk in the Words, which was published in 2021, and depicts a child wandering through a forest dotted with words evoking the spirit of reading (“Curiosity,” “Inspiration,” “Enlighten”). True to its theme, the festival serves to encourage children to engage in reading regularly by hosting read-alouds, book signings, and author discussions, all with the purpose of inspiring young readers and writers. Luke Rogan, a student at Robert E. Bell Middle School concurred, sharing that the opportunity “to pick out more books makes me more excited to read.” The festival’s attendees span all ages, and they devotedly return each year. Greeley sophomore Sophie Rinzler echoes this sentiment, remarking, “some of my best memories come from the festival. Every single year, I would bring home piles and piles of new books. I couldn’t even wait the short drive home to start reading.”
The event also worked to unite the Chappaqua community through its common love for literature. Robin Goetz, a volunteer coordinator for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, discussed the role that the book festival plays within the town: “I am so proud to have been a part of The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival since its beginning. I love the way it brings this community together — as planners, visitors, volunteers and authors too! The whole town gets involved to share something so special: books!”
Rinzler also spoke on the substantial effect the festival has had on her and on Chappaqua as a whole: “The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival has and will always have a special place in my heart, as well as the hearts of so many others. It brings the community together both at the festival itself and in the weeks and months following, united over their shared love of books.” It goes without a doubt that the event plays a monumental role in encouraging reading and uniting our community- and it will do so for years to come.