Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival highlights children’s stories

Maine’s Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival Opens Its Doors September 12

The state’s longest‑running celebration of books by people of color is set to begin on Friday, Sept. 12 and run through early November. The seventh‑year festival, the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, will be held in five counties and will feature author talks, book fairs, readings, performances and exhibitions, all centered on literature created by Black, Indigenous and other people of color. In total, 3,000 books will be handed out free to families across Maine, and an online curriculum will help schools incorporate the titles into their programs.

A statewide rollout

The festival’s programming will stretch across Waterville, Rockland, Boothbay, Lewiston and several other towns. The first day will open at the Waterville Public Library with a read‑aloud of “Saturday” by Oge Mora followed by a story walk on the nearby Reed Field/Story Walk Trail. A second event in Portland, organized by the Indigo Arts Alliance, will take the form of “Lost Treasure: Dive into The Deepest Blue.” Marine archaeologist Gabrielle Miller and illustrator Daniel Minter will speak about the book’s themes, and a zine workshop will follow. In Rockland, Hello Hello Books will host read‑alouds of “Beautiful Blackbird” and “The Deepest Blue” and will distribute free copies throughout September and October.

For the rest of the schedule, festival participants and visitors can consult the official website, beautifulblackbird.com, which also offers a range of resources for educators.

Partners and purpose

The event is produced by the Indigo Arts Alliance and co‑presented with I’m Your Neighbor Books, Diverse BookFinder and the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. Indigo Arts Alliance executive director Jordia Benjamin, who has overseen the festival’s growth since its inception, said the event “has grown over its seven years, involving more community members than in the past.” She added that the website now hosts curriculum material designed to help teachers engage students with the stories.

Benjamin emphasized this year’s focus on storytelling as a way to broaden perspectives. “It provides us perspectives, it provides us entry points into new worlds that we might not know were possible,” she said. She continued, “…how we look at each other, how we communicate with each other, how we welcome each other into our homes and into our close networks.” Her goal is to foster empathy and encourage participants to see how similar they are, saying, “When we concentrate on those similarities, we’re able to really truly love each other and care for each other.” She described empathy as a key tenet of the festival, urging attendees to “look at the world with a little bit of lightness and start with the simplicity of just looking out for each other.”

The festival also aims to spark creativity in all ages, with Benjamin noting that reading, writing and the physical creation of books are “intertwined. Human beings are designed to express themselves.”

Choosing the books

Selection of titles is a deliberate and “tender” process, Benjamin explained. “We start with an Ashley Bryan book. He’s our center, he’s our core,” she said, referencing the celebrated Maine author and illustrator who passed away in 2022 at the age of 98. His book, Beautiful Blackbird, was adapted from a story of the Ila people of Zambia about forest birds learning to appreciate their own beauty and heritage.

Festival staff receive books in advance, read them in their entirety, and evaluate each title for inclusivity and diversity before voting. “We’re not just picking off a face cover or summary; we’re actually reading the entirety of the books before we cast our votes,” Benjamin said. The result is a mix of picture books, graphic novels, poetry and middle‑grade fiction. Some of the titles on the lineup include Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang, Hairstory by Sope Martins and Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, and Sail Away by Langston Hughes and Ashley Bryan.

A community celebration

The festival’s expansion reflects a broader desire to connect communities through literature. With 3,000 free books, author events and interactive workshops, the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival offers an opportunity for families and schools to explore stories that reflect a diverse array of experiences. As the state’s largest celebration of children’s literature written by people of color, it stands as both a cultural milestone and a practical resource for educators, parents and young readers alike.