Minnesota Children’s Book Festival

The Anderson Center at Tower View is pleased to present the 24th annual Minnesota Children’s Book Festival on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., featuring presentations of eight new books by award-winning children’s & young adult authors and illustrators: Phyllis Alsdurf, Daniel Bernstrom & Heidi Woodward Sheffield, H.M. Bouman, Drew Brockinton, Ty Chapman, Shannon Gibney, Monica Rojas & Emiko Rainbow, and Sarah Warren. Taking place at the Anderson Center’s beautiful, historic Tower View campus in Red Wing, the Children’s Book Festival is an ideal opportunity for families to connect, learn and play.

This year’s titles present various narratives around the natural world, skill-building, and diverse perspectives that help kids, as well as their adults, understand each other and the world around them. Throughout the afternoon, each author or illustrator presents their work, reads from their book, and participates in a meet & greet and book signing booth.

Taking place outdoors, the event also features Face-Painting by Sheila, stilting, tours to the top of the Anderson Center’s landmark water tower, activities & literature from the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota, bookmaking with ArtReach, bookmaking with Anderson Center artists-in-residence Rhea Nowak & Sarah Evenson, outdoor games with Tootsie’s Too, drawing & puppets with Drew Brockington, table tennis, a hands-on activity by Goodhue County Historical Society, balloon animals by Heather Olson, an activity with the Minnesota Humanities Center, and local Food Trucks. All ages are welcome!

Emphasizing the joy of learning through reading and arts activities, the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival has received national acclaim for its efforts to promote literacy among young people.

Red Balloon Bookshop is the official bookseller of the 2023 Minnesota Children’s Book Festival.

The 2023 Minnesota Children’s Book Festival is generously sponsored by Arnold Orthodontics, Beaming Books, First State Bank of Red Wing, First Farmers & Merchants Bank, Jones Family Foundation, Lerner Publishing Group, Merchants Bank, Minnesota Humanities Center, Munson Electric, Musty-Barnhart Agency, Red Balloon Bookshop, Ripley’s Rental & Sales, Riverside Automotive, Sargent’s Nursery, Siewert’s Towing & Garage, Smith Schafer & Associates, Sturdiwheat, Tootsie Too’s Children’s Boutique, West End Liquor, Wilson Oil Company, and Xcel Energy Foundation.

This event is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.