2026 Family-friendly Schedule

Presented by Atmos Energy

Come celebrate 85 years of everyone’s favorite curious monkey! Join us in the Kids Tent for a special Curious George birthday party, complete with cookies, photos with a very special guest, and plenty of birthday fun. Then, follow the celebration to the children’s workshop room (Galloway Tween Room) for a hands-on activity inspired by the Curious George creator H. A. Rey and his love of the stars. Come celebrate George’s big day and see where curiosity can take you!

Presented by University of Southern Mississippi de Grummond Children's Literature Collection; Sara & Bill Ray

Picture books, and what waits inside them: joy, new babies, brave firefighters, and one candy-colored unicorn.

• Karlie Herndon (Moderator)
• Chrystal D. Giles – We Are Joy
• Breanna J. McDaniel – Auntie's Baby
• Sherri Duskey Rinker – Construction Site: Firefight!
• Robyn Wall – Candi the Candicorn

Presented by Atmos Energy

Celebrate Curious George’s 85th birthday with an adventure that’s out of this world! After reading Curious George Discovers the Stars, young explorers will learn about stars and constellations, then make their very own telescope to take home. Get ready to look up, get curious, and discover the wonders of the night sky!

• Dr. Tonja Murphy (Workshop Leader)

Presented by Jordan & Jim Perry; Argent Wealth

Discussing the final book of her hilariously quirky trilogy The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science, SNL star and two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner Kate McKinnon celebrates weirdness as hijinks ensue, leaving three peculiar sisters to save the world in The Jungle of Carabanana!

• David Lewis (Moderator)
• Kate McKinnon – The Jungle of Carabanana

Presented by The Walker Foundation

Get ready to rhyme at Llama Llama Rapping Storytime! Jackson rapper Stephen Brown, aka 5th Child, puts a fresh spin on the modern bedtime classic Llama Llama Red Pajama, bringing its beloved rhymes to life with beats, rhythm, and plenty of fun. Come rap along, and every child will leave with their very own Llama Llama book!

• Stephen Brown (aka 5th Child)

Presented by Mississippi Library Commission

Celebrate Mississippi through music, art, and storytelling with One Mississippi, Steve Azar’s song that became the official state song of Mississippi and, later, a beautifully illustrated book. Illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy will share how she brought the song’s words to life on the page, while Steve picks up his guitar to perform and teach kids the state song. 

Every participant will leave with their own copy of One Mississippi. Limited to 50 spots.

• Steve Azar (Workshop Leader) – One Mississippi
• Sarah Frances Hardy (Workshop Leader) – One Mississippi

In partnership with Jackson/Hinds Library System

Mychal Threets, the internet's favorite librarian and host of the revived Reading Rainbow, shows everyone is welcome at the library in his picture book, I'm So Happy You're Here. Come experience library joy in this session!

• Margaret McMullan (Moderator) – Where the Angels Lived: One Family's Story of Exile, Loss, and Return
• Mychal Threets – I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy

Presented by Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival; Huntington Bank

Curiosity leads the way in these middle grade stories, and four authors talk about writing books that make young readers eager to find out more.

• Sarah Mangrum (Moderator)
• Michael Buckley – The Weirdies Get Weirder
• Chrystal D. Giles – Listen to the Girls
• Amy Tern – Sneaks
• Katie Kennedy – Did You Hear What Happened at the Alamo?: The Texas Revolution of 1835-36

Presented by Terry & Dick Molpus; Carla & Randy Wall

What happens when a fish wishes for water, a dog starts to bark, or one small action sets off a whole chain of surprises? Inspired by Thirteen Chapters: Stories for Children in Which Simple Things Happen, this playful workshop invites kids to discover how the simplest ideas can become stories.

After exploring the book’s thirteen delightfully simple chapters, young storytellers will answer the big question: What happens next? Using their own imaginations, they’ll dream up, write, and create the 14th chapter, discovering that a story can begin with something as simple as a wish, an animal, a sound, or one little thing happening after another.

Every participant will leave with their own copy of Thirteen Chapters! Limited to 50 spots.

• Diane Stevenson (Workshop Leader) – Thirteen Chapters: Stories for Children in Which Simple Things Happen
• Geri Lipschultz (Workshop Leader) – Thirteen Chapters: Stories for Children in Which Simple Things Happen

Presented by Huntington Bank

In this interactive creative writing workshop for ages 12 and up, young storytellers will use creative prompts to find their voice, shape their ideas, and bring their stories to life. 

This is a 1.5 hour workshop, ending at 3:00 pm.

• Dr. Tonja Murphy (Workshop Leader)

Presented by Entergy Mississippi

Celebrate Mississippi’s next generation of poets with the Mississippi Poetry Project! Mississippi Poet Laureate Ann Fisher-Wirth welcomes student winners from across the state to the Kids Tent to share their award-winning poems. The Mississippi Poetry Project brings poetry into classrooms statewide, inviting young people to read, write, and discover their own voices through poetry. Come hear some of Mississippi’s brightest young writers take the stage and bring their words to life. 

This is a 2 hour project, ending at 4:00 pm.

• Ann Fisher-Wirth