Stories That Stay With Us Forever

There are some children’s books that feel less like books and more like little treasures passed from hand to hand.

The stories of Philip and Erin Stead are exactly that.

Filled with gentle humor, quiet wonder, wandering adventures, and illustrations that seem to glow with warmth, their books have become beloved favorites for children, parents, teachers, and librarians across the country. Their Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee introduced readers to a kindly zookeeper and the animals who lovingly return his care — and in doing so, reminded all of us how powerful tenderness can be.

Now, Philip and Erin Stead are coming to the 2026 Virginia Children’s Book Festival.

For children across Southside Virginia, this will be more than an author visit. It will be a chance to step inside the world of books that inspire curiosity, imagination, kindness, and creativity. It will be a chance to meet the creators behind stories that children return to again and again long after the final page is turned.

At the Virginia Children’s Book Festival, we believe every child deserves moments of wonder like this, the kind that spark a lifelong love of reading.

And with your help, we can make that wonder possible.