WELCOME TO THE 7TH ANNUAL
The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival celebrates Black and Black Immigrant children’s books and their creators with an annual 3,000+ book giveaway to Maine families, the production of acclaimed media and activities and live book events.
The festival honors the legacy of legendary Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan and is named after his classic picture book Beautiful Blackbird.
We believe that Black children and immigrant children should have the opportunity to build their home libraries and fill them with books that represent their lives and experiences. This is why we are proud to give away 3,000 copies of the featured books to children served by Portland Public Housing, Portland Parks and Recreation, and the Lewiston community.
The festival was founded in 2020 by Indigo Arts Alliance in partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books and Diverse BookFinder and is produced with the 2025 partners: The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine , Farnsworth Art Museum, The Strand Theatre, LA Arts, Auburn Public Library, Lewiston Public Library, ProsperityME, Portland Public Library, Maine Community Swimming, Greater Portland Family Promise, Co-Lab Create, Portland Housing Authority, and Portland Parks, Recreation, & Facilities.
Research shows that children in communities where English is not the primary language are at risk of missing early literacy skills and entering school at a deficit. These early deficits can have psychological, social, and economic consequences. The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival addresses this deficit.
Additionally, Black and African American children are less likely to encounter books that depict their own life experiences. This is a critical gap since children are better able to retain and recall plot and character information after reading books featuring characters that mirror themselves. The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival addresses this gap.
