Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival
About The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival
at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Sunday, September 27, 2026 | 9:00a - 4:00p
The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is proud to partner with Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA), along with other statewide partners, for the annual Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival, a celebration of children’s book authors and illustrators of the African Diaspora. On Sunday, September 27, CMTM will present an in-person schedule of literary and art activities for the whole family, including art-making workshops and read-alouds.
The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival at CMTM is a FREE admission day. Admission to the Museum & Theatre will be FREE for every visitor. A child must accompany adult visitors. Visitation is expected to be high. Reservations are recommended.
Museum Tickets
Admission to the Museum & Theatre will be FREE for every visitor.
Reservations are recommended. Visitation is expected to be high.
Schedule and Programming
Sunday, September 27
9:30 am - 10:00 am
Maddy’s Theatre
Read Aloud of the Book, Saturday with Atiim Chenzira
Atiim Chenzira brings Saturday by Oge Mora to life in this heartfelt read-aloud, a tender celebration of family, love, and the little moments that make a day special. When a mother and daughter’s highly anticipated Saturday doesn’t go quite as planned, they discover that the best part of the day isn’t what they do, it’s being together.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
MakerSpace
Guest Artist: Veronica Perez
Using the featured book Hairstory, written by Sope Martins, as a starting point - we will create small weavings using hair, fabrics and other materials to learn about the history of African braiding.
Verónica A. Pèrez (she/they) is an artist exploring erasure, identity, and interdependency through personal work and community-driven braiding circles workshops.
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Maddy’s Theatre
HairStory Read Aloud with Evadne Bryan-Perkins
Evadne Bryan-Perkins brings HairStory by Sope Martins to life in this joyful read-aloud, celebrating the beauty, history, and stories woven into our hair. Through a young girl’s journey, children are invited to explore the rich traditions and cultural significance of Black hair while embracing the uniqueness of their own hair story.
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Maddy’s Theatre
Interactive Theatre Program for the Book, Saturday
“Today will be special, today will be splendid, today is SATURDAY!”
Get ready for an interactive theatrical adventure inspired by Saturday by Oge Mora. Follow a mother and daughter as they set out to make their Saturday special, only to discover that even the best-laid plans don’t always go as expected. Along the way, families can help bring the story to life through music, movement, imagination, and plenty of opportunities to participate. Sing along, bust a move, and celebrate the joy of spending time together. Because sometimes, the most special moments are the ones we make together!
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
MakerSpace
Blackbird Patterns
Add a little flair to the forest! Inspired by Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan, explore patterns, shapes, and designs as you help bring a flock of colorful birds to life. Use stamps, drawing materials, and your imagination to add a touch of black to the birds and create a collaborative work of art. Every bird is beautiful, and every artist gets to make their mark!
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
& 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
MakerSpace
Blackbird Collage
Inspired by Ashley Bryan’s beloved book Beautiful Blackbird, we will explore collage as a way to celebrate color, pattern, beauty, and community. Using bold shapes, vibrant colors, and playful patterns, we will create our own collages inspired by Bryan’s joyful artistic style and the story’s message of celebrating what makes each of us unique.
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
MakerSpace
Pieces of Wisdom
Let's make a puzzle! Inspired by proverbs from Ashley Bryan's "The Night Has Ears," come design your own puzzle piece for a large community puzzle. While you're there, help put together smaller puzzles featuring some of Ashley's illustrations.
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Maddy’s Theatre
Beautiful Blackbird with Veeva Banga
Veeva Banga brings Ashley Bryan’s Beautiful Blackbird to life through an interactive performance. The program combines storytelling with dance and music.
Veeva takes the audience through the story of Blackbird and invites children to participate along the way. Children have opportunities to move and dance with the story instead of simply watching from their seats.
Veeva performs the story through choreography and singing. The performance gives children a chance to connect with the story through movement and participation while exploring its message about appreciating what makes each person unique.
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
IDEXX Learning Hub
Poems Set Sail
Inspired by the poems by Langston Hughes and collages by Ashley Bryan featured in Sail Away, we will be making a collaborative collage poem that capture the feelings of water & the sea.
Featured Books
Learn More
Marcia Minter, Co-founder and Executive Director of Indigo Arts Alliance stands in front of the Artist Gallery in the Beautiful Blackbird Exhibit at CMTM. Learn more about CMTM’s Beautiful Blackbird exhibit at https://www.kitetails.org/beautiful-blackbird.
History: Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival
The Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book 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 2023 partners: The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the Farnsworth Art Museum, and LA Arts.
This year's festival continues to honor the legacy of Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan and will feature a 3,000 book giveaway and live events in Portland, Lewiston, and Rockland. Each featured book and event will provide an opportunity for young readers of color to see themselves reflected in literature created with them in mind and to interact with the authors and illustrators as role models and storytellers.
Learn more at beautifulblackbird.com
