2016 Vegas Valley Book Festival to spotlight children’s books, illustrators

To an outsider, a book festival with a strong children’s book component might sound like a crazy idea, but the Vegas Valley Book Festival is celebrating its 15th year and it has proved to be a very successful and anticipated event.

“When the festival started, Target was a major sponsor, and they requested a children’s book presence,” said Brian M. Kendall, cultural supervisor and cultural programming specialist. “That was something we probably would have done anyway, and it has remained a very important part of the festival. I’ve been intimately involved with the children’s book component since day one.”

The children’s book portion of the festival has always been at the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., and the rest of the festival followed suit after a few attempts at other locations. Kendall said that they’ve had to get creative with finding space for everything, but the organizer liked the central valley location and the significance of having it in what was one of the city’s earliest schools.

The festival takes place primarily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Historic Fifth Street School, but for many years, it has expanded well beyond its main time and location. This year, the first event of the festival is a Poetry session with Joanne Kyger at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St. The last events are three Reading and Conversation sessions at Inspire Theatre, 107 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

One of the first events during the main festival is Telling a Story with Pictures, a round table discussion with author/illustrators Nathan Hale, Amy Ignatow and Kory Merritt, moderated by View staff writer and cartoonist F. Andrew Taylor (also the author of this piece).

Merritt was riding a bicycle when View caught up to him recently.

“My work schedule is kind of on and off,” Merritt said. “It’s a little strange to plan my own schedule.”

Previously, Merritt worked the rigid schedule of an elementary school teacher, working on cartoons and illustrations for newspapers on the side. When he began illustrating books, things got more complicated. He had been working on his own stories, trying to get published for several years, when his book, “The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York,” was put out by Andrews McMeel Publishing in 2015. The book had originally been published online by Universal Press Syndicate and FunBrain.com in 2010.

The book, subtitled “A Strange Tale for the Reluctant Storyteller,” features Jonathan York, who becomes lost in a swamp and realizes he won’t find his way home before dark. He meets a group of strangers (with the emphasis on the “strange”), and they lead him to an inn in the swamp.

The cost for a night’s stay is a story, which leads to several unusual stories being told as York waits in dread anticipation for his turn.

As influences, Merritt cites author/illustrators Shel Silverstein and Bill Peach, along with novelists Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin and Madeleine L’Engle.

However, he does not claim spooky children’s book author/illustrator Edward Gorey as one.

“About five years ago, someone commented online that my work resembled Gorey’s,” Merritt said. “I wouldn’t count him as an influence because I didn’t know who he was until then. I’m a big fan of his work now, of course.”

Around the same time “The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York” came out, he became the illustrator of the “Poptropica” graphic novel series from Abrams Books, which was based on a concept by Jeff Kinney, the author of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and Jess Brallier.

“Jeff Kinney had an online game called ‘Poptropica,’ and he was writing an animated cartoon series based on it,” Merritt said. “When that fell through, he decided to do them as a graphic novel series. Two are out already, and I’ve finished a third and have just begun a fourth.”

Merritt juggled teaching and being a very busy illustrator for a year before it became too much. He took a leave of absence to finish up one of the “Poptropica” works, and this year, he felt things were going well enough that he could quit his day job and move back to his hometown of Rochester, N.Y., from the nearby Finger Lakes region.

Illustration has always been a component of the festival, but Kendall said that they’ve tried to make it a little more face forward this year.

“We recognize that there is some brilliant work in the illustration world, and we’re trying to celebrate that aspect of literacy too,” Kendall said. “The festival speaks to different people in different ways, and what might resonate for one person might not resonate for another. We’ll always offer something a little different each year.”

More information and the complete schedule for the festival can be found at vegasvalleybookfestival.org.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.