Little Readers Rock: A Six Bridges Book Festival Family Event

In partnership with the Junior League of Little Rock

Get ready for a book celebration designed just for kids! Little Readers Rock is all about sparking a love of reading. Families can enjoy hands-on activities, interactive games, and the chance to meet authors and artists who bring stories to life.

Join us for a joyful day dedicated to building strong reading skills—and a lifelong love of books.

Little Readers Rock has a new home at the Main Library in the Martin Children's Center!

Featured Sessions:

10:30am ~ Razan Abdin, Splendidly Sawsan

Razan Abdin is a Palestinian writer who grew up in Arkansas while spending many summers in her ancestral homeland. She has been scribbling stories since elementary school. When Abdin isn't busy arranging words on a page, she’s probably traveling, filling her life with art, or daydreaming about a world where everyone has what they need to thrive. She lives in Little Rock with her wild, wonderful poodle, Margot. Splendidly Sawsan is her debut book. 
 
Splendidly Sawsan is a story of affirming others and learning to love yourself. This picture books follows Sawsan, a vivacious neurodivergent child who sees the world a little differently—and maybe that’s a pretty splendid thing.

Sponsored by CALS Youth Programming

11:30am ~ Charly Palmer, How Sweet the Sound

Charly Palmer is a fine artist, illustrator, and the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award winner for Mama Africa! and author-illustrator of The Legend of Gravity. He studied art and design at the American Academy of Art and fine art at School of the Art Institute, both in Chicago.

Featuring artists ranging from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar, dive into this stunningly illustrated celebration of the history of Black music in America by the award-winning author of The Undefeated. Listen to the sound of survival, courage, and democracy—the soundtrack of America. Hear Billie Holiday’s raspy, mournful voice, and tap your foot to Louis Armstrong’s trumpet. Scream with James Brown and bop your head to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Can you spot the 80+ references to artists like Robert Johnson, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, and Beyonce? 

ASL interpretation will be provided for all Six Bridges sessions held in CALS Ron Robinson Theater. ASL interpretation for sessions at other CALS locations and Six Bridges venues (including CALS Main Library) will be provided by request. To request ASL interpretation, please submit an ASL Interpretation Request form.

CALS will validate parking in the CALS Library Square surface lot and the CALS Parking Deck. The entrance to the surface lot is located on 2nd Street near River Market Ave. The entrance to the parking deck is located on Rock Street and can be accessed from President Clinton Ave. Street parking is also available throughout the River Market District (free after 6pm and on weekends).