One Book Two Book festival returns to Iowa City later this month

IOWA CITY — Iowa City’s annual celebration of children’s literature and student authors will return for its 11th year later this month

This year’s One Book Two Book festival, organized by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization, will feature both in-person and online events for families. The two-day festival will kick off Saturday, Feb. 26.

“Always in this community it's so special because people just love books here, and I'm just continually grateful and surprised by that,” said Rachael Carlson, the organization’s director of operations.

The love for reading and writing has continued during the pandemic, Carlson said.

"A lot of that is because of our partners at the schools here in the Eastern Iowa corridor, especially the librarians, the media specialists, who have just worked with us on this festival so hard and encouraged their students to write and submit,“ Carlson said.

Last year’s event was all virtual due to the pandemic. This year, there still will be online events, such as story times, but there also will be in-person events. Carlson said some of the in-person events will be held outdoors.

Carlson said this year there will not be a Friday night banquet like in previous years.

“We’re transitioning to more outdoor events,” she said.

Clifford the Big Red Dog, Wild Thing, Taco Dragon and Zoom Squirrel will be making special appearances at the events throughout the weekend, Carlson said.

Events on Feb. 26 include story times and activities at the Ped Mall in downtown Iowa City.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be ice skating on the Ped Mall. The free skating and skate rental is sponsored by Green State Credit Union and the Iowa City Downtown District. There will special appearances by players from the Iowa Heartlanders hockey team and book characters.

Also on the Ped Mall will be a book fair and book drive from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as an activity from noon to 4 p.m. asking kids to respond to a writing prompt about what “home” means to them.

There will be three story times from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The public libraries in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty will each have an event. Sidekick Coffee and Books in Iowa City will have a story time at noon with owner Katy Herbold.

At 2 p.m. author Jennifer Black Reinhardt will host an illustration workshop for kids to create their own character. The event, which will be at Sidekick Coffee and Books, requires registration.

The next day, on Sunday, Feb. 27, Chuy Renteria will host a two-hour workshop for kids in seventh and eighth grades starting at 2 p.m. Renteria is a dancer, artist, teacher and author of “We Heard It When We Were Young.”

Registration is required for the workshop, which will be held at the Iowa City Public Library.

A full schedule of events and information on registration can be found at onebooktwobook.org.

Comments: (319) 339-3155; izabela.zaluska@thegazette.com