Orlando Family stage to host inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival
The inaugural festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 21 and 22 at the Orlando Family Stage in Loch Haven Park
GET READY FOR A CELEBRATION OF READING, THEATER AND IMAGINATION. THE ORLANDO FAMILY STAGE IS PREPARING TO HOST THE INAUGURAL CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL. AND JOINING ME NOW TO TALK ALL ABOUT IT IS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF ORLANDO FAMILY STAGE, JEFF REVELS. AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JAMES PONTE. GREAT TO SEE YOU BOTH. WHAT AN EXCITING DAY TODAY, BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SO MUCH COOL STUFF HAPPENING AT ORLANDO FAMILY STAGE. AS A PARENT, I’VE TAKEN MY KIDS THERE. WE HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING FROM SOURCE TO JUNIE B JONES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. WHAT DO YOU WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THERE? WELL, I THINK I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT IT PROFESSIONAL, QUALITY THEATER FOR CHILDREN, NOT THEY ARE OUR MOST IMPORTANT AUDIENCE. IF WE DON’T GIVE THEM THE BEST ARTS EXPERIENCE THAT THEY COULD RECEIVE, THEN WHY WOULD THEY EVER BE INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE ARTS AS THEY GROW OLDER? BUT IF THEY PURSUE THE ARTS, WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED AND ENGAGED, AND READING IS SO LINKED TO THE THEATER. YEAH, AND LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU’RE KIND OF MAKING THIS CONNECTION. HOW DO THEY HOW DO THEY GET YOU INTO THIS HERE? WELL, THE SAME WAY THEY GOT THE SAME WAY THEY GOT YOU. SO I RAISED MY MY FAMILY HERE. AND MY KIDS HAVE FOREVER LOVED GOING TO SEE THE SHOWS. AND YOU MENTIONED SEUSS, JUNIOR B JONES. THOSE ARE BOOKS TURNED INTO THEATER. AND THEY’VE DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB. THERE IS UNITING THIS WORLD OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND CHILDREN’S THEATER. AND SO WHEN THE CHANCE TO BE PART OF THE FIRST ONE OF THESE, IT’S LIKE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE UP, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY NO. SO I, YOU KNOW, I JUST CAME UP WITH A BOOK TOUR. I’M EXHAUSTED. BUT I’LL GIVE ONE MORE WEEKEND BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP. WE LIKE TO THINK THAT WESH 2 NEWS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A GOOD LUCK CHARM FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO FIND OUT SOME BIG NEWS TODAY. I THINK YOU GOT A PHONE CALL A LITTLE EARLIER. YOU BREAK SOME NEWS, WE CAN’T BREAK NEWS BECAUSE IT’S ALWAYS BOOK COME OUT LAST WEEK AND IT FOUND, YOU KNOW, SO THIS MORNING IT MADE THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER LIST BESTSELLER LIST COME OUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. CONGRATS. CROSSED THAT WE’LL GET SOME OTHER ONES, BUT SO IT’S NOT ABOUT THAT. WHAT’S AMAZING IS THAT I FIRST OF ALL, I USED TO BE A TV GUY. FOR 30 YEARS. I WORKED IN TELEVISION AND, AND AND I MOVED OVER IN LATE NIGHT TELEVISION. YEAH. RECOVERY TELEVISION FROM TELEVISION TRIGGERED. BEING HERE ON THIS STAGE. BUT. THAT I FOUND A LIFE IN, IN DOING THIS THING THAT I LOVE OF WRITING BOOKS HAS BEEN SO GREAT AND THAT WE CAN SHARE IT HERE IN ORLANDO WITH PEOPLE. FANTASTIC. YEAH, WE LOVE THAT. JAMES AND JEFF, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE INAUGURAL EVENT. WHAT ARE WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE AS WE KIND OF BRING AND MELD ALL THIS TOGETHER? YOU’RE GOING TO SEE SO MUCH BECAUSE THE CHILDREN’S THEATER AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE, SO INEXTRICABLY LINKED, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE PERFORMANCES, FULL PRODUCTIONS THAT ARE BASED ON BOOKS, AND YOU’LL SEE THOSE AUTHORS AND PLAYWRIGHTS THERE. BUT WE WILL HAVE READINGS, WE’LL HAVE AUTHOR SIGNINGS, WE’LL HAVE CRAFTS, WE’LL HAVE STORY SPRITES, WE’LL HAVE DRAGON PARADES. WE’LL HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON. BUT IT’S ALL BASED AROUND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE. AND THANKFULLY, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH WRITERS BOOKSTORE, WRITERS BLOCK, BOOKSTORE IS PROVIDING OVER 30 AUTHORS AT THIS INAUGURAL EVENT. SO TWO DAYS FULL OF READING, FULL OF THEATER. YEAH. AND HOW DO WE ALL GET CONNECTED TO IT? WELL, YOU LOOK UP ORLANDO FAMILY.COM OR ON INSTAGRAM. IT’S FLORIDA CHILDREN’S BOOK FEST. OKAY, EASY TO FIND. WE’VE GOT THE QR CODE ON SCREEN. IT’LL HANG THERE FOR ANOTHER 30S JUST SCAN IT WITH YOUR PHONE OR WE’LL PUT ALL THAT INFORMATION ON WESH.COM. AND HERE IN THE LAST JUST 10S FOR EACH OF YOU, WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? WE’LL START WITH YOU, JAMES. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR YOUNG READERS TO SEE THEMSELVES IN A BOOK. WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT A FESTIVAL LIKE THIS IS THEY GET TO SEE THEMSELVES ALSO AMONG THE CREATORS OF BOOKS AND REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE, THESE OTHER PANELS, WE’RE JUST AS SILLY AS THEY ARE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND MAKES IT THAT MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM. I LOVE THAT. WHAT ABOUT FOR YOU, JEFF? I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO READING ALL THE BOOKS THERE TO SEE WHICH ONE TO BRING TO THE STAGE NEXT. OH, I LOVE THAT IDEA. MAYBE SOME OF YOUR WORK, RIGHT. YOU READY? WE’LL TALK A LOT. THAT’S RIGHT. LOVE IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
Orlando Family stage to host inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival
The inaugural festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 21 and 22 at the Orlando Family Stage in Loch Haven Park
Updated: 10:02 AM EST Feb 18, 2026
The Orlando Family stage will host the inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival Feb. 21-22, 2026. Orlando Family Stage Artistic Director, Jeffery Revels and award-winning, New York Times bestselling author James Ponti join WESH 2 to preview the event. For the first time, more than 30 award-winning artists and illustrators will come together to meet and connect with families in Central Florida. There will also be on-site bookshops, author signings, vendors, food trucks and storytime activities available. Festival weekend also features professional, ticketed theatre performances inspired by children’s books.The inaugural festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Orlando Family Stage in Loch Haven Park.Admission is free.Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The Orlando Family stage will host the inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival Feb. 21-22, 2026.
Orlando Family Stage Artistic Director, Jeffery Revels and award-winning, New York Times bestselling author James Ponti join WESH 2 to preview the event.
For the first time, more than 30 award-winning artists and illustrators will come together to meet and connect with families in Central Florida.
There will also be on-site bookshops, author signings, vendors, food trucks and story time activities available.
Festival weekend also features professional, ticketed theatre performances inspired by children’s books.
The inaugural festival will be held from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. both days at the Orlando Family Stage in Loch Haven Park.
Admission is free.