Meet authors, comic book artists at Thibodaux's inaugural Look Who's Reading Book Festival

More than 46 authors, comic book artists and more are gathering in Thibodaux to inspire reading in children, families and the wider community.

The inaugural Look Who’s Reading Book Festival will gather more than 60 vendors in the Thibodaux Civic Center to meet with fans, sign books and promote reading from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 27. The festival is free. It is being put on by the Tri-Parish Organizers, founded by Elnora Parker-Vicks, Vernell Tolbert and Anitra Woods, who said it isn’t just the ability to read that is important, but also reading comprehension.

“There was just a lack of bringing reading back into the family household,” Parker-Vicks said. “The idea to me is just to bring the family unit together and make reading fun again.”

She said the three of them traveled to a book festival at Tulane and knew they wanted to bring the idea home. Tolbert said reading is the foundation all other knowledge is built upon. He said he remembered growing up reading Batman comics, "To Kill a Mockingbird" and more.

“Everything boils down to reading," he said. "You can be great at math, but if you can’t read the math problems, then it’s an issue. So we are just trying to do our part to increase the literacy rate.”

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The civic center will be divided into rows of booths, each with one of 46 authors, eight comic artists and others, such as park rangers, Bayou Stem, Lowes Woodshop and more, with things to offer. Writers include Kantrella Singleton, Blake D. Naquin, Kristen Kortright, Caitlyn Jones, Myron Wright and Celeste Roberts.

There will be a nook to duck into and read, an area where Bayou Stem will be showing off its robotics and a side room where writers and artists will be meeting and signing their works.

According to Parker-Vicks, there also will be a school supply drive starting about 3 p.m. until supplies run out.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Meet authors, comic book artists at Thibodaux's inaugural Look Who's Reading Book Festival