Once Upon a Time… Once upon a time,
the West Texas city
called Abilene,
Texas, dedicated
itself to showcasing the wonders of
children’s literature. In 1997, the
city sought to build an art gallery
that treated the art of children’s
picture books with the dignity and
respect it deserves. The community
raised funds to build a museum
that was the first of its kind in
the country and aptly named it
the National Center for Children’s
Illustrated Literature (NCCIL). To
further champion this art, in 2012,
Abilene started an annual event
called the Children’s Art & Literacy
Festival (CALF) that has continuously
grown each year. Then came
Storybook Sculptures of characters
from children’s books populating
downtown Abilene.
Because of these monumental
efforts, in 2015, the 84th
Legislature of the State of Texas
designated Abilene as the official
Storybook Capital of Texas
for its efforts to celebrate literary
works for children. Since then,
the Storybook Capital’s draw
has expanded across America.
The CALF brings people from
multiple states each year, and
NCCIL exhibits tour across the
nation. To recognize the growing
appeal of the Storybook Capital,
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