Maple Hill Festival
by Frances Sandiford

By mid-November, the leaves on the trees will be long gone, and so will summer flowers, swimming pools and most outside activities. It's a time of the year when children crave something to do. Luckily, on November 18 the Clinton Community Library will host the Maple Hill Farm Festival, a celebration of children's literature and a tribute to local children's author Alice Provensen. Library Director Katherine Mustello says that "more than ever before, the Festival will focus on children, their preferences for certain book titles, and their singular interests."

The Clinton Library, located at 1215 Centre Road in Clinton Corners, is in the midst of a literary community. At least ten children's book writers live and work in the immediate area, and many are willing to contribute to the festival. Among those who have participated in years past are Mark Elliott, Tony Abbott, Nancy Castaldo, Thea Kliros, Stephanie Spinner, Michael Garland, Sally Lyon, and Leonard Marcus.

So what's to expect? Starting at 10 am that Saturday, the library building and lawn and even adjacent Clinton Town Hall will be given over entirely to the festival. Activities will move inside or out depending on the weather, with appearances by storytellers, book readers, and even some surprising animals, courtesy of Woolly Acre Farms.

Expect to hear a reading by local resident Durga Bernhard, perhaps from one of her perennial favorite texts like The Way of the Willow Branch, which follows the course of a stick thrown off a bridge, or A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World, which explains different ways mothers in various countries tote their infants. Expect, too, to hear Peter McCartney, writer and illustrator, also a local resident, whose books are often about animals that resemble the bloated onyx figures you find in a gift store.

Alice Provensen may not read this year, but hopefully will make a cameo appearance. Ms. Provensen is a 50-year resident of the town of Clinton, and the author of an equal number of picture books for children. One book, Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm, is about her own home, which has also provided the Festival with its name. "She is a special friend of the library," says Katherine Mustello. Ms Provensen and her late husband Martin, who illustrated many of her books, received the 2004 Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People, the coveted Caldecott Award, and eight mentions on the New York Times Best Illustrated Book List. But children are not impressed with accolades. What they enjoy about Ms Provensen's work are her characters — like Murphy, an unruly dog, or the American presidents in The Buck Stops Here.

Then there will be the storytellers. Brought in from Massachusetts, Eshu Bumpus and Motoko will bring to life the ancient art of oral literature. Bumpus, an African-American performer in costume, will tell African and African-American folk tales while performing his specialty, the Palm Tree Dance. Motoko, a storyteller, mime and educator, also in costume, will tell folktales from Japan and Asia.

As a special surprise, Woolly Acres will bring a llama, an alpaca, and a camel to the Festival. Last year, the llama alone was a big hit. Petting it is what three-year-old Henry McCartney remembers most about the day. This year, children who bring their own picnic lunches (or purchase bag lunches at the library) will be able to "have lunch with the llama" — a time for touching, stroking and caressing, and learning about these unusual animals.

Throughout the day, there will be an on-going sale of books, new and used, inside the library. For more information or directions, phone the library at 845-266-5530.