The Audacity of Dreams: Lessons from the 29th Annual Charlotte Huck Conference
Photos by David James Heiss
Author and keynote speaker Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the 2026 Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Award, which recognizes authors or illustrators who embody Charlotte Huck's belief that "literature should be the heart of the elementary school curriculum."
By David James Heiss
Redlands News Collective
REDLANDS, Calif. — There’s something wonderful about dreams. They can become tenacious.
“The audacity of dreams is tested dearly, yet life is entirely crafted by dreams, hope and faith,” said children’s book author and prolific poet Nikki Grimes, the opening speaker for the 29th annual Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Conference hosted by the University of Redlands March 6-7. In particular, “Poetry is an avenue to dreams, whether serious, silly, joyful or jarring.”
She read excerpts from her poems and books and recounted how she was often admonished by teachers, classmates and parents alike for daydreaming. Almost everyone consistently advocated against her pursuing a career in verse.
Coretta Scott King Award winner Grimes has gone on to write more than 100 books, including some under pen names while working for Disney. Grimes told nearly 200 guests, “We need to nurture and encourage the daydreamers among us.”
She was one of four featured speakers at the conference, where enthusiasts and aspiring writers and illustrators convene once a year in the spirit of the late Charlotte Huck. Huck established the first degreed children’s literature program in the country while teaching at The Ohio State University.
Caldecott Award-winning writer and illustrator Jason Chin; groundbreaking Asian American author Lisa Yee, a National Book Award finalist; and New York Times bestselling illustrator and writer Loren Long rounded out the keynote speakers.
Several educators, librarians, writers and scientists ran workshops for attendees on topics such as “Illustrating a Narrative Story Versus a Literary Story” and “Writing (and Reading!) Poetry For the Very Young.”
Generating creativity
During a breakout workshop session, author and illustrator Jason Chin writes down audience members’ suggestions for words associated with the “fact that bears eat fish,” as part of a “mind map.”
Jason Chin discovered during a school visit by author Trina Schart Hyman that “it was possible to draw pictures and write books for a living.” He offered insight into his process, from visiting locations associated with a story to redrawing drafts of scenes to improve style and ensure visual continuity.
He also incorporates “magic and elements” of mystery to create drama, particularly for his nonfiction works, such as a feral cat that appears throughout the pages of his story, “Hurricane,” who must be left behind as a community evacuates.
Chin explained that he doesn’t write stories intended to teach children about science; rather, he hopes his “stories spark imagination and promote curiosity.”
Lisa Yee does some show and tell of items that sometimes can be found as part of her travel repertoire.
For DC Super Hero Girls author Lisa Yee, “No story starts at the beginning.” Anecdotes inspired by incidents affecting people she is close to have become entwined in her stories. She got her start writing food labels for commercial products and menu items for Red Lobster, and scripts for the likes of Regis Philbin.
She asked the audience if they had ever written a shopping list. “You’re a writer,” she declared. “Anything you do is preparation for a story.”
Yee discovered that if she simply explained her story ideas to publishers via email — unencumbered by grammar or typos — she could better express her voice. “The biggest detriment to writing is yourself,” she said. When self-doubt is set aside, a writer’s voice can flourish.
Loren Long starts off his keynote address.
Loren Long began his professional career designing greeting cards. Similar to not restricting how young writers write, he pointed out it is just as important to let budding artists scribble and doodle without criticism.
Checking out how shadows fall
During his presentation, Loren Long shows a slide of the model of a community he made in order to help illustrate “The Yellow Bus.”
Long has illustrated books for Madonna, Frank McCourt and former President Barack Obama. He discussed the public revelation during the pandemic that he is colorblind, which he views as an “annoying obstacle” rather than a disability.
He shared the inspiration behind his book “The Yellow Bus” and concluded with a read-aloud of the story.
The conference committee has announced the speakers for the 30th annual festival, scheduled for March 5-6, 2027, featuring Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Stephen Briseno, JaNay Brown-Wood, Kate Messner and Rex Ogle. Updates and registration information are available at redlands.edu/charlottehuckfestival.
Video by David James Heiss
Loren Long reads from his manuscript, “The Yellow Bus,” during the Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival inside Orton Center at the University of Redlands.