Bring the family along for this special day to celebrate the magic of children’s books and reading!
Meet some of our best-loved writers and illustrators, try your hand at making a book, pat animals, climb on a fire truck, listen to wonderful storytelling sessions and catch live performances on the front lawn. Featuring performances from Jackie French, Justine Clarke and Lynley ‘Hairy Maclary’ Dodd. Ideal for children up to 12 years.
View the full program here, or download the program in PDF format at the bottom of this page. View the Library's floor plans before you visit.
Watch this page for information about activities for school groups (21–22 March) and a professional day for writers (23 March). For inquiries about activities for school groups, please call (03) 8664 7555 or email education@slv.vic.gov.au.
All day
Fire truck
Your chance to climb into a real-life fire truck at Little Lonsdale Street.
Tracey and Steve's mobile farm
The farm comes to town! Meet, pat and hold the animals at Little Lonsdale Street.
Kids Own Publishing Book Cubby
Tell your own story, make your own book at Little Lonsdale Street.
Children’s Book Council of Australia (Vic)
Reading across the universe! What’s your favourite book? At Little Lonsdale Street.
Hardie Grant Egmont
Superheroes and other super characters at Little Lonsdale Street.
Penguin books
Eerie face painting and S Carey tales at Little Lonsdale Street.
Face painting
A tiger? A butterfly? What will you become? At Little Lonsdale Street.
Welcome tent
Pick up a day bill and find out what’s on at the Library forecourt.
Readings bookstore
Don't miss the opportunity to pick up a copy of your favourite book at the Library forecourt.
Face painting
A tiger? A butterfly? What will you become? At the Gumnut Baby lawn.
Let’s read
Songs, rhymes and stories at the Gumnut Baby lawn.
Sausage sizzle
Yummy, yummy, yummy, there’s a sausage in my tummy. At the Bunyip lawn.
Random house Australia
Make a Ned Kelly mask, learn how to draw dinosaurs and wombats, then crack some codes on the Library front lawn.
The little veggie patch
Veggies made fun on the Library front lawn.
'Gusto!' activity tent
The State Library shows you how to play with your food on the front lawn.
100 Story Building, the great wall of comics
Help us build the BIGGEST comic at Experimedia.
Oslo Davis festival illustrations
Sketches of the Festival by our very own artist in residence at Experimedia.
Workshops
Drop in to our workshop hub and get arty at Experimedia.
Reading corner
Time out with books is what it’s all about at Queen’s Hall.
'Alice in Wonderland' exhibition
An exhibition based on the Lewis Carroll classic at the Cowen Gallery.
'Gusto!' exhibition
A culinary history of Victoria at the Keith Murdoch Gallery.
Oslo Davis, artist in residence
See if you can spy our artist in residence, Oslo, as he roves about sketching scenes from the day.
The MOAT
Get some great coffee and snacks at The Wheeler Centre's cafe.
Taco Truck and Beatbox Kitchen
Food trucks at Little Lonsdale Street.
10.30am
Lynley Dodd
Hairy Maclary comes to town. Meet the author at Village Roadshow Theatrette.
Nick Falk
Discover dinosaurs with the author of Saurus Street. Meet the author at The Wheeler Centre.
Bernard Caleo
Kamishibai ‘paper drama’ storytelling at Queen’s Hall.
Curiouser & curiouser
Explore the State Library with a tour starting at Experimedia.
10.40am
The Mudcakes
Music for little monkeys performance at the Stage lawn.
11am
Gus Gordon
Creating critters with big personalities, a workshop at Experimedia.
Freeplay
Writing games and telling stories with Twine, a workshop at the computer lab.
Lynley Dodd
Book signing at Village Roadshow Theatrette foyer.
Nick Falk
A book signing at Readings at the Library forecourt.
11.20am
Rhys Muldoon
I’m not singing performance the Stage lawn.
11.30am
Jackie French
Meet the Diary of a wombat author at Village Roadshow Theatrette.
Bernard Caleo
Just draw! Two top creators take to the stage. Meet the author with Oslo Davis at The Wheeler Centre.
Bronwyn Bancroft
ABC, 123. A uniquely Australian stories and rhymes storytelling session at Queen’s Hall.
Owl Know How
Building Cloud Town – crafty fun with Cat Rabbit & Isobel Knowles at Experimedia.
12pm
Roland Harvey
On the farm drawing class workshop at Experimedia.
Ron Murray
Didgeridoo and indigenous storytelling performance at the Stage lawn.
Jackie French
Book signing at Village Roadshow Theatrette foyer.
Rhys Muldoon
Book signing at the Library forecourt.
12.30pm
Nick Falk
Troggle the Troll storytelling time at the Stage lawn.
Justine Clarke
Sing along with the book-munching Gobbledygook at Village Roadshow Theatrette.
Lynley Dodd
Lynley spills the beans on Schnitzel Von Krumm, Slinky Malinki and all things Hairy Maclary in conversation at The Wheeler Centre.
Gus Gordon
Hear Herman and Rosie, a musical friendship in New York, at Queen’s Hall.
Curiouser & curiouser
Explore the State Library with a tour starting at Experimedia.
Roland Harvey
Book signing at the Forecourt.
12.40pm
Costume Parade
Calling all kids! It’s time to show off your costumes at the Stage lawn.
1pm
Mark Wilson
Every picture tells a story workshop at Experimedia.
Freeplay
Writing games and telling stories with twine workshop at the computer lab.
Justine Clarke
Book signing at Village Roadshow Theatrette foyer.
Gus Gordon
Book signing at the Forecourt.
1.20pm
The Mudcakes
Songs for little monkeys at the Stage lawn.
1.30pm
Jackie French
Bushrangers, buried treasure, dingoes and dinosaurs! Meet the author at Village Roadshow Theatrette.
Bronwyn Bancroft
A special place, a secret place. In conversation at The Wheeler Centre.
Freya Blackwood
Amy & Louis: imagine that! Storytelling at Queen’s Hall.
Owl know how
Building Cloud Town – crafty fun with Cat Rabbit & Isobel Knowles. Workshop at Experimedia.
Mark Wilson
Book signing at the Library forecourt.
2pm
Bernard Caleo
Make your own comic with the creator of Graphic novels! Melbourne! at Experimedia.
Rhys Muldoon
I’m not singing performance at the Stage lawn.
Jackie French
Book signing at Village Roadshow Theatrette foyer.
Bronwyn Bancroft
Book signing at the Library forecourt.
2.30pm
Asphyxia
Meet the creator of The Grimstones, and her beautiful puppet, Martha. Performance in AUSLAN/English at Village Roadshow Theatrette.
Freya Blackwood
Hobbits, Hopper, and runaway hugs: Freya lets us in on some illustrator secrets in conversation at The Wheeler Centre.
Mark Wilson
Picturing Australian stories at Queen’s Hall.
Curiouser & curiouser
Explore the State Library with a tour starting at Experimedia.
Owl know how
Authors Cat Rabbit & Isobel Knowles sign books at the Library forecourt.
2.40pm
Nikki Ashby
Featuring Proppa Mad Deadly Crew, Nikki performs at the Stage lawn.
3pm
Roland Harvey
In the bush drawing class at Experimedia.
Freeplay
Writing games and telling stories with twine at the Computer lab.
Asphyxia
Book Signing at Village Roadshow Theatrette Foyer.
Freya Blackwood
Book signing at the Forecourt.
3.20pm
The List Operators
Comedy for kidults! A performance at the Stage lawn.
3.30pm
Rhys Muldoon
Meet the What a kerfuffle! author at Village Roadshow Theatrette.
Bunyip Stories
Classic Australian tales at Queen’s Hall.
Owl know how
Building Cloud Town – crafty fun with Cat Rabbit & Isobel Knowles at Experimedia.
