A wing, a prayer, decades of books

On the Wednesday before 2010's African American Children's Book Fair, director Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati felt a pain in her stomach. The ballet dancer thought she had pulled a muscle while performing.

It was appendicitis.

Despite the pain, she pleaded with doctors at the hospital to postpone surgery until after the fair.

"Ma'am," they said, "If you walk out of here, you might die."

Until she went under anesthesia, and again after she woke up, she was on the phone planning last-minute details. But fate intervened that year - the only time in the event's history when it had to be postponed, as a blizzard swept through the city and shut it down.

By the following weekend, for which the event was rescheduled, cabin fever had taken its toll on children and parents. The fair attracted its biggest crowd yet.

"Divine intervention," Lloyd-Sgambati calls it. And though the year was exceptional, she insists that the fair is put together "on a wing and a prayer" every year.

The fair, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Community College of Philadelphia, will showcase the talents of 21 authors and illustrators from across the country, and is expected to attract about 3,500 visitors.

Lloyd-Sgambati, "old enough to still wear a stiletto," began the festival in 1992 while working as a literary publicist. "I saw all of these wonderful artists and illustrators who weren't coming to Philadelphia," she said. Reaching out to contacts to persuade them to visit, she was advised to "make it an event."

Lloyd-Sgambati has been "making it happen" since then. Jabari Asim, an author making his fourth appearance at the fair, has seen events like this come and go. What sets this fair apart, he believes, is Lloyd-Sgambati.

"I don't think she hears 'no,' " he said.

Perseverance has been a mark of Lloyd-Sgambati's association with books, going back to her childhood, when she became curious about the Cold War.

"Who are these Russians?" she asked her teacher. "Why do they want to come get us?" Her instructor told her to "get a book out of the library." She did just that when the bookmobile made its weekly visit to her community.

"Why do you want to read a book about Moscow?" the librarian teased. "You're never going to go there."

"Never mind. Keep reading," her father said.

Lloyd-Sgambati regularly travels abroad to attend book fairs. For the record, she made it to Moscow five years ago.

The book fair's slogan, "A book opens up a world of opportunities," reflects Lloyd-Sgambati's relationship with books. But though the fair's outlook is international, its theme is "Take a Book Home." Books will be on sale, and a limited number will be free. Buying books, Lloyd-Sgambati insists, is not only crucial in cultivating a child's passion for reading, but also in keeping authors and illustrators employed.

"We talk a lot about how we're serving the community by doing these events," Asim said, "but we're also being served."

Saddened by the sight of children going home empty-handed, she began securing sponsors who could provide books to children free 10 years ago. Today, the sponsorship roster includes Peco, NBC10, McDonald's, Health Partners, and Comcast. For some children, the free books will be the only material they take home. "And that's OK," Lloyd-Sgambati said.

With only three African American bookstores serving the Philadelphia area, the need for such a fair is great.

"These books are difficult to find in stores," said the author and illustrator James Ransome, who will make his second appearance at the fair.

Part of the problem, Lloyd-Sgambati said, is a lingering belief among many people that African American children don't read. "That's not the case," Lloyd-Sgambati said. "People stand in long lines with armfuls of books just because they want to read."

In addition to seeing parents lugging around stacks of hardcovers and children perched in corners with their purchases, expect workshops on bullying and crocheting, as well as a catwalk for young girls.

One of the sights Lloyd-Sgambati most looks forward to each year is the aging audience. She regularly encounters children she met at the fair's inception with their own children in tow. Ransome anticipates something similar.

"There's often a young kid there who is interested in drawing or painting or making images, and they ask you questions like: 'How do you do it?' and 'Do you have a studio?,' " he said. "Just like I was when I was that age."

Lloyd-Sgambati will begin planning the next fair the day after this one has concluded. As for longer-term plans, she's itching to "take the show on the road." First stop? If she had her way, it would be 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

"I look like Michelle," she said, laughing. "I know I can get up in the White House."