Portico Reeves’s superpower is making sure all the other superheroes—like his parents and two best friends—stay super. And safe. Super safe. And he does this all in secret. All this is swell except for Portico’s other secret, his not-so-super secret. His parents are fighting all the time, and it’s his job to save them, once he figures out how. Join award-winning illustrator Raúl the Third as he returns to the VCBF with this action-packed session. And you may just learn some stunts!

Superstar Chris Grabenstein makes his first appearance at the VCBF! Chris’ fun, in-person presentations are semi-legendary (okay, they are REALLY legendary). He uses his skill as an improvisational comedian in a presentation that gets kids laughing so much they may not even realize how much they are learning. Nonstop hilarity is bound to ensue as Chris takes you in to Mr. Lemoncello’s world (and mind!). You never know what surprise is just around the corner!

Isn’t everyone’s cat a feline warlord trying to take over the world? Well, Klawde certainly is. Klawde is not your basic cat. He’s an emperor from another planet, exiled to Earth. He’s cruel. He’s cunning. He’s brilliant… and he’s also Raj Banerjee’s best friend. What would YOU do if an evil alien cat arrived on your doorstep? Join VCBF favorite Johnny Marciano (and the High Commander of the planet Lyttyrboks) to create new adventures for Klawde (and save Earth from his evil plans).

Wendy Shang brings the magic of American Girl® to the VCBF! Corinne is the 2022 Doll of the Year, and their first Chinese-American Doll. Find out all about Corinne, her family, her story, her passions, her puppy, and even learn some of her survival skills along the way. If you are an American Girl® lover (or even if you aren’t), you don’t want to miss this incredible program! You might even get to meet some rescue dogs and their trainers! Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Fifteen years ago, eight supernatural criminals fled Estero City to make a new life in an isolated tropical hideout. Seven of them disappeared without a trace. And now, the remaining one has died. Left behind to fend for themselves are the criminals’ five children, each with superpowers of their own. Then one day Birdie finds a map among her father’s things that leads to a secret stash. There is also a note: Go to Estero, find your mother, and give her the map.

Get ready to scream with this collection of hillarifying—hilariously terrifying—tales, fully-illustrated and perfect for scary story lovers who are looking for a side of humor to go with their helpings of horror. Are you ready to meet the Boogerman? What about the magical, delightful, and deadly Unicorn Poop? Only VCBF favorite Russell Ginns could make being scared so much fun! You don’t want to miss this HILLARIFYING session!

Phenomenon Jay Cooper is back with Peppers, Bots, surprises, and more. Join Jay for this action-packed illustration extravaganza! There’s no wrong way to draw ANYTHING, and Jay can take the craziest idea and turn it into something spectacular. And so can you. Want to try? Get your craziest ideas ready, and who knows? Crazy ideas are often the best ideas we have. You could come up with a whole new character and story to start writing and illustrating yourself!

Did you know that in 1953, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts became one of the first museums in the world to have an Artmobile, and now it’s here at the VCBF? Stop in and see the incredible traveling exhibit of portraits from across the ages. from long ago to the modern day. How have portraits changes? How would you paint YOUR portrait? How would you paint someone else’s? Come be inspired with this very special program. We can’t wait!

Let’s get ready to…draw! That’s right, it’s an illustration faceoff, and you are the judges. (also the ones who tell the illustrators what to draw.) When it comes to robots versus monsters, who will win? Illustrators Jay Cooper and Raúl The Third prepare to do what they do best, and go to battle in an epic showdown of Sharpies, markers, pens, and paper, all moderated by the incomparable front man Russell Ginns. So get your inspiration ready, and prepare for battle!

Superstar Chris Grabenstein makes his first appearance at the VCBF! Chris’ fun, in-person presentations are semi-legendary (okay, they are REALLY legendary). He uses his skill as an improvisational comedian in a presentation that gets kids laughing so much they may not even realize how much they are learning. Nonstop hilarity is bound to ensue as Chris takes you in to Mr. Lemoncello’s world (and mind!). You never know what surprise is just around the corner!

Isn’t everyone’s cat a feline warlord trying to take over the world? Well, Klawde certainly is. Klawde is not your basic cat. He’s an emperor from another planet, exiled to Earth. He’s cruel. He’s cunning. He’s brilliant… and he’s also Raj Banerjee’s best friend. What would YOU do if an evil alien cat arrived on your doorstep? Join VCBF favorite Johnny Marciano (and the High Commander of the planet Lyttyrboks) to create new adventures for Klawde (and save Earth from his evil plans).

Rip and Red and their friends love basketball, but it’s not always easy to get along on the court or in life. Just when they think they know the game, everything changes. Join author Phil Bildner and the Longwood Lancers for one of the most popular VCBF programs ever! Basketball takes practice. So does reading. Throughout this session, Phil will draw the comparisons and demonstrate the parallels, all with the kids running basketball drills with our beloved Longwood Lancers.

Do you read graphic novels ALL THE TIME? Is your nose always in a book? (Do you even try to read under the supper table?) Have you ever wanted to write your own? Well, if so, Varian Johnson knows just how you feel. He was a kid just like you! Meet award-winning author Varian Johnson and learn how he became a writer, and how you can become one too (there can be a lot of stops along the way)! A super-fun and interactive session for anyone who has stories to tell.

Do you want to be alone sometimes? Be hugged sometimes? Do you sometimes feel like a prickly cactus, but other times like a cuddly teddy bear? There are so many different ways to feel, and Vera Brosgol and LeUyen Pham know how to share those feelings (they know how to illustrate them, too!)

Fifteen years ago, eight supernatural criminals fled Estero City to make a new life in an isolated tropical hideout. Seven of them disappeared without a trace. And now, the remaining one has died. Left behind to fend for themselves are the criminals’ five children, each with superpowers of their own. Then one day Birdie finds a map among her father’s things that leads to a secret stash. There is also a note:
Go to Estero, find your mother, and give her the map.

Did you know that in 1953, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts became one of the first museums in the world to have an Artmobile, and now it’s here at the VCBF? Stop in and see the incredible traveling exhibit of portraits from across the ages. from long ago to the modern day. How have portraits changes? How would you paint YOUR portrait? How would you paint someone else’s? Come be inspired with this very special program. We can’t wait!

Head on down to the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts for our super-fun and creative open-illustration workshop. Want to draw with Todd Parr? You can! Design a robot with Jay Cooper? You can do that too! Our VCBF illustrators will help you unlock your creativity and have lots of fun doing it!

When Jake spies a bowl of jellybeans where his mom works, he eats them. But those weren’t just jellybeans, they were ingestible knowledge pills, and Jake is the smartest kid in the universe. What if you suddenly knew everything? How would your life change? Find out with Chris Grabenstein!

Lisa McMann’s Forgotten Five have lived their entire lives in isolation. What would it mean to enter a world full of things they’ve only heard about, like cell phones, cars, and electricity? A world where, thanks to their parents, being supernatural is a crime? What if one of the Forgotten Five were YOU?

Join award-winning graphic novelists LeUyan Pham, Johnny Marciano, Gene Yang, Vera Brosgol, and more to find out just what makes graphic novels so good and hard to put down. Do you love to read them? Write them? Draw them? Graphic novels have exploded, and the phenomenon isn’t going anywhere. Don’t miss this interactive and informative session with the best in the business!

Get ready to get your hands dirty at this cooking workshop with Wendy Shang and Benson Shum! Food is a huge part of Chinese celebrations, and a food that is never missing is noodles! Learn to make Chinese pulled noodles, sauces, and more, and then get to try your creation!

The VCBF LIVEmural is back, and this year our muralist Monty Montgomery is working with Corinna Luyken to design a colorful and fun mural that you get to paint! Don’t miss your chance to leave your mark on the 2022 VCBF by helping create this magical mural.

Did you know that in 1953, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts became one of the first museums in the world to have an Artmobile, and now it’s here at the VCBF? Stop in and see the incredible traveling exhibit of portraits from across the ages. from long ago to the modern day. How have portraits changes? How would you paint YOUR portrait?