increase font size Ashley Bryan-inspired book festival to return as virtual celebration in August Indigo Arts had planned the first Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival as a block party, but was successful with the online format. Share “So Tall Within,” a book about Sojourner Truth illustrated by Maine artist Daniel Minter, will be part of this summer’s Beautiful Blackbird book festival. Courtesy of Indigo Arts Alliance The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, which debuted last year in honor of renowned Maine artist and author Ashley Bryan, will return with a virtual edition throughout the month of August. Last year’s festival reached more than 100,000 people in 44 countries, according to Indigo Arts Alliance, which conceived and presented the event. Originally envisioned as a community block party, it evolved into a summerlong and wildly successful international online celebration of Black authors and illustrators with videos, read-alouds and art projects. The festival also provided books and activity kits to 750 Maine school kids, and this year’s goal is to distribute more than 1,500 books.