The Great Get-Together

Author Karlyn Coleman, Illustrator Cori Doerrfeld

Minnesota Historical Society Press (August 15, 2023)

Step right up! Blue ribbons, daring rides, strutting animals, foods-on-a-stick—all this and more await at the annual reunion, the greatest of get-togethers, the state fair.

Description

As summer winds down and kids prepare for the new school year, something unusual happens. People disappear from backyards and parks, funneling instead to a marvelous place. They arrive by bus and by bike, alone and in groups. There they mingle,

Tickets in hand,
tickets bought at a stand,
excitement growing and growing.
The gates open up;
crowds pass through.
What’s on the other side?

The answer? The state fair, of course! This seasonal celebration draws people of all kinds, young and old, rural and urban, competitors and spectators. And at a fair this big, this sprawling, this inviting, there truly is something for everyone.

Author Karlyn Coleman's straightforward descriptions and simple questions guide readers through the marvels of the fair—from tasty foods to adventurous rides, from animal antics to vegetable displays, from games of chance to marching bands. Illustrator Cori Doerrfeld captures the fun and chaos a busy day at the fair entails—and her playful, enticing scenes yield new delights with each closer look.

After a wonder-filled day of competing and exploring and people-watching, one question remains: What did you like best?

Author Information

Karlyn Coleman is an award-winning writer, teacher, and creative collaborator based in Minneapolis. She is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center and works with educators, librarians, and families to inspire joyful reading. Her publications include WhereAre All the Minnesotans? plus books about soccer, football, aliens, and ghosts written under her pen name, K. R. Coleman.

Cori Doerrfeld is a true Minnesota State Fair fan who cherishes the time she got to be a blue-ribbon author for her New York Times best-selling book The Rabbit Listened. Cori is also the author-illustrator behind numerous other titles, including The Welcome Wagon, Wild Baby, and Goodbye, Friend!, Hello, Friend!. She is a St. Olaf College graduate and a mother of two.