Derrick Barnes, Ryan Allen & Patrice Gopo: Family Matters
Sat, Oct 04
|First Baptist Church of Decatur
From big brothers to grandmothers, these heartfelt picture books celebrate the families who help us grow. Join Derrick Barnes, Ryan Allen, and Patrice Gopo for stories about love, resilience, and what it means to show up for one another.
Time & Location
Oct 04, 2025, 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM EDT
First Baptist Church of Decatur, 308 Clairemont Ave, Decatur, GA 30030
About
What helps a younger brother feel safe and seen? How can children learn to express big emotions without hurting those they love? And what lessons can be found in the slow, sweet passing of time with family?
These moving picture books explore the depth of family relationships, from siblings to generations past to the emotions we carry within, with warmth, honesty, and joy.
Award-winning creators Derrick Barnes, Ryan Allen, and Patrice Gopo share stories that remind young readers how family helps us grow into our best selves.
Following the panel, authors will proceed to signing tables to autograph books.
Purchase your book from Little Shop of Stories using this link, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the festival.
About the Moderator
Shelly Anand is the author of acclaimed picture books Laxmi’s Mooch (Kokila/PRH/2021), which was featured on the Today show, NBC News, and in Glamour magazine, and I Love My Body Because (Simon & Schuster/2022), a 2023 Rise Honoree. Shelly's third picture book, entitled In This Family from Simon & Schuster, came out May 2024 and has been celebrated as " a rich and inviting portrait of a loving multiracial family" by Kirkus Reviews. Shelly is also a human rights attorney and the co-founder of Sur Legal Collaborative, an immigrant and worker rights legal nonprofit based in Georgia. She received her BA from Wellesley College and her JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two children.