The Kansas City Public Library hosts the Latino Children’s Book Festival on Saturday, June 4, 2011, and Sunday June 5, 2011 at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

The Saturday event begins at 2:30 p.m. with the key note speech titled, From Immigrant Child to Published Author: Dreams Come True by bilingual children’s author René Colato Laínez. A 2 p.m. reception will precede his presentation.

In 1985, Laínez arrived from El Salvador in the United Stated with a backpack full of dreams. Come and discover his successful journey from the immigrant child lost in a strange new world, to the teacher full of stories, and the published author. René will share the books he wrote in the classroom, his process for publication, and his bilingual books. Learn his three rules of success: never give up, study hard, and believe in yourself.

The Book Festival continues on Sunday, June 5 at 1:30 p.m. with a panel discussion titled How to Select and Effectively Use Bilingual Books featuring: René Colato Laínez; local children’s book authors Rafael Filion and Anthony Oropeza; Plaza Branch children’s librarian April Roy, and, I.H. Ruiz Branch manager Julie Robinson.

During the 1:30 p.m. panel discussion there will be art and writing workshops for children under 12 facilitated by the Latino Writers Collective. At 3 p.m. members of the Latino Writers Collective will entertain with Latin American Folktales.