JOE HAYES @ THE 2011 NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL IN WASHINGTON, DC

Below is Joe's wonderful performance at the 2011 National Book Festival in D.C. The recording is from the Library of Congress. As usual, Joe emphasizes the Spanish language and the importance of bilingualism. Folks back East are finally listening to the great resource we've been enjoying all these years.

There's also a nice interview here. Joe, because he understands the magic of story, ends the interview like this:

Interviewer: If you weren't creating children's books, what would you be doing?

Joe: If life hadn't led me into telling stories and sharing them with kids in books, I have no idea where it would have taken me. My life has been like a visit to an enchanted castle. I went inside and from the first room a door opened into another. There were other doors, but I just went through the one that was open. And in the next room I saw another door and, so on. I didn't plan for things to turn out this way. There are many other things I might have ended up doing, and enjoying very much, but I can't think of any other work that would have given me the opportunity me to make the same kind of contribution to the lives of others, especially to the lives of children.

Enjoy the video!