Beloved children’s author and illustrator Jan Brett drew a standing room-only crowd to Central Library on December 1 for a free Wisconsin Book Festival event. Her talk was perhaps the second-highest in attendance in festival history.

Brett, whose books The Hat and The Mitten have become picture book classics, discussed her new book The Snowy Nap, a prequel to The Hat. She amazed children with her stories about animals’ behavior and shared how she comes up with ideas for her books. She also did an illustration of Hedgie, the star hedgehog, on the spot during the event. Brett stayed for two hours after the event to sign books for hundreds of her fans.

Madison Public Library Foundation privately raises more than $125,000 each year to bring free, public author events to the community all year long. The foundation thanks Signature Sponsor Marvin J. Levy and American Girl’s Fund for Children for their support of the 2018-19 festival season.