The 2025 Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival will take place April 9-11 on campus at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. We’re honored to announce that LeUyen Pham is the 2025 Southern Miss Medallion winner. Pham has illustrated more than 100 books for children, including the Caldecott Honor-winning Bear Came Along by Richard Morris. She's worked extensively with Shannon Hale on projects like the middle-grade series Princess in Blackand the Itty-Bitty-Kitty-Corn picture book series. Originally from Vietnam, Pham currently lives in Los Angeles with her family, her cat Sardine, and her gecko Kumquat. We can't wait to honor her career at the 2025 festival! 

Additional keynotes include Coleen Salley Storytelling Lecturer Jos N. Holman, Kate Leth, Carmen Agra Deedy, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, de Grummond speaker Will Hillenbrand, and SLIS lecturer Jamie C. Naidoo.