Book Review of Tell Me About Your Apple Festival
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The Children’s Book Review
Tell Me About Your Apple Festival
Written by Meg Cappel
Illustrated by Paula J. Maloney
Ages: 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Clay Street Press LLC (2026) | ISBN-13: 9798995508007
What to Expect: Family tradition, celebration, bedtime, community, and apples.
Rooted in the community and traditions of southern Illinois’ apple-growing heritage, this story introduces readers to the real-life Murphysboro Apple Festival.
Betty isn’t quite ready for sleep yet, and she knows just what will convince her mother to chat a little bit longer—stories about the Apple Festival! Her distraction works—Mommy loves talking about the festival as much as Betty loves hearing about it. From the delicious apple treats to the contests, rides, and parade, neither Betty nor her mother can wait for their trip to the festival in the fall. However, their time at the festival isn’t just about eating, competition, and having fun. It’s also about honoring their family traditions, feeling close to the women in their family who have gone before, and supporting the community they love. When summer starts to fade into fall, the apples will be ready for all of this—and so much more!
Betty and her mother are instantly relatable, as characters grounded in the everyday concerns of bedtime, candy allowance, travel plans, and baking. Through their question-and-answer dialogue, the story reveals that the festival isn’t just about what you can win, buy, or eat; it shows how this community event brings people together to celebrate the past and support a bright future, creating a sense of continuity for both the town and the family. Cheerful, child-like sketch and watercolor artwork help bring the excitement of the festival alive on the page through depictions of floats, pies, pageant competitors, and lots and LOTS of apples. Best of all, a portion of the sales from the book is donated back to the non-profit, volunteer-run festival, to ensure its survival for generations to come.
Sweet and inspiring, Tell Me About Your Apple Festival is perfect for both Murphysboro residents and as a starting point for wider discussions about community and celebration.
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About the Author
Meg Cappel is an author, wife, and mother of three young children. Originally from Murphysboro, Illinois, she was raised in a close-knit Southern Illinois community known for its rich traditions, award-winning barbecue, and the beloved Murphysboro Apple Festival™.
A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Meg spent fifteen years in advertising, building her career in various cities. That experience sharpened her voice and deepened her appreciation for the steady pace and close-knit community of her childhood, which she then sought to recreate for her own family. She stepped away from advertising to focus on motherhood and returned to writing with renewed purpose.
Today, she writes in the margins of a full and active family life. Meg enjoys baking and has placed in the Murphysboro Apple Festival pie contest. She also enjoys lifting weights and planning special events that bring people together.
She is active in her church and her children’s school and remains closely connected to both her hometown of Murphysboro and her current community of Barrington. Through her writing, Meg hopes to inspire families to slow down, cherish meaningful traditions, and live with purpose. She offers her work in service to Jesus.
About the Illustrator
As the co-owner of two real estate title and closing companies for the last 20 years, Paula J. Maloney learned the hard way how to “pencil in” time for art. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maloney grew up in the small town of Murphysboro, Illinois. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in Communications and Marketing and worked for two decades as a journalist and publicist in Southern Illinois before joining her husband, Scott, in the family business.
With a passion for the arts since childhood, Maloney has used her downtime for painting and drawing as a creative outlet. She currently dedicates her time to many organizations, and among them, “Miss Paula” serves as a volunteer art teacher at a private school.
Her love of painting and all things artistic has allowed her to host and teach many classes for adults. She has also developed a market for selling her creations.
Volunteerism is in her blood, and she proudly serves as lead chairman for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Jackson County, Illinois. She has worked as a volunteer with ACS since 1985. As a philanthropist, over 90 percent of her art sales and lesson fees have been donated to various charitable organizations.
Additionally, Maloney serves as a dedicated volunteer for many other groups, including the Murphysboro Apple Festival, Murphysboro Main Street, and the Revitalize 62966/Public Art Committee.
Maloney loves to travel, bake, and entertain. She is the mother of two grown children. As the eldest of six, she has always been dedicated, family-oriented, and driven. She is also a recent breast cancer survivor. Her personal motto is: “Make your life happen and never let life happen to you.”
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored*, non-biased review of Tell Me About Your Apple Festival. Learn more about getting a book review …
