The 2020 winner of the One Book Colorado program is “The Little Red Fort” by Brenda Maier and illustrated by Sonia Sanchez.
One Book Colorado is a statewide collaboration among Serve Colorado, the Colorado State Library, the Colorado Department of Education, the Denver Preschool Program, Denver7, Mile High United Way, public and military libraries statewide, the private sector, and the nonprofit and foundation communities.
The winning title is chosen out of 3 that have the following criteria:
- an exceptional book for 4-year-olds
- available in English and Spanish
- published by a publisher that has the ability to create and ship 75,000 paperback copies of the title for the program with a custom imprint
What do I do next?
Between October 13-25 (and beyond) stop by one of our three library locations to pick up a copy of “The Little Red Fort” in either English or Spanish for each 4 year old in your life. Please help spread the word to family and friends and learn more about One Book Colorado online.
Book Readings:
Listen in as Amy reads “The Little Red Fort” in English.
Then, hear Larimer County Commissioner John Kefalas read the book in Spanish, “El fuertecito rojo.”
Make Your Own Little Red Fort
Create your own little red for just like Ruby did in the One Colorado book “The Little Red Fort.” Thank you to Elizabeth Morisette for this fun family activity.
Supplies needed:
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Construction paper
- magazines
- pencil or crayons
What to do:

Want even more fun “little red fort” ideas?
Check out the great Literacy extensions and resources for families found in the One Book Colorado Toolkit online.
Read Aloud Materials and Additional Resources
“The Little Red Fort” PDF versions
Reading Tips for Families in English and Spanish (PDF) – Courtesy of Reach Out and Read Colorado
Books about forts!
Books for adults:
How to build treehouses, huts & forts with designs and illustrations by David Stiles
Fantastic forts : inspiration for wild hideaways by Jo Schofield, Fiona Danks
Colorado forts : historic outposts on the wild frontier by Jolie Anderson Gallagher
Children’s books:
What are you doing, Benny? with words by Cary Fagan; pictures by Kady MacDonald Denton
This is MY fort! by Drew Daywalt; illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Fort-building time by Megan Wagner Lloyd; illustrated by Abigail Halpin
Everything you need for a treehouse by Carter Higgins; illustrated by Emily Hughes