A sea of black and white will descend on Sudbury this week as schoolchildren prepare to celebrate the town’s literary link with one of the all time classic tales.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pupils at Tudor Primary School in Sudbury dress as Dalmatians ahead of the Dalmatians Literary Festival in the town. Evie Woodward (9)(left), Abigail Piigott (9) and Helen Appleton (Cruella).Pupils at Tudor Primary School in Sudbury dress as Dalmatians ahead of the Dalmatians Literary Festival in the town. Evie Woodward (9)(left), Abigail Piigott (9) and Helen Appleton (Cruella). (Image: Archant)

Local schools in conjunction with the library service are staging Suffolk’s first children’s literary festival, in St Peter’s Church.

Students from Tudor, St Gregory’s, Pot Kiln, Great Waldingfield and Glemsford primary schools will dress up in spotty costumes to tie in with the theme for the festival, which is based on the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians.

The drinking fountain and horse trough by St Peter’s Church was mentioned in the story by author Dodie Smith as the place where the puppies stopped for a drink of water while they were trying to escape the clutches of Cruella de Ville.

Several different activities such as a 101 word story-writing competition have been organised around the event, which aims to get children excited about books and reading.

Great Cornard Library has been working with Thomas Gainsborough School on projects including a 101-word poetry competition. The library is also running a black and white photography competition.

On the day of the festival, some of the original Johnstone Twins illustrations from the book, loaned by Ipswich Art School, will be on display. There will also be a screening of the 1961 animated 101 Dalmatians film at the Quay Theatre.

Helen Appleton, co-ordinator of the festival and teacher at Tudor Primary School, said: “We have a wide range of events on the day itself and the build up has involved many local organisations and school children.

“The aim is to provide something educational, engaging and fun and anything that promotes reading amongst young people can only be a good thing.”

The festival, being held tomorrow, has been co-funded by the locality budgets of county councillors John Sayers and Peter Beer, the Sudbury Society and other local companies.