Children laughed and played among local artisans and vendors Saturday before settling down to hear African tales and other stories from storytellers during a Ujamaa Collective market in the Hill District.

The Ujamaa Collective, a group of local black female entreprenuers, hosted the first annual Children's Literary Festival to expose youth in the Hill District to African culture, artistic director Deborah Starling-Pollard said.

"The kids go to the library, but they go to get on the Internet," Ms. Starling-Pollard said. "We want to get them excited about reading."

Authors Sharon Flake, Roland Barksdale-Hall, Elizabeth Howard and Kelly Starling-Lyons read to the children.

Ms. Starling-Pollard said she hopes the readings will give the children a sense of community.

"Through all the years of crime here, I think there's sometimes feelings among the children that there's little hope," she said.

But Saturday afternoon under a bright sun, the children collected balloon animals and boasted face-paintings at the market place, which showcased the work of the women in the Ujamaa Collective.

The women sold handmade jewelry, painted wine glasses, clothing and food, most with an African focus.

Celeta Hickman, president and founder of the Collective, crafts jewelry with only "good African beads." She uses a trader from Ghana to purchase many of the colored beads.

"We want people to come and be able to appreciate African culture," she said.

The Ujamaa Collective was formed in 2008 to promote small business ownership among black women in the Pittsburgh area.