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| A drawing demo for Grade 2 |
Since I have written and/or illustrated books for a wide range of ages, I am able to do programs that touch on both sides of how children's books are made and choose books to talk about that would be appropriate for students from Preschool - 5th Grade.
The Programs
For the very youngest children (Pre-K - Grade1), I would read All Better, which I wrote and illustrated. It has repetitive words to facilitate reading and it's a silly story. We would also do a drawing lesson using shapes. What animals can you make with a circle and a triangle? Even the youngest students are very successful with this exercise. I will also answer any questions the children may have. If time allows, I can also read a new book I've illustrated, What Do Moms Do?. This program is usually shorter because of the age range. |
| A drawing demo for Pre-K |
For 2nd -5th Grade, I like to do a presentation of The Viper. This book is suspenseful, a little bit scary but ends up really funny. It also has curriculum concepts, such as telling time in both the hours of the day and the months of the year. I have a power point show, including sound effects, for The Viper.
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The Viper can be presented as a play, with students acting the parts of Peggy the Pig and the viper! Acting can enhance the emotional understanding of the story.
I will have examples of the early drafts and the sketchy drawings that went into the making of this book. I will show the process of how rough ideas can transform into a book. What are the roles of editors and art directors? How does a book idea get from one's desk to a publisher? How long does all this take?
We will do a drawing lesson, first learning how to draw Peggy the Pig and then other animals, again with just shapes. A lot of illustrators do a demonstration of their own drawing skills. That is always impressive. I prefer doing a drawing lesson where all the kids can successfully accomplish drawing a few simple animals and feel like they really can draw, too, just like a real illustrator! They get a real sense of achievement from that.
There will be time for questions and answers, too. There are usually a lot of wonderful questions. It's good to have the students prepare a bit before the visit.
If time allows, I also have power point shows of A Dark and Noisy Night and The Aliens Are Coming! A Dark and Noisy Night utilizes onomatopoeia. The children have the opportunity to read the words and make noises! I have to say that kids really like to make the noises! A lot! The Aliens Are Coming! has a geography element in it.
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| PowerPoint for The Aliens Are Coming! |
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| Drawing with shapes |
Author visits work best if the students have been prepared. Please read some of my books beforehand so that the kids are familiar with me and are excited about my visiting the school. This makes it a lot more fun for everybody! It is also a good idea to prepare some questions in advance.
Please Contact me to make arrangements
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