Where do stories – and storybooks – come from? Kids who love reading, love to draw and paint, or love being read-to will love learning how stories start and how they become books.
An Author Day visit is an exciting opportunity for students to turn their imagination loose while they learn about the art of storytelling — and try it themselves. It’s an exciting and memorable day, whether I visit in-person or online via Zoom.
I like to “begin at the beginning” by introducing artwork from my own first storytelling attempts. Family, friends, and pets inspired me then, as they do now. As I turn to published picture books, students learn how a story becomes “real” – from first research to those last little details. At each step, the importance of passion, perseverance, and practice to become better at anything is emphasized.
Then we all join in to write a story of our own. Beginning with characters and a setting suggested by the group, I sketch out a multi-page storybook on the fly and explain the basics of illustration and book-making: forward momentum, characterization and point of view. Our book closes with a “What Happens Next?” cliffhanger. Now it’s up to the students to take what they’ve learned and continue the story.
While a full day author visit is the most enriching and impactful, the program can be adapted to a shorter presentation format or offered as a storybook reading in-person or via Zoom.
FAQ
I have presented to Pre-Schoolers, Elementary school students, High Schoolers and adults all over the US and internationally. Group size has ranged from a single class to packed auditoriums. My picture books are aimed at a young audience, but my lavishly illustrated talks emphasize inspiration, process, and creativity for all ages.
The more excited the kids are, the better the day goes. Familiarizing students with my books and using them as inspiration for art projects in the weeks before Author Day makes the presentation even more involving and effective. The American Library Association provides good general information on author visits.
For an in-person visit I’ll bring books to display, a laptop and digital projector, a portable sound system, my drawing crayons and autographing pens.
The organization will provide:
– A darkened room with a large screen or white wall to show slides
– A compact projector cart with a power strip and a long extension cord
– A 3’x6’ table for displaying books. An auditorium stage works well, too.
– A large, sturdy easel equipped with plenty of white, unlined paper. The better quality the paper, the better the drawings will be. You keep all the drawings.
An in-person visit is best scheduled 4-6 months in advance and 12 months ahead is not too early. Zoom presentations or readings require less lead time. To inquire, please email me using the contact form here.
The honorarium for a full-day in-person visit (4 presentations) is $1200, $400 for a single assembly or library visit. For a Zoom visit online I ask $300 – $500 for 2-4 presentations. Feel free to contact me regarding conference keynote speaking fees or to discuss other presentation formats.
Locations within a two hour drive from my home in central Vermont are just a day trip. For locations further away, I prefer to arrive the night before to start bright and early the next day. Costs for accommodations, transportation, etc, are the responsibility of the sponsoring organization.