I love doing school visits!
Nothing beats interacting with the children who are my audience; nothing beats their honest and open reactions during my presentations, and I find their enthusiasm and energy feeds my work.
Having been a book maker and art teacher for over thirty years, I have done a wide range of presentations for all ages. Below are some base templates for an author visit, but I am more than happy to discuss with teachers and librarians how we can adapt my visit to work best with to work with a school’s curriculum or planned special events.
I offer a range of visits and programs for all ages and group sizes, and for any visits planned around the Ladybug Girl, Agent Lion, and/or Elvis & Romeo series, my creative partner and wife, Jacky Davis, will be part of the fun.
2nd-5th Grades
(45+ minute program)
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN PICTURE BOOK!
This is a workshop for the older children, in which I help them realize that they have the power and ability to write and draw their own stories.
For this presentation I teach them about the basic elements of creating an original story (a narrative arc, though we don’t need that fancy vocabulary), and together we make up a character and tell a four page story that I draw for them as we invent it. Then, with the magic of some pencils and markers, we take a folded piece of paper and each student will write and draw their own story making a four page book. During this time I help the students individually with their drawing, writing, and to the best of my ability, spelling.
By necessity, this has to be a smaller group of children- no more than one class (25 students) at a time, and the supplies need to be provided by the school. I can offer up to three of these workshops per visit.
PreK- 2nd Grade
30-40 minute program
For visiting individual classroom’s, consisting of no more than two merged classes, I read one of my books, do a very performative drawing demonstration tailored to the specific books being read, and read a second book after, leaving time for questions. (Of course keeping the attention of a bunch of naptime ready pre-k kids may necessitate a change in the agenda- 30 minutes of sitting still can be quite a lot!).
I can offer up to four of these programs in a day, usually two before lunch and two after. Depending on the class sizes and the school’s resources, this can be done with an actual book and pad of paper and pens, or on a smart board or overhead projector.
For larger events (three or more classes at once) I can offer up to three of these programs in a day, as well but they require the use of a digital projector, the ability to connect it with an iPad, or an overhead projector. The program itself will follow the same plan as for individual classes
The fee for each visit will be dependent on the number and size of the events and my travel time.
It is greatly appreciated when schools work with local booksellers to pre-sell books ahead of my visit, and I offer discounts in those instances. I will also sign and personalize any and all copies of my books that are bought.
For scheduling visits, or any questions regarding my presentations, please feel free to email me at: