Visits & Workshops

2023-2024 Update: I continue to offer virtual visits for schools who prefer it but I have returned to scheduling in-person visits as well.

I love talking to kids! And more than talking, I love engaging kids in silly exercises that encourage them to write, draw and embrace their mistakes.

I like to include hands on activities in my presentations to get creativity flowing, so I prefer to work with smaller groups, however, I am happy to do larger assembly visits as well and can modify my presentations to work in a larger group setting. My programs provide an opportunity for the kids to ask questions and for lots of interaction.

Here are a few examples of programs I can offer. I tend to modify my programs to fit with each group or school’s needs and am happy to try to tie-in any relevant topics that kids are studying.

Book Talk Visit – This presentation is focused on one book – you can choose which book I will highlight. I will read the book, and share with kids how it all came together from the very first draft/sketches to the finished product. Students will get a peek into my studio and my work process. We will end with an interactive drawing demo and Q&A.

Illustrator Visit – This presentation is focused my work as an illustrator. I will share how I work with authors to illustrate their words, I’ll share my process of illustrating a book, from the first sketches to the finished product. Students will get a peek into my studio and my work process. We will end with an interactive drawing demo and Q&A. This presentation can be about one specific book or generally across all my books.

Making a Book with Words AND Pictures! – This presentation walks through my bookmaking process as someone who writes the words AND draws the pictures. Using A New Kind of Wild as an example, I share with kids the good, bad and ugly of how I made this book. Along the way, I talk about failure and persistence, the importance of keeping a sketchbook/notebook for ideas, leaning on friends for help when you’re stuck, and the beauty of happy accidents.

Brainstorming with Words and Pictures – How do you get ideas for stories? What do you do when you are stuck and can’t think of anything to write or draw? In this presentation I go through all sorts of exercises, both silly and serious that I use to help get those ideas out. We will do a mix of writing and drawing exercises that will encourage kids to ignore that little voice that says “this is a horrible idea!” and keep on going.

Doodle Workshop – In this workshop we focus on DRAWING! We will talk about doodling and then do some doodling! I will share a peek into some of my doodle-filled sketchbooks and talk about how I use doodling in my picture making process, then we will do a series of silly drawing exercises focused on making marks and embracing mistakes.

Something else! – Have another idea or want to steal bits and pieces from different programs? No problem! I can customize my visits based on what will work best for your students.

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What if we can’t afford to pay you?
It is especially important for me to be able to reach students of all backgrounds. If your school is unable to fund a school visit and you live in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area, please send me an email. If you live outside of the DC area, I offer a limited number of free virtual visits for Title I or other underprivileged schools, please fill out the contact form on the right for more information.

If you are interested in booking a school visit or workshop please fill out the form below. Please be as detailed about your event as possible.