My Author Illustrator Presentation is a lively mix of storytelling and sharing pictures. I introduce myself to students with a display of original pictures behind me. I tell stories of my early struggles in school, and the excitement of getting an idea for a picture book as an adult and learning to write.

The process of story building comes to life as I show students how the story Reunion grew from a simple idea -- a boy climbs into an old picture and goes back in time.

 

As I take students from early sketchers to finished artwork I show how drawing natural entrance to writing. I show students how drawing pictures and telling stories can be a natural bridge to writing. I show how storyboards, a standard picture book tool, combined with simple drawing make building a story easy and fun.

Students see lots of original pictures, both loose sketches and finished artwork,  and they see in drafts of the stories text, and dummy books, how something a natural as re-telling family stories is a  natural entrance to writing.