SPEAKING INFORMATION:
I love to talk to kids about my books and about how I created the illustrations. I bring in sketches, props, and actual art from the books. I usually close my visit with a book sale and signing for the students.

PREVIOUS TOPICS:
Creating a children's book, Voting/Democracy, The Pony Express, My picture book "Nature's Paintbox" (the four seasons and art mediums).

AUDIENCE:
I talk to students in grades K-8. I also teach a class on children's book illustration to adults.

PROGRAMS:
My programs vary and can be tailored to a specific audience and subject matter. For young kids I like to visit school classrooms and libraries share my books, read from them and give them some history lessons about the people in the books. One popular program I give is on Bronco Charlie and the Pony Express where I read from the book give some background information on the Pony Express then drawing lessons giving them time to draw.

In another program I share my books and my process as an illustrator creating art from sketch phase to the finished book and then give students an assignment to come up with an illustration from the text I provide. In this program I bring lots of visuals from originial sketches to actual art.

I recently created a new program for a school visit with the theme "Voting/Democracy". Using my books on Susan B. Anthony, James Forten, Thomas Paine, Nathan Hale and John Adams I showed how these various individuals representing different genders and races contributed to democracy. I shared interesting facts on these subjects as well as art from the books. I also step by step described my process illustrating books and gave them an assignment to create their own illustration. This is a great topic for election year 2008.

Follow this link for information about a presentation based on my book Nature's Paintbox.

For High School students and adults, I structure the program like I do the children's book illustration class I teach at Bellevue, North Seattle, and Edmonds Community College. For that class I talk about my experiences as an illustrator, show samples of my work and others illustrators and talk about different media available to an artist like oil paint, watercolor etc., and give brief demos on these different techniques.

LENGTH:
It can vary from as short as 45 minutes to a full day.

FEES:
$550 a day or by the hour starts at $150 depending on the group size. I am open to negotiation. Usually 4 presentations is my maximum per day.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
Member of The Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators International and Western Washington.

SELECTED AWARDS:
"Nature's Paintbox: A Seasonal Gallery of Art and Verse"
was named a Lasting Connections of 2007 title in the American Library Association magazine, Book Links (January, 2008). Also the book was named in the 2008 Edition of The Best Children's Books of the Year from the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education.

"The Flyer Flew!"
The Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College has named The Flyer Flew! to the 2007 Edition of the Best Children's Books of the Year.

"Keeping the Promise"
made the New York Reading Association's suggested reading list and also won a 2005 International Reading Association (IRA) Teachers' Choice Award.

"Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering Scientist"
was chosen as one of the 2003 Outstanding Science Trade Books for students K-12. The judges were the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council.