VISITS

I am available for school visits, library programs, workshops, conferences and bookstore & book fair appearances. I tailor my programs to my audience and have presented to all ages from infants to adults.

When speaking with young children, I keep my points simple – where ideas come from, how words and pictures can tell stories about our lives, and creating illustrations. With older children and grownups, I talk more technically about what I do and discuss the many steps involved in taking a project from idea to finished book. Whatever the age of the audience, I devote time towards the end of my presentation to questions. 

My presentations are generally about 45 minutes long. Workshops may run a bit longer and presentations to Pre-K groups are usually shorter. I will use  Powerpoint if appropriate or show a portfolio of original art and photographs. I prefer to use a microphone for talks to larger audiences.

For school visit bookings, please contact Booked. 

I am available for in-person and virtual appearances. Visits are most successful when the students have read my books before my visit and have spent some time thinking and talking about them with their teacher or school librarian. Please consider purchasing books or borrowing books from your library to share in your classrooms before my visit. 

Topics usually covered in my talks:

• my studio
• growing up in a family of author/artists (Donald Crews and Ann Jonas)
• getting an idea down on paper
• writing and rewriting
• photography
• collage
• how a book is made
• making mistakes

Presentations are generally 45 minutes. No recording of virtual sessions is allowed without prior permission.

I have done a variety art workshops with children and I am happy to brainstorm with you on fun and educational ways to share illustration techniques and concepts with your group. Here are some of the projects I have done in the past:

• Make an accordion fold book. These books are easy to make and there is a lot of room to personalize the work. There is generally plenty of time for participants to decorate the book jackets and write and illustrate the stories that go inside.
• Make a collage. Participants are given a variety of collage materials to work with – magazines, colored and patterned paper. After a brief discussion of collage and how I use it for storytelling, workshop participants see what they can discover with the materials at hand.
• Make your own superhero.  I made “Guy”, Jack’s toy in my book Below. Kids make their own superhero out of pipe cleaners and model magic.

Please contact me or Booked with questions.

I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss my work with educators, librarians and other book professionals at conferences. Book fairs are a wonderful way to make connections with families and educators. Please contact me with questions or to discuss availability.

Selected past conferences:

• NCTE: Hope, Heart, Humanity, Boston, MA, presented Extraordinary Magic at two panels. November 2024
• ‘Pre-School Math Concepts in I’m Not Small’ Palmetto Pre K Jamboree, South Carolina First Steps. (Virtual) March 2023
• Mazza Museum Weekend Conference, Findlay, OH (Virtual) November 2021
• NYLibrary Assoc. YSS Membership Meeting, Troy NY (Virtual) October 2021
• Ashley Bryan Art Series Conference, Broward County Libraries, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Virtual) September 2021
• “Readers Into Leaders 2019 Literacy Conference,” Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, keynote and breakout session, August 2019
• “LitFest KC” Conference, presented by The Rabbit hOle in association with the Kansas City Public Library and the Crossroads Academy, Kansas City, MO, April 2017
• “The Building Blocks of Play,” Panel Discussion at Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY, April 2015
• “Photography and Children’s Books,” Panel Discussion at Children’s Book Literary Salon, New York Public Library, New York, NY, March 2014
• “How Children’s Book Authors Help to Shape our World View,” Diversity Panel Discussion, Medgar Evers College, New York, NY, May 2013
• “Creating Books for Early Childhood,” Panel Discussion at Bank Street College of Education Mini Conference, New York, NY, April 2013

Selected past book fairs and festivals:

• Brooklyn Museum Children’s Book Fair, Brooklyn, NY, November 2023
• Chappaqua Book Fair, Chappaqua, NY, September 2023
• Hudson Children's Book Festival, Hudson, NY, May 2023
• 31st Annual African American Children’s Book Festival, Philadelphia, PA, February 2023
• Brooklyn Museum Children’s Book Fair, Brooklyn, NY, November 2022
• Princeton Children's Book Festival, Princeton, NJ, October 2022
• 28th Annual African American Children’s Book Festival, Philadelphia, PA, February 2020
• Chappaqua Book Fair, Chappaqua, NY, September 2019
• Hudson Book Festival, Hudson, NY, May 2019
• Brooklyn Museum Children’s Book Fair, Brooklyn, NY, November 2018
• Shreveport Children’s Book Festival, Shreveport, LA, May 2018
• Ghouls and Gourds Festival, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Brooklyn, NY, October 2016
• BPL Children’s Book Author Illustrator Day, Brooklyn, NY, May 2016
• Chappaqua Book Fair, Chappaqua, NY, September 2015
• Albany Children’s Book Fair, Albany, NY, November 2014
• Ghouls and Gourds Festival, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Brooklyn, NY, October 2014
• Story Fest, South Carolina State Library, Columbia, SC, June 2014
• Savannah Children’s Book Festival, Savannah, GA, November 2013
• Stamford Book Fair, Stamford, CT, December 2012
• Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival, Sheboygan, WI, October 2012