Today I attended a local children’s literature festival. What a great time! We heard from author Shannon Anderson, author/illustrator Troy Cummings, author/illustrator Tom Watson, and author Carolyn Crimi.
The crowd was mostly professionals – teachers, librarians, and students studying to be one or the other. There were only a few kids in the crowd, but they were the stars of the show! Both Troy Cummings and Tom Watson drew the kids in (pardon the pun) with great audience participation. And the kids loved it!
The two author/illustrators presented like they would for school. I would recommend both highly for school visits. They related well to the kids there without talking down to them. They seemed genuinely pleased to interact with their target audience. Shannon Anderson was able to link her writing and her books to her roles as mom and elementary teacher. This was especially helpful for the teachers in the room. Carolyn Crimi spoke on the value of humor – both in books and in the classroom/library setting. She gave great, practical ideas for teachers and librarians to use.
Overall this was a great event! I am so pleased that we have such a stellar opportunity in our community for children’s literature lovers and professionals.