Mira Reisberg

SCHOOL VISITS

Working at the 2003 Washington State Science Teachers' Association Conference

A visit from a children's book author or illustrator can
truly inspire children to read and write, draw and blossom.

School visits are a great opportunity to show children that regular people make books. I enjoy showing the connections between my life, art and picture books (including the "painting of shame" in Uncle Nacho's Hat that I should have redone but didn't). The slide show presentation is humorous and instructive welcoming interaction and questions. Students are amazed to hear that a picture book often takes a year to 6 months to make because of the importance of redrawing images many times over until they are the best they can be, and that a story can be rewritten or edited many, many times until it is just right. This shows the importance of making mistakes and learning from them. As an illustrator and educator I value being able to share techniques and stories related to the creative process in making art, overcoming difficulties and solving all sorts of problems. Visiting schools allows me to have a lot of fun inspiring encouraging and entertaining children and teachers.