An All Day Affair

I should be hanging up my gown right about now and thinking about what a successful gala we just had. I might even be talking to friends (Doe?) to debrief the night. Some years I have to draw a bath. Others I scroll through all the photos.  My feet are achy from the heels.  I'm starving because I didn't eat anything all day. One year our author couldn't sleep from all the adrenaline, she checked out of the hotel and drove the two hours home. I get it.

Today was virtually different, surprisingly mentally exhausting (did I really only cry only twice?) and still pretty great despite the circumstances.

I was getting tree drawings emailed to me before I even finished my first cup of joe.  Parent questions trickled in but with a little guidance, all was good.  Kids without tractors ran around cars, houses and bushes for PE.  They got to know more about a local treasure, Dutch Hollow Farm. Read alouds. Mindful nature walks. Music composing. Research. Science. Something for everyone.

Our finale was a google meet with Loren at the end of the day.  He pulled out his ukulele for a rendition of There's a Hole in the Log at the Bottom of the Lake  for 130+ unmuted people which equals feedback and delays to sing along.  For the older kids, Reds centerfield hopeful, Loren, gave out wise advice on living life while we toured his studio and artwork.

It was a day to remember for sure. When he is able to visit in IRL (next spring?), it will be even more memorable.  Perhaps a bit less work on my end?  The prep is already done, right?  Ha.  Check in with me early next spring. Pretty doubtful.

And this my friends, is a my brief but I hope, spectacular, summary of the day. Not as good as IRL but pretty darn good nevertheless. And blister free. I do always look forward to donning the gown, though.  Next year.

And that's not even everybody at the meet!

I love this one because it shows her working so hard with the Choice Board handy!

PS-Proof I had ice cream for breakfast and it was delicious!

YUM! Next Up: Black Raspberry Chip!

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!

The big notification on my phone this week is "Dinner at Doe's" for tonight.  Every time an author or illustrator visits, my fabulous volunteer hosts a delicious and most memorable meal at her home for our guest of honor and others. We've had a chicken BBQ and smores with lots of kids with Sarah Weeks to an intimate table for four with Elisha Cooper and everything in between.  Kwame Alexander. Chris Grabenstein. Jewell Parker Rhodes. Emma Virjan. Even an Italian pastry afternoon snack for Adam Gidwitz.  No one can come to Castleton without tasting Doe's cuisine.

Why didn't I think of this before today?! I should have had Doe whip something up and ship it out to Loren?! Agh! I was too focused on ME. On selfishly ordering my ice cream from Cincinnati. Sigh. I hope Loren forgives me. Oh dear Doe.  Please advise next steps. I hear he loves NY style pizza.  

So tomorrow is our day!

Castleton Elementary Families: You will find the Choice Board on my resource page.  Try and do any as many activities as you can and know that this is only a small glimpse into Loren's books.  Then please join us WITH Loren at the end of the day.  Get dressed up! Wear a tie with PJ bottoms! Put on a fancy scarf! Our gala even made it to the Schodack calendar this year--that's how far in advance we have been planning for May 14.  But all is not lost and I'm excited to hear what you do and for all of us to meet with Loren LIVE.

Want a taste before the Choice Boards get released?

Here's Matt de la Pena reading his LOVE illustrated by Loren:

How many times have you read Goodnight Moon?  Loren illustrated a book by the same author, Margaret Wise Brown, titled, Good Day, Good Night.  Here's the book trailer:

What does your day and night look like? How different is it today than from before?

How can anyone not love Otis the Tractor's courage and heroic acts in every book.  Otis and the Puppy is no exception. Did you hear? Loren just got a new rescue dog, Charlie.  He and Charlie have started to run together.  I want a dog so badly...All tips to help me convince my family to get one are encouraged and welcome.

So we have a lot in store for tomorrow! Anyone can join in--Get up early! Paint trees. Eat ice cream in fractions. Share your love. Sing about a hole in a log. Run around a tractor.  And don't forget to set a reminder on your phone so you don't miss our party with Loren. You know YOU CAN. xo

On the RIVER with Elisha Cooper

photo credit: Jason McCord

The first time I remember suffering from post-party sadness was pickup day (and the days that followed) at sleep away camp.  The ups and downs of eight weeks at Camp Ramah had ended and adjusting to being home was not easy.

That was when I was 13.  I continued to leave home every summer after that. As hard as it was to come home, it was always worth it.

At 24 I threw myself a huge multi-day party. The last person who left was my best friend from camp. We recapped it all and I cried. How could it already be over?

My wedding. Daughter's Bat Mitzvah.
Son's Bar Mitzvah was this Labor Day weekend. My severe case of post-Bar Mitzvah blues began the first day of school.  Not easy.

I don't do well with endings and goodbyes.  

June 2018: I meet an illustrator at an event in NOLA. He tells me he is working on a book about a woman who canoes down the Hudson River.  I tell him I live and work in Castleton-on-Hudson.  Then and there I decide that he will celebrate that book with us ON the Hudson.  Sixteen months later, Elisha Cooper is reading RIVER aloud with the banks of the Hudson behind him.

That was Thursday.
You can only imagine the fog I was in yesterday walking the halls now with only the memories of his visit alive.

Elisha sat in a canoe in the middle of the gymnasium while first graders sang and fifth graders book talked all of his books. Reading teacher, Mrs. Reed hired a banjo player and our tuba-playing-band-teacher to accompany our fifth graders while they sang a Pete Seeger song about the river. Elisha rowed his boat ashore. The rain poured down outside.

We pulled out the red carpet for him when he spoke at a special K-2 assembly.

Then we donned our raincoats, boarded the buses and headed to the river. Elisha insisted we squeeze into the smaller pavilion on the river and I am glad we did. The kids complained. They were cranky. It was cold. Some were not dressed properly. The rain was steady. A boat sailed by. It was amazing. We will always remember.

 

The day was half way over and I was already beginning to feel sad. I don't do well with even thinking about endings and goodbyes.

We returned to our warm school and sketched with Elisha in the art room and wrote poems in the library.

The finale was sitting in the common area observing Elisha paint.  Mrs. Reed returned with her guitar and we sang. For some that was their favorite part of the day.  For others it was the park.  And some loved being taught tips from an award winning illustrator. For me? The whole package.

How did the woman canoeist feel when she began her journey? During? When her adventure was over? Sixteen months ago our journey was imagined. Thursday it happened. Now it is an incredible, unforgettable memory.  "Don't be sad." Elisha comforted me as I walked him to his car. I'm trying not to but I just don't do well with endings and goodbyes.

RA-FA-ELLLLL

I really don't want to go to school today. Cough-cough. Is it too late to call in? I feel like I could be coming down with something....

Rafael Lopez withdrawal?  Is that listed in the DSM? Could I get a doctor's note?

Seriously, after months of preparing "It's like a wedding," everyone kept saying all week, the day with Rafael came and went in an instant. He is now tucked in his bed in sunny San Diego while we are looking out at Rafael's "favorite" color gray skies in Castleton.*

I can honestly say that his visit changed lives, opened minds, inspired, energized and brought our whole entire Schodack Central School District community and beyond together. His murals come with life changing bonds and we witnessed it on Friday.  Kindergarteners and 12th graders. Teaching assistants and principals.  Secretaries and third graders.  Grandmother volunteers and 7th graders.  Dads and fifth grade poets. First graders and moms.  Flute players and girl percussionists.  A superintendent and art teachers. Future artists and future engineers.  This day was a memory maker.

Can you spy Rafael? Look for his hat!

Major kudos to our community for letting me place a piece of Rafael permanently in the homes of every single student at Castleton Elementary School.

 

Thank you, Rafael for bringing your magic to Castleton.  Your fairy dust will last forever along with your marks on the wall outside our library. Muchos gracias, mon amigo.

*Gray is the color that Rafael highlighted in Eric Carle's collaborative book, What's Your Favorite Color? The truth is that Rafael's favorite colors are purple, orange and black. Gray goes with everything, he says and so does he. 6th grade boys who exclaim they will never wash the hand that Rafael touched again, is just one little proof that his own gray octopus arms impact all.

Want to dive into our visit more? Check out these district tweets:

.@CastletonES welcomed artist and illustrator @RafaelLopezArt today like only our school can. Thank you for inspiring our students! pic.twitter.com/4AaIXfLbNJ

— Schodack CSD (@SchodackCSD) April 5, 2019

Make sure to check out the whole thread on this one:

Celebrated artist and illustrator @RafaelLopezArt visited Schodack CSD today where he inspired students of all grades with his passion for art. (1/6) pic.twitter.com/gWzMKyVNQP

— Schodack CSD (@SchodackCSD) April 5, 2019

And here's the link a story about Rafael's visit from our district webpage:

http://www.schodack.k12.ny.us/2019/04/artist-illustrator-visits-schodack-csd/

A leap at the end of the day with Mrs. Gregoire, our amazing art teacher.

 Bonus: Who would have thought Rafael could leap in the snow on April 5?!

I shed many tears throughout the day, especially when I had to say goodbye. Saludos.

Whole World in Our Hands

"Wake up, Rafael!" the alarm whispered. "It's 5:30 AM and you are about to dazzle 80+ third graders in a little town in upstate New York." And dazzle he did.  The kids loved him (you know because they listened and were attentive).  The teachers adored him ("He was great!" "That was amazing!" "When is he coming?") and all I could think of was the chant we will recite when he does visit. (I'll give you a hint: It's very similar to the one we sang for Matt Cordell.)

Prior to dialing, we read the book together.  Wait, back up a minute.  Way prior to his visit, like the night before prior, I baked 90 cupcakes.  C'mon.  What's a party without cake? And what's a party about the beautiful diverse children in this world working together to take care of our planet without CONFETTI cupcakes?  Not one flavor but all of them sprinkled throughout the batter.  We talked about author's purpose.  We were informed of illustrator's purpose. And now I'm sharing that even a librarian has purpose.

Rafael was energetic, inspiring and didn't give us a single hint that he'd rather still be in bed.  I had mailed him a package earlier in the week with coffee, chocolate covered espresso beans, some upstate apples and biscotti.  I felt terrible about scheduling a before sunrise Skype, but Rafael kept insisting that it was ok.

He showed us some of the early sketches from the book, talked about the process and even gave us a tour of his studio.  We asked a few questions including, "What's your favorite color?"  Purple and orange but he also likes black since black has all the colors.  He had us hunting for the Eric Carle book, What's Your Favorite Color? because of course, we wanted to see immediately how he creatively included color in his gray octopus.

Even though we were celebrating We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands, my students still had questions about The Day You Begin.  "Why did you feature the ruler throughout the book?"

Every time you open my books I want you to discover something new. [I like to include] symbols that mean something or send a message. The ruler sends a message to kids to think “How am I measuring up to other kids?”

Wow.  That's deep.  The teachers were all nodding in amazement.   Of course.  I shared with Rafael and the students that we are always thinking of "author purpose" but consider this--the illustrator has purpose, too.  You can bet I'll be asking that now!

"What inspired you to make this book?"

I wanted to make this book with the message about coming together, diversity, being kind to each other and acceptance. It’s not about me or you but about us. My inspiration is that the future is in your hands. Take care of the planet.

Finally we sang "Happy Book Birthday" took our leaps and then said farewell.

I promise you that if I have it my way our salutation was a very weak goodbye paired with a strong "see you soon." Don't you want to hear 500 voices chant RA-FA-EL-EL? I thought so. Hasta la vista!

Who could resist not seeing these kids in person? 😉

It's like it was practice picture day!

Ms. Martin and Mrs. Hannah's class

Mrs. Pryde's class

Mrs. Yager's class

Mrs. DeMassio's class

Thank you for dazzling us my friend.

PS-Rafael has illustrated many books since he began in 2004 (a fun fact we learned today).  I don't have as many as I wish I did in the library. Don't worry, when he comes, I will have all of them!  But I did pull out the ones I have and Mrs. DeMassio's kids were thrilled to be able to check them out. 

BRAVO!  BRAVO! 

ATTENTION: Book Liz Zunon today!

I told my Reading Ambassadors before Liz Zunon visited our school that she was a lovely, gentle, calm person. Basically, the exact opposite of me.  And yet she can get the attention of a room full of elementary students as well as, if not better, than a big, loud person like myself.

Warning: This might end up sounding like a promotion for Liz, than anything else but it's all true and I really want everyone to meet her!

Happy Birthday, Macy!

Thanks to the PTO, local illustrator Elizabeth Zunon, visited our school today and it will be one for the books.  We began at 7:25 am in the library with breakfast with the Reading Ambassadors.  It was a Lena Horne themed meal with microphones as center pieces and one student even performed.  Lena sang in the background as we drank hot cocoa (who knew you could get a box of cocoa from Dunkin?) with challah toast (Liz's favorite breakfast food), eggs, sweets, fruit and more! Liz signed their passports and was very comfortable chatting with the kids.

"S" for Sammy

No rest for the weary as Liz and I quickly ran downstairs so she could get on the announcements.  For the past month or so, we've been doing the countdown to Liz's visit on the morning PA system.  So today she got to give her own fact.  She loves music and dancing around her house. She and Ayla would get along really well!

The Grades 2-3 assembly followed the announcements.  For each presentation Liz shared a short slide show on the making of One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recyling Women of The Gambia by Miranda Paul. Even though the presentation was the same, the workshop was different.  The second and third graders each brought a plastic bag and scissors to the gym.  Liz showed us how to make 'plarn" (yarn out of plastic bags) and then students began weaving using their own plarn. We learned how the possibilities of things you can create with a plastic bag are endless.  Our district PR guy attended this workshop and here are his photos.

Liz uses a lot of collage in her artwork.  The K/1 students created collages with tea bag bags.  Who knew the bags were so beautiful? What a great way to recycle!  The imagination of the students just shined in this workshop.  They made everything from headbands to houses to dinosaurs and everything in between.

I did manage to block out some time for Liz to take a break to sign books, visit a classroom and catch her breath.  Time flies and before you knew it, the fourth grade Dewey Duty helpers came in the library for their lunch with Liz.  Just when you think things couldn't get any better, they did.  There was Liz answering their inquisitive questions about her illustration process.  Finally, we sat down to eat and they still huddled around her with books in hand.  They wanted to know exact details about how she made each illustration.  After many photo ops and chocolate cake (Liz's favorite), one of them convinced her to read Don't Call Me Grandma by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. That was a moment!  They listened so attentively that I just didn't want the book to end.

To end the day, we whooshed down to the Grades 4-5 assembly where their task was to make basketball hoops or dream catchers from the plarn.  This was not an easy task but they had fun using their hands, brains and creativity.  I wouldn't be surprised if some finished hoops come in tomorrow.  Fingers crossed they don't become a distraction in class!

All in all, a wonderful day!  Get in touch with Liz today!  You will not be disappointed.  I warned her that I have lots of friends in Texas and will be telling them all about her.  I realize that Liz just bought a new home but if I had my druthers she should be living out of her suitcase from now through June.  Contact her today.  You will not be disappointed.




Here is an animoto that I put together using all the photos I took from the day:




One of the volunteers who helped out throughout the day summed it up this way, "Liz was so interesting, enlightening and personable and I learned so much about all it takes to produce good illustrations and books."

Relationships, Stephen Savage, and Twitter! Oh my!

A few weeks ago I attended a Binghamton University (SUNY-Binghamton when I was there) alumni event.  The school is trying to relaunch the club since 3000 alumni live here in the Albany area.  I was curious, especially since my daughter is a rising HS sophomore, and went with my cousin, class of '08.  There was a guy from the class of '77, me (class of '91), a guy from '98 and then more people from the 2000's and later.  I spent the most amount of time chatting with Rodell, '16. Rodell was there alone and had been living and working in Albany since November.  Maybe he came to make friends? Network? See old friends? Find a date?  Whatever it was, I was impressed.  An elementary school librarian may not be the person he was hoping of meeting that night and I might not be the most helpful in his engineering career but it did get me thinking about...

...relationships.  Personal connections and relationships.  I don't doubt we live in a world of high tech, instant contact, social media explosions, however, it got me thinking that when those tools are used wisely and with heart, you can move mountains. Or at least make a difference in the lives of some kids.

It's been a long time since I blogged.  June seems to have come and gone in a flash.  Now it is the end and summer has finally begun.  This summer not only am I hoping to read a #bookaday (chapter books, if possible) but to blog more (daily may be impossible), run so I can enjoy my sweets and lattes and forge more personal relationships with book creators.

My last of seven illustrator/author visits of the year was with, I think I can now confidently say, my friend, Stephen Savage. And even though we had Skyped a few months earlier, I believe that friendship became solidified with a tweet that got his school visit rolling:

From that one tweet, Rachel Person from the Northshire Bookstore, sent out an email and five months later Steve was walking my red carpet runway celebrating the book birthday of Little Plane Learns to Write. So, I will never knock social media but I will say, during that time he and I actually chatted on the phone twice, sent many emails back and forth to each other and I convinced him to have "dinner at Doe's" the night before his visit so we could form a 20th century friendship beyond social media.

Here are some snapshots from our great day with Steve. 
BTW--friend or foe, I highly recommend him for a school visit. Start knocking at his door today like I did...

Welcoming Steve the night before at Dinner at Doe's (far left)

Skywriting Like Little Plane at the Reading Ambassador Breakfast Little Plane Birthday Party

 

With the fifth grade Reading Ambassadors

Assemblies

 

More Birthday Celebrating with Dewey Duty Helpers

Flying out (and leaping) on our Runway

Until next time--Looking forward to you landing and leaping in Castleton again soon!

Thanks to Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Spring, NY and Macmillian for making this possible.  Saratoga is a great place to visit and the bookstore is a lovely spot right there on Broadway.  What a great way to end our school year!

Endnote:

I have to throw this in here while we are talking about the positive power of social media.  Here's another friendship that was forged, again, just from one tweet on August 14, 2014: