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."