Nicholas Northwoods: How to Create Your Own Books!

Author/Illustrator Jay Matz will do a spirited reading of his own book, <em>Nicholas Northwoods: An Ode to the Seasons</em>, then take kids through the steps to write and illustrate their own books. This presentation is tailored to be age and skill level appropriate. First, Jay will cover storytelling- talking about organizing your thoughts, writing drafts and the importance of listening to advice from adults and testing your book out on an audience. He will emphasize writing with an active voice and making sure every word counts! Then, he walks children through his process of creating storyboards, pencil drawings and finally digital coloring. The focus here will be on dynamic visuals that enhance the text and fill out details of the story. Finally, Jay shows how to put it all together in a book you can share with others. The presentation ends with a drawing project for each child to complete themselves.