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Authors’
Booking Service is pleased to announce that children’s author and
illustrator, Karen Patkau, is now scheduling visits to Ontario
schools for the coming school year.
Karen is available in the
GTA and outside Toronto up to 150 kilometers. Contact us to inquire
about specific dates and locations.
Karen would love to plan
a visit to your school or library. Her rate per session is $250 plus
HST and travel expenses from Toronto.
Karen is the
award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children. The
first book she illustrated was Don’t Eat Spiders by
Robert Heidbreder, which won the Ezra Jack Keats Memorial Medal.
Other prizes include Our Choice Awards for Creatures Great and
Small, Sir Cassie to the Rescue, Python
Play and Ringtail, and Dimensional Illustrators
Awards for Seal is Lost and In the Sea. A
selected bibliography and details of her presentation follow this
message.
Here’s what teacher Margarite MacDonald of Perth
Avenue Public School has to say:
“Karen Patkau’s
reading and presentation was one of the very best, a highlight of the
year. Our students were captivated as Karen shared how she generated
and researched ideas, for the writing and illustrating of her
fascinating “Creatures” books. Her enthusiastic and calm manner
has inspired students to take greater risks in their own writing and
artwork. A visit with Karen Patkau is a great way to promote literacy
in your school.”
Karen is a member of The Writers'
Union of Canada, and so schools wishing to invite her may be eligible
for a travel and fee subsidy to off-set the cost of her visit.
Contact us for details of this program.
Time slots are filled
on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please respond early if you
are interested in booking Karen Patkau.
Published Works
One
Watermelon Seed, author Celia Barker Lottridge, 2008
Creatures Yesterday and Today, Karen Patkau, 2008
Creatures Great and Small, Karen Patkau, 2006
Sir
Cassie to the Rescue, author Linda Smith, 2003
Python Play author
Robert Heidbreder, 1999
In the Sea,
Karen Patkau, 1990
Seal is Lost,
author Priscilla Galloway, 1988
Ringtail,
Karen Patkau, 1987
Don’t Eat Spiders,
author Robert Heidbreder, 1995
Recent Awards and
Nominations
One
Watermelon Seed
• Bank Street Books Best Children's
Books of the Year
• Toronto Public Library’s “First &
Best Booklist 2008”
• Toronto Public Library's "Top Ten
Books for Pre-Schoolers"
Creatures Great and
Small
• Shining Willow Nominee 2008
• Canadian
Children’s Book Centre “Our Choice 2007”
• Resource Links
“Best of the Year 2006”
Sir Cassie to the Rescue
•
Canadian Children’s Book Centre “Our Choice 2004” Award
•
Resource Links “Best of the Year 2004”
Don’t Eat
Spiders
• Ezra Jack Keats Memorial Medal - UNICEF /
USSBY, 1986
Presentation Details
Depending on requests and criteria:
I
will read a selection of my picture books, including Sir Cassie
to the Rescue by Linda Smith and my newly illustrated edition
of One Watermelon Seed by Celia Barker Lottridge.
Samples of my artwork-in-progress will illustrate
presentations.
When
suitable, I will discuss “How a Picture Book is Made” and/or do a
simple drawing activity.
I will also read from and
talk about my nonfiction picture books Creatures Great &
Small and Creatures Yesterday & Today and
introduce the books in my new Ecosystem Series.
Questions
and comments are encouraged. Masters for colouring sheets and
autographed posters are distributed to teachers or librarians.
I will present to grades K to 8.
Maximum
audience size: 2 – 3 classes (60-80 students)
I am
comfortable in a classroom or library.
I require a display
table, two chairs, and a ten-minute alert before the end of the
session.
I
also offer a “How a Picture Book is Made” Workshop for grades 7
and 8.