Authors' Booking Service is pleased to announce that children's author Rebecca Bender is now scheduling visits to Ontario schools starting February 2012.

Rebecca's rate is $250 for one sixty minute session, with a maximum of audience size of 60, two for $500, three for $750 and four for $1000, plus HST and travel from Burlington Ontario. Rebecca is willing do two 30 minute sessions instead of one longer session in order to keep the audience number under 60.

When visiting your school or library, Rebecca would appreciate a hands-free sound system.

Rebecca Bender has worked as an illustrator, designer and art director in the publishing industry for the past 8 years. She brings her expertise of book and story creation to her talks and hopes to inspire the children to create their own picture books. She is the author/illustrator of Giraffe and Bird, which is her first picture book.

Published Works

Giraffe and Bird, Dancing Cat Books, September 2010

Upcoming:

Don't Laugh at Giraffe, Pajama Press, April 2012 

Awards and Nominations

Giraffe and Bird

Nominated:

2011 CBA Libris Award Book of the Year, the SYRCA Shining Willow Award, 2011, and the OLA Forest of Reading Blue Spruce, 2011

Presentation Details

My goal is to inspire the children to come up with their own characters, write their own stories and craft their own books to share with others. Being an author/illustrator I show how pictures can tell stories on their own, and how they might be inspired by their own drawings to write a story.

I also offer an art lesson/workshop focusing on character creation as a lead-in to storytelling. Please note: a setting where tables and basic art supplies are available is necessary.

My presentation starts with an introduction of Giraffe and Bird. We practice sound effects and I have them think about the dynamic of my two characters on the cover. Afterward reading the book we do questions and answers where we explore the relationship of the characters in the story and what the message is. With smaller groups I like to show them my rough sketches and paintings and talk about the steps in making a book.

Using artwork examples I bring along I try to show the kids the power images have for storytelling. I encourage them to think up situations or a story line that would make sense with the pictures I show them.

If an easel is available we sketch some characters and brainstorm some storylines to go along with them. I also focus on how to depict emotion and expression which is another key element in storytelling with pictures.

Grades I will present to: K - 4

Maximum number of students per session: ~ 60

Equipment and other requirements

Flip chart or blackboard. Markers.

Sheets of letter-sized paper.

I request that a librarian, teacher or other school representative be present throughout the presentation.