Ever wonder how a picture book gets made? On Saturday, July 17th, I’ll be giving a free, kid-friendly, virtual presentation at on of my favorite New York institutions, the Society of Illustrators.

Presented monthly, Saturday Stories invites guest illustrators to lead children and their adult companions in a read-aloud Zoom workshop related to the wide range of materials and processes that illustrators use to create their picture books.

Join me at 10:30 AM–noon EST, on Saturday, July 17th for a workshop about children’s publishing, including a behind-the-scenes look at my illustration process, a read-aloud, and a character-building craft activity. I’ll present what happens when I first receive a story idea to illustrate, and how I get to know the characters through brainstorming and sketches, long before I put paint to paper. Focusing on the main character from A Big Surprise for Little Card, I’ll do a reading, followed by some step-by-step crafting using common household materials.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Little Card character:

1 letter-sized piece of paper cut in half (to approx. 8.5” x 5.5.5”)
2 pipe-cleaners (or 2 strips of paper, approx. 11” x .5”)
drawing materials (crayons, markers, pencils—your choice!)
scissors
tape
a pom-pom and glue (optional)

The program is free, but an RSVP is required. You can register online here.