Dan Yaccarino writes about how much he loves doing school visits:
As far as I’m concerned, writing and illustrating children’s books is the greatest career in the world, but you mostly do it alone. Don’t get me wrong, there are loads of conversations going on in my studio (mostly between me and myself, until there’s an argument, then we don’t talk), but when I’m invited to speak at a school, I’M SO THERE, BABY!
People constantly say to my own 10 and 12-year old children at book events, “It must be wonderful to have a dad that makes books,” to which they respond with a limp shrug and then scurry off to a corner to read. Let’s face it, they’ve lived with my work their entire lives and heard all my corny jokes. Can we go now?
So at home, maybe I’m just Dad, but when I visit a school, I’m A ROCK STAR! I feel like it’s 1964 and I’m all 4 Beatles getting off the plane at Idlewild Airport.
The first thing I do when I get to the venue (actually an elementary school) is relax in the Green Room (the teacher’s lounge). The stadium (auditorium, library or cafeteria) is sold out (due to the fact that attending my presentation is mandatory). The audience (the students) is pumped and ready to go. I open with one of my greatest hits and they go nuts. Security (the librarian or vice principal) swoops in and the rowdy ones are taken away (to cool their heels in the Principal’s office). I press on and try to give them an experience they’ll remember for the rest of their lives (or at least until recess).
So maybe it’s not all stretch limos (mostly minivans filled with Cheerios crumbs) or an audience lifting their lighters as I sing Stairway To Heaven, but I LOVE DOING SCHOOL VISITS!
For more info, go to: http://www.yaccarinostudio.com/ys/speaking.html
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