AUTHOR VISIT AT THE WPC PRESCHOOL, Los Angeles, CA

Earlier this week I had a wonderful visit with the children and teachers of the WPC Preschool in Los Angeles, my first since the pandemic. (Before that I had been making a visit every year--an annual event suspended during Covid.) It was great to be back and to have the opportunity to share both my new books and favorites from the past. 

I met first with the younger children, sharing Planting a Garden in Room 6, Wiggle and Waggle, Noisy Time for Zoo Animals and my folding book, Who Has More? Who Has Fewer?. They enjoyed my Wiggle and Waggle puppets, helping to make the sounds of the zoo animals, and counting the eggs and chicks in the folding book.

I then met with the older children sharing Wiggle and Waggle again, A Zebra's World, several of my bird books, Keeper of the Light, and finally reading The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers, a tall tale. We sang the Wiggle and Waggle song, went on a lion hunt, rang my small bell as I showed them the illustrations of the giant fog bell at the lighthouse. We also measured wingspans and learned about the Hodag, a giant creature with the "head of an ox, feet of a bear, back of a dinosaur, and tail of an alligator."

Many of my books are in the preschool library and I was glad to see them being used in the classrooms. It was a fun morning. Many thanks to the teachers, to the preschool director Bri, and to Heidi in the office for making it another successful visit.

SING THE AUTHOR SONG

In the hallway at Kipp Raices Academy, Los Angeles, CA

Recently, when I was visiting one of the kindergarten classes at Kipp Raices Academy in Los Angeles, I asked, “Who can tell me what an author does?” and hands shot up with the answer. It turned out that the children knew what authors do because they had learned the Author Song earlier in the year, which they proceeded to sing enthusiastically. And when they finished, they sang the Illustrator Song. They were so excited to have me visit and meet a real live author and illustrator. I was excited to be there! I never knew there was an author song and illustrator song for children until they sang them for me.

                                 Author Song
               (sung to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
The author is one who writes the words,
writes the words,
writes the words,
The author is the one who writes the words,
all through the book.

                                Illustrator Song
               (sung to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
The illustrator likes to draw and paint,
draw and paint,
draw and paint,
The illustrator likes to draw and paint,
all through the book.

NEW CHICKS: Author Visit with Campbell Hall Kindergarten Students, Los Angeles, CA

Day-old chicks in the Kindergarten classroom at Campbell Hall

When I first met librarian Linda Pechin at the CLCSC workshop two weeks ago and she told me that the kindergarten students at her school, Campbell Hall, were hatching chicks in their classrooms, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for an author visit. So Linda arranged it, and on Thursday last week I went to the school and had a wonderful time.

Caroline with Linda Pechin, Librarian at Campbell Hall

Both classrooms had incubated eggs so there were two sets of day old chicks peeping in their cages. The children had read my book HATCHING CHICKS IN ROOM 6 and we talked about how their process was similar to that described in the book. We also talked about how they know that chickens are birds–they have feathers and they lay eggs–and then I showed them my feather collection and measured their wingspans. I also shared my ostrich egg. Everyone was impressed that it takes 42 days for an ostrich egg to hatch–twice as long as a chicken egg. The visit ended with a story from my WIGGLE AND WAGGLE book and singing the gardening song. I then went to the library to autograph books.
I thank Linda Pechin and the kindergarten teachers and their students for a very enjoyable visit at Campbell Hall.

WIGGLE AND WAGGLE VIDEO

Wiggle and Waggle sock puppets

Follow Wiggle and Waggle, two wormy best friends, through five wormy chapters as they dig in the dirt, work hard, and have fun swimming and singing.Click on the link to listen to Wiggle and Waggle singing and to find out more about their adventures in the garden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm8pzXlU0Lw

Wiggle and Waggle stick puppets

 

HUNTINGTON BEACH AUTHORS FESTIVAL, Visit to Hawes School

Welcome Sign on the Hawes School Marquee

Once again I was pleased to participate in the Huntington Beach Authors Festival, which was held on Tuesday, January 31st in Huntington Beach, California. This was its 29th year and I have been part of the festival almost every year since it began.  In the morning I did an author visit at Hawes Elementary School where I gave four presentations to children in grades two through four. Librarian Jennifer Mulvania did a great job of organizing the day and preparing the students. She had read my book Wiggle and Waggle to every class so I got out my worm puppets and we had fun singing the Wiggle and Waggle song together.

At the Huntington Beach Library for the Afternoon Reception

And, as always, I enjoyed the afternoon reception at the Huntington Beach Library where I had the chance to sell my books and to meet children, parents and teachers from all the schools in Huntington Beach and to chat with the other authors. Many of the children who came were the winners of the writing and illustrating contest. I thank everyone on the Friends of the Library (FOTL) Festival Committee, especially Gail Page, Co-Chair, for all the hard work in preparing for and assisting at the Festival. It is wonderful to see this community event grow and get better over the years! Thank you!

SAVING THE PEREGRINE FALCON: a Song to Remember

Peregrine Falcon Art

I have been cleaning out old files and came across this wonderful song created by the First Grade Class at Mission Avenue Open School in Sacramento, California in 1993. They had read my book, Saving the Peregine Falcon, used the information to create the song, and then performed it for me when I did an author visit to their school in April 1993. Afterward, they presented me with a copy of the words for the song along with a torn paper art project of a peregrine falcon. I have treasured it for many years.
Here is the song:

Peregrine Falcon

We are strong falcons,
We are strong falcons,
We are mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty birds!
But we need your help!
We need your help!
We need your help right now!

We are little peeps,
We are little peeps.
We don't like the DDT that's in our mother's meat!
'Cause it breaks our shells,
It breaks our shells,
It breaks our shells apart!

We are scientists, we are here to help.
We are scientists, we are here to help.
We will save you from the DDT!
We'll work together, you will surely see!

Thank you very much!
We were in "double Dutch",
But we're doing better now, we're better, better, now!

CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW
CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BOOK!
WE REALLY TOOK A LOOK!
FIRST GRADE WILL REMEMBER
TO HELP WILDLIFE!

The good news is that peregrine falcons are now (in 2016) no longer on the endangered species list, thanks to no more DDT and the dedicated work of many scientists. My book, Saving the Peregrine Falcon, illustrated with photos by Richard Hewett, is out of print but you may be able to find it in the library.