If you don't believe me, ask the students in my "Writing for Children" class. They are aged 16 to 19, and this morning, I got them to sit on the floor in front of me while I read them two picture books. And you know what? I could tell they had a good time! Maybe even a great time!!
I "read" them A. Guillope's Loup Noir. I put the word "read" in quotationmarks since this wonderful book contains no words. Yet it tells an exciting story about a boy's encounter with a black wolf. Afterwards, I read them With You Always Little Monday, written and illustrated by Montrealer Genevieve Cote. And guess what? On Tuesday, February 3, Genevieve will be coming to speak to my students at Marianopolis College here in Montreal... and I'll be sure to fill you in on what she has to tell us about her work and her passion for children's books.
I also got my students to remember back to when they were five years old -- and many of them came up with super stories from their early childhoods. Some of the stories were sad, some were funny... most of them struck me as seeds for stories the students can work on this semester.
I'm off to Toronto early tomorrow -- I'm headed to the Ontario Library Association's annual "super-conference." I'm doing a presentation there on Friday... will report in with news when I can. Lots of snow in Montreal today. Getting around is a bit of a nuisance, but my, it is pretty, isn't it?
PS: If you haven't read a picture book in a while, go find one and read it out loud to yourself -- or to a friend of any age. Let me know how it goes!
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Comments
I really enjoyed the Loup Noir story you "read" us in class...I can't wait to show it to my sister when Sophie is done with it. It was fun sitting on the floor and having you read us a story!! It's been a while since anyone has read me a children's story and I had a good time!
Hope you had a great time in Toronto. See you on Monday in class.