“...The children loved your presentation. ...You have a special gift with an audience.”
-Eleanor Fall, Librarian, Loudon Country Day School
 

 

For the past sixteen years, Jennifer has visited schools and libraries to share with children, teachers and parents her love of creating picture books. Her hope is not only to show children the exciting process of creating a book, but to instill in them the idea that real people do this and that they might want to do it themselves.

Honorarium: For the Washington DC Metropolitan area - $500 for the first presentation, $150 for each additional presentation. For schools outside the DC area, $1,300/day plus travel expenses.

For more information about her programs, please contact Jennifer at jb.oconnell@verizon.net. Click the links above for FAQs and a book ordering form that can be personalized and printed.
 
 
presentations

1. “A Garden of Whales - An Adventure in Illustration” (All Ages)

In this fun-filled interactive talk, I show how A Garden of Whales started with the author’s idea and became a picture book. I explain how I was a part of a team working together to produce the book. I discuss the role of the author, publisher, editor, art director and printer, focusing on my function and contribution as the illustrator. I show a progression of sketches (including some that were rejected), dummy books, and final illustrations as well as a set of transparencies to explain how the color separation process works to create a color book.

Later in the presentation, while playing a CD of the music that inspired me when I was painting the illustrations, I create a large pastel drawing of three different whales (this is left with the school). I share some fascinating facts about whales and ask the children how big they think a newborn baby blue whale is. It’s 23 feet long - but don’t tell! I unfurl a life-size mural of one. This is followed by a question and answer session. 45 minutes


2. “How Ten Timid Ghosts Came To Be” (All Ages)

In a lively interactive presentation, I detail and trace the creation of the Ten Timid Ghosts counting books from the first spark of an idea, to selling the book to a publisher and working with the editor and art director to produce the final text and art. I show my initial sketches, dummy books, revisions, final sketches and paintings. I also explain the color separation process used in printing by showing a set of four, one color transparencies; when laid one on top of the other, they magically form a full-color picture.

Toward the end of the talk, the audience directs me as I draw and together we create our own character and setting. We then brainstorm and make-up a story about our new character. The drawing is left with the school and the children are often inspired to finish the story later or create new stories about our character! I end with a question and answer session. 45 minutes


3. “Let’s Create a Picture Book” Workshop (Grades 2 - Adult)

After reading Ten Timid Ghosts together, I briefly discuss how I created the story and key aspects to consider when working on a picture book. With a volunteer from the group, I demonstrate how to use five grab-bag ‘idea boxes’. Each box contains about 65 cut-out ideas for: characters, settings, emotions, objects and conflicts/actions. Everyone uses the boxes and soon there are exciting new characters and stories coming alive in the room.* Each participant puts together his/her own picture book using bristol paper for the cover, hole punched copy paper for the pages and decorative fasteners. 60 minutes

*Of course, no one is required to use any of these cut-out ideas for their story, but they tend to spark everyone’s creativity!


4. For Grades 6-12 and Adults: “A Passion for Picture Books”

Using visual props and a power point presentation, I discuss how I came to be an
author-illustrator and the exciting process of creating picture books.