Another Fun School Visit in State College, PA…and all that jazz…

Wow…My mailbox is full of kids letters and art…and yesterday a little bit of jazz! …after another visit to another great elementary school in State College, PA.

They were busy at Easterly Parkway Elementary long before I arrived.

Easterly Parkway Elementary has lots of ideas about where Joe goes!

The kids were prepped and ready for an author visit.

Students prepping before an author visit..very cool!

These students and their librarian, Laura Alterio, were talking about me while I was still home in Vermont! I think I answered their questions in my presentation…but let’s go over these to be sure!…

My favorite art medium?…watercolor…pen and ink…pencil…

My favorite color?…..purple….

Where I live?….Vermont

My hidden talent?…I wonder what that is?….Along with writing and illustrating picture books there are lots of things I like to do…I like to swim..bike…cross country ski…hike….garden…eat…bake…listen to music…travel…draw while I travel…

I love to draw while I’m on subways…I draw fast…I can draw a person if they are on the subway for just one stop….could that be a hidden talent?… …maybe.

Riding the J train…NYC Subway

My first book?….I wrote a book about a blue bird in 2nd grade and gave it a red construction paper cover…self published… The first book that was published by a grown up publisher…We Wish You A Merry A Merry Christmas….1983

Somehow this librarian managed to get pictures during my presentation…not an easy task…I do not stand still…Thank you, Laura!

…and what about the jazz?
I talk to students about working to music in my studio…the last two books Stan Getz and Miles Davis. A Dave McKenna CD just arrived in the mail from Nichol. She has connections to Dave and his family and thought I might enjoy listening to his music.  I love it. I’m listening to Dave as I write this…and enjoying every minute…Thank you, Nichol!

Thanks to Laura and to everyone at Easterly Parkway Elementary…I enjoyed spending the day with fellow readers…writers and artists!…tcp