Available for virtual visits in: British Colombia, Prince Edward Island & the Yukon
Craft: Author
Genre: Picture Books, Middle-Grade Novels, Teen Novels
Grades: Kindergarten to Grade 8
Cost for School and Public Virtual Readings Program: $200.00, plus applicable tax
Website: kevinsylvesterbooks.com
Virtual Presentation Information
I can offer two virtual presentations for Book Week 2021 but can also adjust these to fit audiences older or younger.
1. My middle grade (3-7+) presentations are pretty high-energy and here’s a quick run-down of what I provide.
I start with a quick rundown of all my books, about a minute each and with particular focus on the Hockey Super-Six books (NEW!), Neil Flambé, the MINRs trilogy, The Fabulous Zed Watson! and the Almost Epic Squad book #1 – Mucus Mayhem.
Then I tell the kids that there are two primary themes that runs through all my work; “Be Brave” and “Be Curious”. I even argue that these are the keys to success, whatever one might want to be successful at doing.
I illustrate this with a few stories and then do a reading from MINRs and The Puck Drops Here.
Along the way I “sneak” life lessons into the presentation.
1. Being curious lets your find out how weird the world really is.
2. Pay attention in school! (The Neil Flambé books actually tie in with the curriculum in this grade range – ancient civilizations, explorers, religious divisions, etc.)
3. Being brave isn’t what we think.
4. We never learn a single thing without making a mistake.
5. No matter how gross you might feel, you need to accept yourself!
After I’m done with the stories and reading (and life lessons), I close the presentation with what I call my “5-second cartooning class”. I show the kids everything they need to know to draw better cartoons in just 5 seconds!
I love to leave time for questions, and over Skype this works best if one person stands at the front and repeats them to me.
PREPARATION FOR THE VISIT:
The kids don’t need to have read my books, but it helps if they are familiar with them.
There is a website for the Almost Epic Squad.
http://www.scholastic.ca/books/series/almost-epic/
There is a trailer for MINRs on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuUodKBySIs
And one for MINRS2
MINRS.ca has a reading guide and an introduction to the books.
NeilFlambe.com has details on all the books in that series.
And Scholastic has set up a site for the AES series.
http://www.scholastic.ca/books/series/almost-epic/
2. “Laughs, ideas and how to draw a pirate penguin – with Kevin Sylvester”
For grades SK/1-3 I focus on my picture books.
We will read Gargantua Jr. (Defender of Earth), Super-Duper Monster Viewer and (time permitting) Splinters. I warm up the kids by telling them some silly stories from my other books… and then we read the picture books together.
After reading the books, I do a cartooning “class” with the kids. Basically I show them how to turn simple shapes into faces and animals, etc. These presentations often run 45 minutes or so and crowds smaller than 100 are preferred.
PREPARATION FOR THE VISIT:
The kids don’t need to have read my books, but it helps if they are familiar with them.
There is a trailer for Super-Duper Monster Viewer on YouTube.
Book List
PICTURE BOOKS
GREAT 2– Written by Glen Gretzky and Lauri Holomis, Ilustrated by Kevin Sylvester (Coming from Penguin 2021)
Gargantua Jr. Defender of Planet Earth (Groundwood, 2019)
Super-Duper Monster Viewer (Groundwood, 2016)
GREAT – Written by Glen Gretzky and Lauri Holomis, Ilustrated by Kevin Sylvester (Penguin, 2016)
Splinters (Tundra, 2010)
NOVELS
The Fabulous Zed Watson (With Basil Sylvester – Harper Collins, Spring 2021)
The Hockey-Super-Six: The Puck Drops Here (Scholastic , Fall 2020)
The Hockey-Super-Six: On Thin Ice (Scholastic, Fall 2020)
The Hockey-Super-Six: Books 3 and 4 (Scholastic, Coming Fall 2021)
Mucus Mayhem: Book One of the Almost Epic Squad (Scholastic, 2018)
MINRS (Simon and Schuster, 2015)
MINRS2 (Simon and Schuster, 2016)
MINRS3 (Simon and Schuster, 2018)
Neil Flambé and the Duel in the Desert (Simon and Schuster, 2016)
Neil Flambé and the Bard’s Banquet (Simon and Schuster, 2015)
Neil Flambé and the Tokyo Treasure (Simon and Schuster, 2012)
Neil Flambé and the Crusader’s Curse (Simon and Schuster, 2012)
Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction (Simon and Schuster, 2012)
Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders (Simon and Schuster, 2012)
NON-FICTION
Follow Your Stuff – With Michael Hlinka (Annick Press, 2019)
Follow Your Money – With Michael Hlinka (Annick Press, 2013)
Basketballogy (Annick Press, 2017)
Baseballogy (Annick Press, 2015)
Art Works – With Laura Carlin (Pearson, 2015, Part of the Well Aware series)
Striking a Balance – With Teddy Katz(Pearson, 2014 – Part of the Well Aware series)
Showtime (Annick Press, 2013)
Game Day (Annick Press – 2010)
Don’t Touch that Toad – Written by Catherine Rondina, Ilustrated by Kevin Sylvester (Kids Can, 2010)
Gold Medal for Weird (Kids Can Press – 2006)
Sports Hall of Weird (Kids Can Press – 2004)
Shadrin Has Scored for Russia (Stoddart, 2001)
OTHER
The House of the Twelve Keys (12-part serial for the TD Summer Reading Club – 2018)
Neil Flambé and the Case of the Caustic Cumin (Radio Play for CBC Radio 2007)
Rink of the Living Dead (Radio Play for CBC Radio 1998)
Shadrin Has Scored for Russia (Radio Play for CBC Radio 1997)
Biography
Kevin Sylvester is an award winning illustrator, author and broadcaster.
He illustrates and writes books for all ages.
His picture books include Gargantua (Jr.): Defender of Earth, Super-Duper Monster and Splinters.
His middle grade novels range from science fiction (The MINRs trilogy) to mystery novels (The Neil Flambé Capers), road trip silliness (The Fabulous Zed Watson – with Basil Sylvester) and super-heroes (Mucus Mayhem, The Hockey Super Six).
He also writes and illustrates non-fiction books. There are sports books (Gold Medal for Weird, Basketballogy, Baseballogy) and books on financial literacy (Follow Your Stuff and Follow Your Money.
facebook at facebook.com/kevinsylvesterbooks
twitter @kevinarts
Instagram @sylvesterartwork