Available for virtual visits in: Alberta, Manitoba & Newfoundland & Labrador
Craft: Author & Illustrator
Genre: Picture Books
Grades: Preschool-Grade 8
Website: katherinebattersby.com
Virtual Presentation Information
Presentations can be adapted for a preschool audience
Little Characters with Big Hearts
(for Kindergarten – Grade 4)
Join Katherine for a fun and interactive session all about the process of making her critically acclaimed picture books. Find out where she gets her ideas and how they develop into characters that amble across the page. Get an insight into how she makes her textured artwork and discover how she combines words and images to create her playful stories. Kids will also enjoy several interactive book readings and live illustration activities.
Involves:
- two book reading
- sharing the stories behind my books
- sharing how I make my illustrations
- several guided illustration activities where children can join me drawing both existing and new characters
Making a Scene!
(for Grades 4-8)
Katherine shares her experiences as an illustrator, from her beginnings as a student to working professionally in the field. Using her own picture books, Katherine demonstrates how she works to capture a story vividly on the page. Learn all about drawing expressive characters and how to capture personality through facial expressions and body language. Participants will benefit from a range of fun illustration techniques and will come away with a new character and the first illustrated page in what could be their very own picture book.
Involves:
- discussion about illustration as an art form
- discussion about the importance of capturing emotion in your art
- cover how to draw facial expressions & expressive body language
- use what we’ve learnt together to create a new character
- work on the first page of what could become their very own picture book
Book List
Trouble. Picture book written and illustrated by Katherine Battersby (Viking Books for Young Readers, Coming February 2021)
Perfect Pigeons. Picture Book written and Illustrated by Katherine Battersby, (McElderry Books, 2020)
Squish Rabbit series. Picture Book series written and illustrated by Katherine Battersby (Viking, 2011-2019)
You’re One! and You’re Two and You’re Three! and You’re Four! and You’re Five!. Picture Book series written by Shelley Unwin, illustrated by Katherine Battersby, (Doubleday 2017)
Biography
Katherine Battersby is the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of ten picture books published around the world, including Perfect Pigeons, You’re One! and the popular Squish Rabbit series. Her books have received glowing reviews in The New York Times, starred Kirkus reviews and been named CBC Children’s Choice books. She is regularly booked to speak in schools, libraries and at festivals and she is a passionate advocate for literacy and the arts. In another life, Katherine worked for many years as a paediatric occupational therapist, specialising as a children’s counsellor, and she has also studied graphic design. She grew up by the beach in Australia and currently lives in Ottawa, Canada.