I love talking to grown ups & kids about picture books!

I’m happy to present to people of all ages and can tailor our time to fit the needs of any sized group. After an interactive presentation, I love to sign books bought in advance. I’ve been known to pass out a sticker or two as well…

Please note, that between making books and my own little kiddos, I’m unfortunately, only available on a limited basis each season.–Though I’m sure that will change in the future!

“Gaia sparked my thinking in new ways and that’s always a good thing.” ~ Conference Attendee

Presentations

For Kids:

After a reading, I talk about the book making process, or lead a discussion related to the main themes in whichever book we’re focusing on. My talks with little kids tend to involve jumping around, and at least a little bit of drawing!

With older kids I generally focus on the process and am happy to answer questions about publishing, illustration and creative careers.

Note: I'm always happy to coordinate with teachers with lesson plans etc in mind –eg. by including something the class has been talking about, or by steering the conversation in a specific direction.

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“Your talks of bravery, being scared is okay, and just the adventure of conquering a fear were so important to them.  The way that you allowed each and every student to participate, and your ability to make them feel that their comments were only the most important ones ever - such a gift!”
~ Washington, DC, school visit with An Open Book Foundation

For Teens and Adults:

I love talking to grown ups (eg  librarians, teachers, PTO’s, parent groups, artist organizations, educators, fellow authors and illustrators etc) too!

We can talk about the importance of diversity and representation in children's books for all kids and communities.

For creatives at the beginning of their journey–teen through adult, we can discuss the publishing industry, my process, and how to get started as a writer or illustrator for kids. This can include short critiques of picture book manuscripts or portfolios.

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“…She is an incredible speaker. She talked about something that’s on all of our minds these days: the importance of diversity in picture books—why now is the time for children not only to see themselves reflected in the books they read, but also getting to see children from other cultures and circumstances. It was a welcome topic to a room full of educators who see K-4 children on a daily basis, especially in our almost-all-white state of Vermont.”

~ Vermont, Keynote Speaker at the Red Clover Conference

Can’t Meet In Person? Find out about virtual visits here.

The Nitty Gritty

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to introduce diverse picture books to my students and Gaia gave me some great ideas.” ~Conference Attendee

Contact

Please contact me directly at G.Cornwall {@} gmail.com or here. Remember to the include the event, location, date and amount of people estimated to attend.

Then I'll get in touch to set up details. We can work out presentation times and how to personalize the visit to meet your school or organization’s specific needs. I'm happy to talk to teachers at this time too.

I hope we get to meet in person soon!