Born:
  Glencoe, Illinois,
United States Of America

Current Home:
 California,
United States Of America

Suse MacDonald Author Visit Kit

Author Visit Kit

By Suse MacDonald

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Suse MacDonald has been doing school programs for over 12 years. One of her greatest joys as an author/illustrator has been encouraging her readers to go beyond their usual stopping points and make their own discoveries. Her school presentations are based on Alphabatics, a Caldecott Honor Book; Sea Shapes; Elephants on Board; Look Whooo’s Coming; and Nanta’s Lion. Most of these books are about transformation, taking a well-known object and turning it into something that is quite different.

If Suse is working with a small group, the children create their own art. In one exercise, each student takes letter shapes and turns them into something entirely new. A V tucked between the curved sections of a B might become a bird; a fat S, a snake or two rounded Bs, the wings of a butterfly. Such explorations provoke children’s natural problem solving instincts and encourage them to be creative and go beyond the run-of-the-mill thinking. In larger groups when hands-on projects are not possible, Suse demonstrates these ideas by enlisting audience participation as she draws on a large piece of paper.

In all her programs, she explores what makes each of her books unique. She shows how she uses multiple drafts of a text, preliminary sketches, and two dummy books (one in black and white and another in computer generated color) to create the final text and art. She enjoys sharing her techniques with students. For instance, she often uses paper collage in her artwork and enjoys demonstrating how she selects the papers and hand colors for each illustration. With older students, she documents her use of the computer in the creation and promotion of her books and shares her insights into the business of publishing and marketing picture books.

Visit Suse’s Website at www.create4kids.com for descriptions of her books and programs, artwork, biographical information, curriculum guides, and activities for kids.

Author's Home: San Diego, California
Suggested Audience: Kindergarten–8
Maximum number of presentations per day: 3. In addition, Suse can read a story or conduct an informal Q&A session with several small groups
Author's Honorarium: $1.400 per day plus expenses, $1,200 per day plus expenses for two or more full days.
Website Address: www.create4kids.com

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  The Teacher Store
  	Picacocos by Suse MacDonald There's something spectacular about Big Book versions of great children's stories. Both kids and adults love to touch and hold these oversized classics and savor the detail of the illustrations. $26.95 You save: 25% Big Book | Grades K-2

  
  Picacocos
  Grades K-2 $26.95
  
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  The Teacher Store
  	Puzzlers by Suse MacDonald Integrate math concepts and literacy lessons using mathematics big books. $21.95 Big Book | Grades Pre-K-2

  
  Puzzlers
  Grades Pre-K-2 $21.95