SPEAKING

Suitcase stories

Presentations for Children

Children are natural artists and storytellers who respond to the picture book world with gusto and insight. Traveling with a suitcase filled with puppets, book dummies, paintings and stacks of revisions, author/illustrator, Laura Nyman Montenegro invites her audience into the fascinating and quirky world of the picture book maker where trials and triumphs abound. Through puppetry, mask, and drawings, she reveals the inner workings of the artist’s life. And through the interactive, exciting creation of a story with the audience, she invites participants to experience the picture book art form as a rich and inviting world for story making and expression.

Presentations for Adults

Let’s talk about picture books! Picture books seem so simple. However, take a closer look and you will see that the picture book is one of the most complex art forms. And it is more than happy to show off its gorgeous complexity! Through this in-depth look at picture books, we will see through the lens of writer, illustrator and book designer. Participants will engage in the entire process of picture book creation from tiny story seed to hand-bound book. We will focus on the shaping of the book dummy, which, for a writer/illustrator, generates some of the most exciting moments in the creation of a picture book. Through guided exercises, we will create our own picture book stories, combining poetic narrative with visual imagery. A lively, hands-on introduction to the picture book art form, designed for both the curious beginner, as well as for the well-seasoned experienced picture book maker.

For more information or to schedule a presentation, please contact me at lauramontenegro@sbcglobal.net. Thank you!

What teachers are saying….

“By giving students and teachers a chance to experience Laura Montenegro’s craft of personal expression, the audience came away filled with heartfelt affirmation. Back in the classroom, explosions of communication, both visual and literal, were exercised because of Ms. Montenegro’s motivation and self-instilling esteem.”

“Having Laura Montenegro as a as a guest poet/illustrator for a middle school community was very inspiring. Students and teachers came away with a personal sense that they can produce profound communication. Everyone left the workshop with tools that Ms. Montenegro helped them realize that they always had.”

“Laura Montenegro instills a sense of belief in one’s own ability to produce meaningful communication. Ms. Montenegro has the ability to draw one’s focus to one’s own creativity to express their special message to the world!”