I recently had the honor of visiting schools to read my book and share a bit about my author journey. As Two Little Raindrops is my first book, I didn’t know what to expect. I planned to read the story then talk about the importance of saving water. Some of the teachers mentioned that their class might be interested in hearing about writing and publishing. I prepared by thinking about questions the children might possibly ask and I told myself that I’d just answer honestly and hope for the best! 

I had no idea just how much I would end up enjoying connecting with the children, teachers and educators and what an important confidence boost it has been. 

The teachers and children made me feel so special. Some of the teachers or principals gave me such an honorable introduction that I felt like Julia Donaldson! 

I got to experience first-hand the children’s reaction to Two Little Raindrops. I noticed how kids loved it when I introduced the quirky characters and how they were satisfied by the ending. I could see the exact moment when some of the older kids realized that the story is about the water cycle. I loved it when children asked questions (How did you become an author? How did you get the idea for your book? How long did it take you to make it? Will you be famous one day? Oh yeah!) 

I love their comments, especially their excitement telling me how much they love reading or writing too! I had so many kids put up their hand to say ‘I love your book!’ or ‘I love you!’ – I am still beaming. 

Three things that this experience has made me realize:

Teachers are angels.
I always knew this, but I have been reminded that it takes a special breed of people to be able to do this job, with unfailing love and care and extreme patience. They make a lasting impact on children and have to be ‘on their toes’ every day, all day. The summer holidays are not long enough! 

This book doesn’t have a singular purpose.
This book was inspired by my love for nature and I want kids to connect with and understand nature. In addition to this purpose, it can help families to become closer (like the times that my own children and I bonded over books), it can help children to remember how much fun it is to play in the rain and it can inspire some children to write their own stories! 

I want to do more.
I wasn’t sure how people would react to my first book but now that I have seen how my little readers enjoy it, I can’t wait to share more books with families and connect with more readers, teachers and schools. 

A few notes for authors or aspiring authors who are thinking about school visits: 

1. Tailor the talk to the grade
Here is more or less what that meant for my book, a picture book aimed at 3- 8 year olds:

Kindergarten: My focus was on the magic of rain! After talking about all the fun ways to play in the rain, I read the story and then added a brief summary of the water cycle. I ended by talking about the important role water plays for people, animals and plants.

Grades 1-3: Quick intro about fun in the rain, I read the story, asked them questions about the water cycle, focused a bit more on ways to save water, then a few questions relating to being an author.

Grades >3+: Introduced myself, read the story and then focused on writing and publishing (ideas and inspiration, how long it takes, process…)

This was a fluid structure and I would often change the direction of the talk based on what the children were asking and the interest they showed in various topics.

2. Be as engaging as you can
The best way I did this was by trying to make sure my eyes were circling the room and by asking the class a lot of questions. Most kids are so eager to tell you about themselves and get really excited to participate in the discussion.  

3. Practice reading your book aloud / try memorizing it
This sounds silly but it’s so important as you want to focus on the childrens’ reactions while you are reading and add expressions, making it really fun for the kids. You can’t do that properly if you are concentrating so hard on making sure you don’t miss words!

Teachers and parents, please download free literacy lesson plans that compliment Two Little Raindrops from the For Teachers tab on my website. If you’re interested in having me visit your school, either in person (if I’m in the area), or remotely (30-minute Zoom), I would be delighted if you drop me a line: hello@adelelamothe.com