What You Get
I give a variety of performances which include fascinating props and the occasional puppet. Each show is designed to be age-appropriate and fun, usually with audience participation.
However, if you just want a simple reading session, that can be arranged.
You’ll be thrilled to learn that Ofsted like me and while I may not arrive in a helicopter like David Walliams, I do have a Performing Rights Licence and I love school dinners.
Fees
All fees are as stated plus vat/travel expenses including hotels when necessary. On occasion, publishers will cover the author’s travel expenses, but not always. Concessions may be available subject to location/availability/event/state of the universe.
Book Sales
If you’d like a book sale after the event, most booksellers will help on a sale or return basis. It pays to advertise, so a few posters on school doors announcing the date/time/venue is a good back-up for “The letter to give to your parents” because unless children have changed radically, I always turned those letters into paper planes and threw them on the school roof. This could explain why my mother and father never turned up on Sports Day.
Popular Shows
Virtual Author Visits
I now offer virtual author visits for primary schools / key stage 1.
There are two themes to choose from based on my popular picture books: Tadpole’s Promise or The Bog Baby.
Each visit lasts for 30mins and includes:-
1. Story reading.
2. Inspiration for the story and photos of my pet mini beasts.
2. Show and Tell specimens from nature e.g. giant moth cocoons, preserved exotic beetles and live newts subject to season.
3. Model making demo: How to make a bog baby and habitat or a jar of tadpoles, weed and frog spawn.
4. Question Time
If you have a book sale, I can personalise, sign and post bookplates to the school if the teacher provides names.
Please consider ordering books from bookshop.org as 80% of their profit goes to support local bookshops.
How to book a Virtual Author Visit
Please contact emily@virtualschoolvisits.com for available dates / fees
Teddy Time
Duration
Flexible, one hour – whole day, fee adjusted accordingly)
What you get for your money
Ideal for Pre-School – Y2, this new author event features the hilarious picture book, ‘The Bear Who Had Nothing to Wear.’ Children are invited to bring in their own teddy dressed in its favourite outfit – the crazier the better. As well as the story, there’s a big cut-out bear to dress in different paper outfits, a best-dressed bear competition with rosettes for the winners, a themed sticker for everyone and a craft activity in class chosen from one or more of the activities described on the attached resources, depending on your timetable.
If you would like a signing session, it’s best to organise a book sale with your local
bookshop on a sale/ return basis, making sure to inform parents/ carers in advance of the book price and the date, time and location of the sale.
Fee
£150 - £ 400 plus vat/ travel. Negotiable depending on location / duration.)
Review
"This is a lovely book with a great message about finding your own identity and choosing for yourself how you present to the world. Young readers will particularly enjoy Albie’s various different outfits and moods. LoveReading4 kids."
Flight and Freedom
Duration
60 mins
Ideal for Y4-6, this new author event features ‘Jacko,’ a short novel set just after WW2 based on the true story of a boy who found an injured baby jackdaw, fixed its wing and taught it to fly. Running parallel to the plot is the boy’s shocking discovery that his father, flight sergeant Bill Carmen was shot down, captured by Nazis and became a prisoner of war. Touching on themes of freedom and flight, the event features readings, a realistic jackdaw model, the history of the boy, the bird and his father on power point, memorabilia and live footage of Jacko, filmed in 1954.
What you get for your money
If available, Mick the main character in the book will join the event and tell us about the real Jacko, what it was like to be a kid in the 50s and his career as Head of Primates at London Zoo. This will be followed by a Q/A and books signing if you are having a book sale which can be organised by your local bookshop.
Fee
£400 plus vat/travel expenses.
Review
"Bookwagon loves this book. We recommend Jacko hugely as a really good, satisfying reading experience"
"Jacko would probably appeal to readers who enjoy Michael Morpugo’s books and would be a great read aloud in an upper KS2 class too"
Anne Thompson, Chair of Surrey Branch School Library Association
Bog Baby Workshop
(Nursery-Y4)
Based on my picture book, ”The Bog Baby.” This character has become so popular, I’ve been invited back annually by several schools, many of whom have created their own plays, written songs and used him across the syllabus - have a look online to see what other schools have done with Bog Babies - amazing! Where did they find the time?
What you get for your money
A whole day event (max 2 performances in hall) starting with a 35-40 minute PowerPoint in the hall with audience participation, featuring the story and photos/funny anecdotes about my pets/mini beasts who inspired it. (I’m an amateur entomologist in case you’re wondering- I keep beetles, breed butterflies and moths and I am a great fan of the tadpole).
The show is supported with props, eg. moth cocoons, sloughed snake skins, fabric caterpillar that morphs into a butterfly, dress-up butterfly wings and a caterpillar costume.
After the PowerPoint, the children help me make a habitat for a model bog baby in the hall after which I go from class to class to help them do Artwork - either making model bog babies and a habitat or a big collage. Each child receives a Bog Baby sticker.
(Full teacher’s notes can be provided before the event to help with the simple prep)
Fee: (Including optional book signing)
Within London: £350 + vat/travel
Outside London: £400 + vat/travel
Internet Safety Show
(Yr 1-4)
This features three picture books about Internet Safety, featuring traditional characters with a contemporary twist: Chicken Clicking, Troll Stinks and Hashtag Goldilocks.
There is plenty of humour but each story has a serious point to make and is a helpful aid to further projects/discussions in class after my visit. Suitable for halls, theatres and also intimate settings such as classrooms, libraries etc.
What you get for your money
A mischievous fluffy chick puppet who reacts to me, the audience and the three stories which I present on PowerPoint.
The show can last between 40-60 minutes depending on age, audience participation, the addition of question time, curriculum etc.– you decide.
It culminates in a catchy song to bring the message home, sung to the tune of ‘Hey Little Hen’ with lyrics adapted to the theme. (Written by a teacher who used the book in class and felt inspired to put it on YouTube - Thank you, hope you got your marking done.)
Fee: (Whole day/maximum 3x performances/book signing included if required)
Within London: £350+ vat/travel.
Outside London: £400+ vat/travel
Ticketed Festivals: £400+vat/travel. Un-ticketed: £300 +vat/travel.
(Concessions for half-day with one performance depending on location/availability)
I Love Animals
(Y1-4)
This show features picture books inspired by my love of creatures great and small.
It includes Tadpole’s Promise, Boa’s Bad Birthday and Slug Needs A Hug
What you get for your money
The stories presented on PowerPoint with funny anecdotes about the animals who inspired them, plus audience participation/props: For Tadpole’s Promise, we handle things related to metamorphosis in frogs/butterflies. For Boa’s Bad Birthday, we examine sloughed snake skins, for Slug Needs a Hug, we dress up a big, knitted smiley... slug!
Fee (whole day/max 3x performances/includes book signing)
Schools within London: £350 plus vat/travel
Schools outside London: £400 plus vat/travel
How to be an Author
(Y5-6)
A slide show (approx 45- 50 mins) in the hall with props, explaining how I became an author, how to find inspiration and how to get published.
It can be a stand-alone talk or followed by a workshop (40 mins) making picture books.
This includes creating concepts, format, layout, manuscript presentation and thinking visually. Picture Books to be completed after the visit.
N.B Workshops are held in the classroom and limited to 4 sessions per day. If you have a large form intake, two classes could attend the same workshop or contact me to discuss.
Equipment/ Pre-prep:
School to provide each pupil with 14 sheets x white A4 paper and 2 x sheets A4 card for front/ back covers, bound with staples, plastic spines or similar to create blank books in which to present their story. (Please prep. in advance to hand out on the day.)
Fee: (Including optional book signing)
Within London: £350+ vat/travel.
Outside London: £400+ vat/travel
Once Upon a Slime
(Y1-4)
Based on my picture book, ‘The First Slodge’ about learning to share.
It includes a 40- 45 min slide show in the hall, featuring the story and how the first creatures came out of the sea millions of years ago and adapted to living on land. This is supported by natural props eg fossils, sea sponges, starfish, squid hats etc.
This is followed by workshops in each class, making slodges and a primordial swamp.
Equipment (school to provide materials)
For the models: clay, boggly eyes, sequins / craft bits (models approx. 8cm tall)
For the Primordial swamp:
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Large, empty water tray / sandpit or similar to make the landscape in. (waterproof)
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Black plastic bin liner
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Enough potting compost to fill tray to make the basic landscape.
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Selection of natural materials, eg pebbles, small rocks, twigs, bark, fir cones, moss, conifer clippings or evergreen foliage with enough stem to make model trees, shrubs.
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If you can supply ready-mix ‘slime’ powder or know how to make a non-toxic version, we can use that to create the swamp instead of water – not essential, but fun
I will make the landscape on the day with pupil volunteers, then demonstrate how to make Slodges. When the models are dry, arrange them in the landscape.
Fee (including optional book signing)
Schools within London: £350 plus vat/travel
Schools outside London: £400 plus vat/travel
"What an absolute treat for any school! Jeanne was incredible from start to finish. She gave an amazing interactive assembly, full of hilarious anecdotes, interesting facts and stunning props. Jeanne visited multiple classes to answer questions, help make Bog Babies and give out stickers to our children. Our school buzzed with excitement all day! Thank you to Jeanne for a fun, informative day that our children will always remember!"