To celebrate book week at EELM on April 4th and 5th, the M and P classes spent time learning all about books and the people who make them. Six of our very own M, P, and S EELM moms who work in publishing gave presentations to all of the classes, followed by a time for questions and answers in French and in English.
Laury Blavoet, author, talked about how each story starts with an idea! She shared a prototype of a future book, and enthralled the classes with a reading of her story, “Un Cadeau Mystérieux.” She explained how she selects the words for her stories and partners with illustrators from all over the world to bring them to life.
Jessica Shapiro shared her experience as a literary translator, explaining how her bicultural and bilingual skills as a French American help her translate books like “Histoires du Soir pour Filles Rebelles.”
Amber Ogborn works in digital publishing and showed the children how a comic book can be adapted for digital reading. She explained the different professions on the publishing side that are involved in bringing comics and digital comics to life.
Ludivine Dufour led a fun quiz to talk about genres and biblio-diversity, among other subjects. She especially encouraged everyone to talk about the books they love with their friends and family.
Elodie De Witte shared examples of what books look like before they go to print and at different stages of the printing process, and talked about the actual process of manufacturing a book.
Catherine Tranchant shared her expertise in the world of publishing.
It would appear that there are quite a few aspiring authors and illustrators among our classes at EELM! The children asked some great questions, like how long does it take to produce a book, and can a child become an author. They showed a true interest and curiosity about each step of the publishing chain, from a simple idea to the finished product. After the presentations, the children had the chance to write something they learned and enjoyed on post-it notes, compiled in the main hallway to share with the whole school.
