SCHOOL AND LIBRARY VISITS (VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON)
Now booking for Spring 2025 and the 2025-2026 School Year.
Please fill out this form to inquire about having Erika for an author/illustrator appearance.
As a parent and homeschool teacher I have developed a passion for sharing books and art with children and the adults that raise them. Each presentation runs between 30 and 45-minutes and can be combined with another presentation for the appropriate grade level.
GOALS
In all visits I aim to inspire:
- Enthusiasm for reading, writing and other forms of creativity
- Self Awareness and Acceptance
- A celebration of differences amongst classmates
- The simplicity and joy involved in making art and storytelling
My current school visit presentations depending on length and quantity of presentations requested incorporate a combination of the following:
- A mini slide show with highlights about her illustrator life
- An interactive reading of one of my books
- A Basics of Drawing Lesson
- A Draw Along
- Optional Q &A if time permits
- Optional book signing
While my current offerings listed are catered to elementary age children, any presentation can be modified or adapted to higher grade levels.
ABOUT ERIKA’S BOOKS
The Loud Librarian Written by Jenna Beatrice Illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones
The Loud Librarian (Simon and Schuster 2023)
A little librarian with a larger-than-life voice finds her place in this sweet and uproarious picture book about being true to yourself—no shushing required! Penelope is perfect for the job of student-librarian. Friendly? Check. Helpful? Check. Book lover? Check. There’s just one snag. Penelope is…LOUD. Bookcases may topple and the ground may quake at the sound of her voice, but Penelope is determined to prove she’s perfect for the job and stay true to herself. Can a little librarian with a big voice find a place where she belongs? This fun read-aloud creates a great opportunity to talk about celebrating the differences of ourselves and others.
Black Girls: A Celebration of You (HarperCollins 2023)
A joyful love letter to every Black girl everywhere. In an upbeat and rhythmic ode, Dominique Furukawa and Erika Lynne Jones celebrate Black girls in all their beauty and joy. Black Girls uplifts girls of every shade, size, and walk of life, reminding them that they are perfectly designed. Whimsical, earnest, charming, full, bright, and beautiful, this picture book anthem deftly explores the diversity of Black girlhood.
Black Girls: A Celebration of You Written by Dominique Furukawa; Illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones. Click to Download the Educator Guide.
Black girls, Black girls, rising still.
Shouting loud and proud and free,
that being a Black girl, Black girl
is a wondrous thing to be.
With the help of veteran educator, Kari Allen, we have created a full study guide with discussion questions and activities to prepare students for a visit or walk through the text with their classroom teachers. Click the link to download the FREE Black Girls Educator Guide.
Please fill out this form to inquire about having Erika for an author/illustrator appearance.
“Erika, thank you so much for a wonderful presentation! The kids and teachers were equally thrilled. You’ve inspired many a budding artist and taught all of our K/T1 kids that they are capable of more than they realized.”
Jody Stout, M.S., M.L.S.Librarian, Erik Jonsson Media Center, The Lamplighter School
PANELS, WORKSHOPS AND KEYNOTES
I love sharing the wisdom gained from my journey as a picture book creator at events and conferences for both children and adults. If you are interested in having me speak, please use my Please fill out this form to inquire about having Erika as a speaker.
To learn more about Erika, please download her media kit.