Lower School Literacy Series Brings Top Children's Author/Illustrators Into the Classroom!

The RGA Lower School kids will be extremely fortunate next month to receive guest visits from two prominent children's author/illustrators, Mari Takabayashi ("I Live in Brooklyn" and "I Live in Tokyo"), on Thursday, April 12th at 10:30 AM and Laura Ljungkvist ("Follow the Line" and a retold "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs") on Thursday, April 19th at 10:00 AM.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Mari Takabayashi has created a number of beautiful children's books. In Ms. Takabayashi's popular current book, "I Live in Brooklyn," described by the New York Times as "bright and winsome," six-year-old Michelle introduces the reader to her favorite things to do, from days on the stoop, playing hopscotch and watching fireworks from the rooftops, to school field trips into the city, where zoos and museums await. Ms. Takabayashi is known for her happy, busy, delightfully primitive drawing style. Takabayashi once told "Something about the Author": "I moved to New York in 1990, and I started to work for American publishers. I like to work for American publishers because I can draw many races. Also, New York City inspires me a lot. My two kids give me ideas. When I draw pictures for American publishers, I always put Asian kids somewhere."

Award-winning Laura Ljungkvist, a native of Gothenburg, Sweden, has created several fabulous children's books. Her elegant editorial illustrations, highly recognizable for their use of a single continuous line, have appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar, Wallpaper, and Town and Country. Her new book Follow the Line through the House, will be published this May by Viking. Her drawings escaped the page when she and Trollbäck + Company collaborated on the award-winning opening animation to Mira Nair's film "Monsoon Wedding." Parents, don't miss Ms. Ljungkvist's fun printouts, including t-shirt transfers, a memory game, puzzle and coloring sheet! (Pictured here, top: Mari Takabayashi's cover illustration for "I Live in Brooklyn"; and Laura Ljungkvist's cover for "Follow the Line." )

The first author/illustrator visit in this special series was from Hong Kong-born Kam Mak (see previous posts).