Children’s book author visits Evergreen Elementary

Hugh McMillan, KP News

Keith Baker autographs books for Kayla Nunsaker, Taelor Sheats, and Jeremy Spain. Photo by Hugh McMillan

Recently, children’s author Keith Baker visited Evergreen Elementary School. Baker is not just an accomplished author of kids’ books, he is a spell-binding speaker and cartoonist. The kids, a class at a time, joined him in the school’s library, where they moved from being wholly mesmerized to being explosively respondent to his very penetrating — and there were many — questions. When the kids responded to some obscure query, it was as if they’d rehearsed for months as they chorused their responses in what seemed to be choreographed unison. Some responses were deadly serious, others were downright gleeful.

Baker’s visit was funded by the Angel Guild. “Students were treated to a demonstration by Keith on how to draw facial expressions in characters. He then showed a slide presentation, sharing his stories and revealing the creative process and steps in developing a story, sketches, dummy, illustrations and finished book,” said second-grade teacher Therese Souers. “His enthusiasm for writing and illustrating has inspired and encouraged the students at Evergreen in their own bookmaking.”

Evergreen’s PTA and St. Hugh’s Episcopal Church provided funding to purchase a book by Baker for each student at Evergreen. Baker autographed the books, personalizing them to each student.”