For World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday I had the pleasure of speaking to students at the International School of Raleigh via Skype! All the students had read my bilingual picture books, Paco and the Giant Chile Plant and Soap, soap, soap and asked informed questions in a quite orderly manner.
Apparently, they do Skype visits all the time - around the world! Because the students or their parents come from as far away as Japan, Viet Nam, Tanzania, Jamaica, you name it! What a fun mix of cultures and languages. And at their school they're also learning Spanish, hence the interest in Paco and Soap!
I will forever prefer in-person visits, but Skype visits aren't bad when it comes to connecting with kids you wouldn't be able to otherwise. (And they're cheaper for the schools.) Still, I miss the hugs. Little wee ones give the best hugs. Even so, I hung up with a huge smile on my face.
I love the questions that aren't questions. Y'know, like, "I have a dog who looks like Bernie but he's a Saint Bernard." Or the comments out of left field when you realize perhaps you weren't quite clear enough, "I'm not allowed to draw on the tv." No, no, you draw while you're watching tv. We learned how to be bunnies, crack an egg on our head, that climbing a jell-o tree would be very hard, and had lots of fun.
Some days in this crazy career of mine are a little bit better than others...
Here are the two groups of wonderful kids I got to spend time with in two sessions and their obviously enthusiastic and passionate teachers:
Many thanks to Anne Aherne-Daly, the head of the school, for inviting me!
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