Award-Winning Children’s Book Illustrator Visits Livermore School

LIVERMORE, CA — Hands waved eagerly in the air as students at Joe Michell K-8 School hoped to be picked to have their favorite animal drawn by children’s book illustrator, Christian Robinson.

Those hands turned to enthusiastic applause as a large-eyed cat, long-bodied dog, and spotted giraffe that Robinson drew kept students' attention.

Robinson, a graduate of California Institute of the Arts, is an acclaimed illustrator of 14 children’s books, including "Gaston" by Kelly di Puchhio, and the New York Times bestseller "Last Stop on Market Street" by Matt de la Pena, which won the John Newbery Medal as well as a Caldecott Honor.

During his Nov. 6 visit to the Livermore campus, Robinson engaged students with an interactive presentation, sharing personal stories of being raised by his grandmother, how his interest in illustration began, and how he pursued an education that supported and developed his creative dreams.

Students asked questions about Robinson’s inspiration and creative process for book illustration, and he talked to them about planning with multimedia storyboards and shared how he's influenced by authors' written words.

“What I loved most about Mr. Robinson’s presentation was how he reminded students that his creative process involved many mistakes and imperfections, and how with persistence and practice, he was able to turn his passion into a career,” said Laura Lembo, principal of Joe Michell.

Robinson’s visit to Joe Michell School was arranged through a community partnership between Joe Michell library specialist, Kathy Hart, and Towne Center Books owner, Judy Wheeler. This connection enabled students to pre-order copies of books illustrated by Robinson and have them autographed for personal keepsakes.

“We are so fortunate to have community members that see the value in our students’ exposure to writers and illustrators," Hart said. "These experiences open their minds to creative possibilities."