‘A really, really great feeling’: Award-winning children’s author visits Trinity East Elementary School
Award-winning children’s author Kevin Henkes shared his love for drawing and words during a visit to Trinity East Elementary School.
Henkes, who lives in Madison, Wisc., was a guest of the school Thursday, courtesy of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures. He has written more than 60 books, many of which are children’s picture books featuring mice as main characters.
Henkes has won numerous awards throughout his career. His picture book, “Waiting,” was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor book, only the second time an author won that combination of awards.
He also collaborates with his wife, Laura Dronzek. Henkes writes the story and Dronzek provides the acrylic painting illustrations.
Kelly Shaw, a third-grade teacher at Trinity East, admitted Henkes is her favorite author, and said her working relationship with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures helped to bring him to the school.
She said the first book she ever read was Henkes’ book,” Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.”
“We read (his mouse books) starting in kindergarten and in all honesty we read them up to fourth and fifth grade as well, because picture books are for all ages,” Shaw said.
“(His presentation) was wonderful. We try to develop a love of reading and help the students understand that writing comes from many different inspirations. He provided that for us. It’s nice for them to see that authors are real people and they have normal everyday lives.”
Henkes told the students that being an artist was always in his blood, saying that he is in the studio in his home drawing, painting or writing every day.
“I’ve always loved to draw,” Henkes said. “I don’t think I decided to be an artist – I always was one. Part of being an illustrator is drawing the same thing over and over and over again.”
In fact, Henkes thought he would be an artist until his junior year of high school, when one of his teachers encouraged him in his writing efforts.
He wrote his first book, “All Alone,” while a freshman at University of Wisconsin-Madison and it was published when he was 20.
Henkes also explained the origin of some of his books.
“Wemberly Worried,” he said, stems from his propensity to worry, and the name, “Wemberly,” comes from the name of the street where his wife lived.
The inspiration for “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” – probably his most popular book, he said – came while he was at an airport in Seattle, Wash.
“In my gate area there was a man and his daughter and while we were waiting for the plane, I noticed this little girl because she had a little plastic purse that made music when she opened it up,” Henkes recalled. “She was absolutely driving her father crazy. That little girl is probably 30- something now, and I have no idea who she is or where she is, but she gave me an idea for my most popular book.”
He said inspiration strikes at different times and locations.
“My ideas come to me in the most unique places,” Henkes said. “Sometimes, I get ideas when I’m in the shower or the bathtub. I don’t know why, but those are very good places to get ideas. The other place where I get ideas is when I’m going on a walk. Writers and illustrators are observers. We’re always watching and we’re always listening because ideas are all around us.”
Among the students’ questions included how Henkes comes up with his characters, what is the hardest part of writing a book, how did he feel when his first book was published and what is his favorite book.
He said the hardest part for him is worrying about what his next idea will be, his favorite book is the one that’s next and as to how felt when his first book was published?
“I was out of this world happy,” Henkes said. “The good thing is that the feeling is pretty much the same every time I get the first copy of the next book. It’s a really, really great feeling.”