Donkey and I Have  Already Begun Scheduling Book Signing Story Hours:

Jacki Kellum and The Donkey’s Song Are Coming to A Bookstore Near You

We want to Schedule Some Other Author Events, Too!

We want to visit the kids in their schools.

The Donkey’s Song will hit the bookshelves on October 18, 2022. After that,  I’m especially eager to visit some schools. I taught art in schools for several years, and if the group doesn’t get too big, I’d like to do a donkey craft with the kids–I’m stocking the supplies now for making donkey sack puppets.

Regardless of the size of the group, however, all of us will sing and dance.

I Am an Animated Storyteller.

For many years, I taught art in Mississippi Schools, but after I left Mississippi, I moved to the New Jersey Shore, and the town of Linwood, NJ, asked me to serve as their children’s librarian. That is another one of the serendipitous things that have happened along my journey. Probably because I was not a real librarian at first, I jumped into that job without many  “BE-QUIET” restraints. Along the way, I had been a cheerleader, a performer, and a camp director. I assumed my position as a children’s librarian and storyteller fully animated. When I do story hours and performances, I play music, and I dance with the kids. We move, we laugh, and we make crafts. Whenever possible, we eat a snack. My storytimes are an all-out Very Merry Unbirthday Party!

But This Year, I Will Be Celebrating a Couple of Very Special Birthdays:

1. October 18, 2022, is the day that The Donkey’s Song will be born, as far as Bookstores go. 
2. The Donkey’s Song is about the Birthday of Baby Jesus, and that is no doubt the most special birthday ever.

At the Donkey’s Song Story Hours, I hope that we can eat birthday cake.

Especially between October and mid-December, I’d also like to visit as many churches as possible. After all, The Donkey’s Song is a Christmas Pageant in book form. I’d love to come read my book, hopefully with a big screen so that everyone can also embrace the magic of Sydney Hanson’s illustrations. Whenever I am in town doing a book signing, a school visit, or a workshop, I’d love to visit as many churches there as possible, too.

 

Even though the content of The Donkey’s Song is of a religious nature, I feel that even in public schools, I could offer programs about picture books in general, and in Christian schools, I could also talk more about the content of my book The Donkey’s Song. which is a retelling of the greatest story ever told.

 

While I was teaching art in public schools, Target Stores of America named me National Teacher of the Year. Because I essentially have a master’s degree in both art and writing, I would also love to come to schools and teach the kids how to make their very own picture books.

Teach Kids How to Create Their Very Own Picture Books

This visit could be as extensive as a school might want. I can teach kids how to create a picture book dummy, how many pages to put in a picture book, how to create picture book art, etc. Potential topics are endless. For instance, until someone tells a child, he will not know what the words “author,” “illustrator,” and “picture book” even mean.

Older kids might prefer to begin their own graphic novels.

For many years, I have done Story Hours and other programs for kids.  But I want to schedule some events with adults, too.