I will arrive carrying a large rolled up painting under my arm...a pirate ship, football pitch, Mr Mornington playing his saxophone...depending on the book you would like me to work with. This will be a collaborative art work for the children to complete (makes a great display!).
My books are great for teaching empathy - I'll show the children how I portray different feelings - and get everyone pulling feelings faces and drawing them - a hands on approach understanding others feelings and expressing their own.
I do story/character development workshops - I love to use music as a starting point for this. And can also talk about the process of making picture books, bringing in my own preparatory drawings and sketchbooks.
These workshops are suggested starting points - I'm always happy to adapt and fit in with your school’s particular needs. I really enjoy working with SEND schools and developing inclusive activities for their students.
Workshop timings to fit in with your school timetable - I'd recommend a minimum of 30 mins for EYFS and 45 minutes to an hour for KS1 and KS2. I'm happy to visit as many classes as fit into your school day. I charge £350 for a full day and £200 for half a day (happy to negotiate for multiple days). I’m based in Bristol but very happy to travel if expenses are met - and to combine costs if schools would like to get together for a visit.
I’m also a primary school librarian, passionate about reading for pleasure - and DBS checked.
Testimonials
Karen clearly has many skills as an artist, children’s illustrator and author. Her books have a clear understanding of how children think and interact and what appeals to them. Beyond that, Karen has a very calm approach to supporting those with the most complex needs. She is non-judgemental and is excellent at differentiating approaches for pupils who are non-verbal, have challenging behaviour or have limited mark making skills. Her resources are always big, bold and very motivating for our pupils here at Briarwood School. We have had her visit twice now for World Book Day and each time, the pupils have responded very positively and engagement levels have been high throughout. Alistair Mackintosh, Head of Secondary, Briarwood School, Bristol
Karen visited our school as part of our trust-wide Literature Festival, working with our KS1 and EYFS pupils. She captivated the children with her storytelling, making it feel personal and engaging. Alongside this, she led an interactive activity tailored to their ages, ensuring it was both enjoyable and accessible. The collaborative nature of the activity resulted in a stunning piece of artwork, which we are proud to display in the library.
What truly set Karen apart from other visiting authors was the time she dedicated to connecting with each pupil individually. In those moments, she made them feel valued and special—an experience they will undoubtedly remember. We sincerely hope to welcome Karen back to one of our trust's schools for the next Literature Festival. Staple Hill Primary School
What an absolute pleasure it was to welcome Karen to Wheatfield! She was invited to join us for our Literature Festival introducing her book ‘Mr Mornington’s Favourite Things’. On her visit, Karen worked with two schools – three reception classes, three Year 1 classes and three Year 2 classes- Karen was extremely accommodating in the organising of this! The children were enchanted by Karen’s storytelling and in awe of her drawing! Karen allowed the children space to create their own art whilst talking to the children and offering ideas and support. Karen left us with a delightful, collaborative piece of art.
All the teacher’s involved in the visit commented how fantastic Karen was at making the activity engaging and accessible to all children. All of the children thoroughly enjoyed ‘Mr Mornington’s Favourite Things’ and continue to talk about Karen’s visit weeks later. Karen definitely stood out amongst our author visits and I would recommend any school looking for a visit to sign Karen up! She is awesome. Thank you so much, Karen. I hope you visit us again in the future! Wheatfield Primary School
We absolutely loved having Karen to visit our school! She spoke to our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 learners who were all captivated by her stories and drawing during her visit. Karen shared her book 'What Happened to You?' and showed the children how she drew character with lots of expression. She then rolled out a huge drawing of a pirate ship and invited the children to have a go at drawing the ship's crew! An absolute highlight for the teachers was seeing some of our EAL (English as a second language) children fully engaged and able to join in with the event as they were able to clearly follow all of Karen's instructions and ideas. All of the children were inspired by Karen's visit and lots having been drawing characters since. We also love to see our new pirate ship shared artwork on the wall too - thanks Karen! Mangotsfield Primary School
On behalf of everyone at Clifton High School, we wanted to say a huge thank you for your incredible workshop. Your expertise and passion shone through, inspiring all the students who participated. The workshop sparked their creativity and imagination, and it was evident by the smiles on their faces that they had a wonderful time. We are especially grateful for the giant football pitch and pirate ship posters you generously provided. The children absolutely adored them - they are fabulous additions to our classrooms. Thanks for making World Book Day Week so special. We look forward to hopefully collaborating with you again in the future' Clifton High School
