Students and faculty at Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb enjoyed a special author visit with Peter Brown, a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, on Monday, December 4. Katy Inman (Head of School) and grades 1-2 teacher Corbin Lichtinger invited Brown to speak with students, who know him as the author of books like “The Curious Garden,” “Creepy Carrots!,” “Mr. Tiger Goes Wild,” and “The Wild Robot.”

Brown gave students a behind-the-scenes look at his process for writing “The Wild Robot:” sketching, story mapping, drafting, working with feedback from editors, and polishing cover art. He explained that it helps him to break larger projects down into more manageable tasks, consider his audience, and use digital tools like Photoshop. Brown concluded his presentation with a sketching demonstration. CTL students and faculty look forward to framing and displaying this one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Brown explained that he has always loved drawing and telling stories. As a child, he drew farm animals and his own pets. In high school, he checked out books about drawing and illustration from the library. While studying illustration in college, Brown took several courses on children’s books and fell in love with children's literature. Today, Brown's own books sit on bookshelves next to those written by his favorite children's book authors.

Brown has earned numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, and has published multiple New York Times bestsellers. Peter currently lives in Newcastle with his family.

For more information about Center for Teaching and Learning, please visit c-t-l.org, call 882-9706, or email ctlkto8@gmail.com .