Eric Velasquez – The Booking Biz

Eric Velasquez was born in New York and earned his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and has illustrated over 35 children’s books. His first picture book “The Piano Man” by Debbie Chocolate, published by Bloomsbury won the Coretta-Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Eric also wrote and illustrated “Grandma’s Records” and its follow-up “Grandma’s Gift” which won the Pura Belpre’ Award for illustration. Later Eric illustrated “Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library” by Carole Boston Weatherford which earned five starred reviews and won a Walter Award from the WNDB (We Need Diverse Books) organization. Recently Eric wrote and illustrated “Octopus Stew” which gathered rave reviews and is sure to make you laugh and the Spanish version Pulpo Quisado won the silver medal for Best Spanish language book from Bank Street College. Eric illustrated “She Was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm” by Katheryn Russell-Brown published by Lee and Low Books and it was awarded the NAACP Image Award for outstanding literature for children. Eric’s book “Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and his Glorious Book” by Tonya Bolden has earned five starred reviews and his newest and most ambitious book The Polar Bear and the Ballerina has already earned four starred reviews. Eric teaches book illustration at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) in NYC.

School Visit Presentations

Assemblies (30-45min – K-12)

In Eric’s multimedia dual language presentation (English or Spanish), he discusses how comic books led him from being a reluctant reader to a successful reader and inspired him to draw in elementary school. This newfound interest sparked his interest in the field of illustration and he talks about the variety of books he’s illustrated and written. He also shares the importance of research, attention to detail, and taking rough sketches to finished art. He tailors his presentations for each grade and leaves time at the end for a drawing demonstration and Q&A with the audience.

Workshops (45-60min -2nd+)

The Alternate Cover Sketch (45min – Grades 2+)

After reading Octopus Stew, Eric explains the guidelines and the process for creating a cover sketch for a picture book. The students are instructed to create an alternative cover sketch for the Octopus Stew. The cover must include an octopus, a grandma and Ramsey. However, for students who are up to the challenge the cover sketch can have a character that is based on themselves, much in the same way the main character Ramsey is loosely based on Eric in Octopus Stew.

Materials 11”x17” paper and #2 pencil and eraser.

The Mini Book Dummy (45-60min – Grades 3+)

After reading Octopus Stew and or The Polar Bear and the Ballerina Eric instructs the students on how to create a 16-page mini book dummy. Using an 11x 17 sheet of paper, a pair of scissors and a pencil. The goal is to tell a 14- page story by creating images and a few words. The mini book will consist of a front cover and back cover as well as 14 interior pages.

Materials 11”x17” paper and #2 pencil and eraser. Handouts for this project are available.