Book creators visit local school

“Fancy Nancy” children’s book series illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser and author Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman met with Woodland Elementary students on Thursday to share their new joint project and children’s book, “Superhero Joe.”

About 50 children from the Costa Mesa school’s kindergarten and first-grade classes had a chance to meet the two women at the informal reading and ask them questions during a two-hour event in the school’s library.

“The students really, really enjoyed it and asked really appropriate questions and were excited to meet the author,” said Sandy Montooth, library media clerk.

Teachers had shared the books and discussed the visit with students beforehand to prepare the children, Montooth said.

The event not only helped the author and illustrator promote their new book, but it also encouraged students to read and write.

“They get excited about books in general and that’s great for everyone,” Montooth said. “And they also get exposure to people who write, and that helps them be better writers because they realize this is possible to do for a living.”

—Sarah Peters