Upcoming Events
School Visit: Ottawa Christian School, Ottawa, ON
June 9, 2023; made possible with funding support from the Ontario Arts Council through The Writers’ Union of Canada.
Past Events
School Visit: Pinecrest Public School, Ottawa, ON
May 16, 2023; made possible with funding support from the Ontario Arts Council through The Writers’ Union of Canada.
What a great time with grades 1/2 (and a couple 3s!) at Pinecrest Public School today, sharing THIS IS THE BOAT THAT BEN BUILT. These readers were full of questions about the animals in the story, they enthusiastically named all the fish they knew (!!!!), and kindly greeted each of the toy animals I brought with me at the end. Thanks, readers!
School Visit: St. Bernard School, Ottawa, ON
May 15, 2023; made possible with funding from MASC.
This grade 3 class proved to be great partners to “Explore a Book! Explore an Ecosystem!” with. We explored picture books, the river ecosystem, and even added two new animals to the story. It was a pleasure to spend time with these young readers and writers!
School Visit: Elmwood School, Ottawa, ON
February 24, 2023 – Junior School Assembly
Had such fun exploring my picture book and the northern river ecosystem with the enthusiastic grade 1-5 students! Their March theme was curiosity, and they really lived up to it with their thoughtful questions about the creative process and the animals in the story.
World Read Aloud Day
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Virtual presentations scheduled with:
Grade 1 at Miller Elementary School, Canton, MI
Grades 1/2 at Hume Elementary School, Nelson, BC
Grade 1 at Todd Elementary School, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Read about it here.
Celebrate Reading Week at Turnbull School, Ottawa, ON
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Celebrating “Snow and S.T.E.A.M.” through presentations for kindergarten to grade 6 students.
What fun it was to share the creative process and northern river ecosystem connections with these bright students! They made such astute observations about the text and illustrations in This is the Boat that Ben Built. And, they told me they love WORDS. What more could an author ask for?
AELAQ Holiday Book Fair – Concordia University, Montreal, QC
Saturday, November 5, 2022 from 1:00 – 1:30pm
Book signing, together with illustrator Maggie Zeng
A fantastic day signing at the Librairie Paragraphe Bookstore table – thank you for coming out!
School Visit: Charles H. Hulse Public School, Ottawa, ON
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Funding provided by the Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program – many thanks to the Ontario Council for the Arts and The Writers’ Union of Canada.
What a fantastic visit with grades 1 and 1/2 classes! You were such fun to read with!
School Visit: Ottawa Christian School
Friday, June 17, 2022 9 AM – 11 AM (EST)
What fun it was to share This is the Boat that Ben Built with kindergarten and grade 1 students, and on such a special day, too! (It was the SK graduation day! Congrats, SKs!) Thanks for being such great readers and writers – I loved writing silly alliterative sentences with you.
Book Signing & Activities – Indigo Innes
Here’s my blog post about how it went!
Saturday, June 4, 2022 – 11 AM – 3 PM (EST)
Join local author Jen Lynn Bailey for a book signing with free crafts and activities for kids!
Indigo Innes is located at: 2025 Mer Bleue Road, Orleans, Ontario, K4A 3T9
VCFA Book Birthday
March 23, 2022, 8pm EDT
With all book tours going remote in 2020, Vermont College of Fine Art’s MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program began a series of celebrations, Book Birthday Parties! Join program staff in celebrating these incredible books and amazing achievements of our beloved community.
Book Launch hosted by Pajama Press
March 16, 2022, 7pm EDT
Hurray, the book is here! Join us online for an interview with Jen and Maggie, a reading, an inside look at the illustration process, and a Q&A session for young readers and adults alike!
Book an Event
Jen is an experienced teacher, workshop leader, and presenter who loves introducing kids to the animals of the northern river ecosystem through fun, interactive sessions. She also enjoys teaching students both young and young-at-heart about writing and about how picture books are made.
Here are some sample presentations, which each include an author intro and Q&A (rates follow descriptions):
This is the Boat that Ben Built – Participatory Reading & Activities Age level: K – grade 1; Duration: two 25-minute sessions
The first 25-minute session introduces kids to the northern river ecosystem in a fun participatory reading session of This is the Boat that Ben Built. Jen also discusses idea generation and the inspiration for the story. The second 25-minute session includes a generative alliteration activity and an animal size classification activity.
Key concepts: ecology, species diversity, food webs, STEM, poetry
Key themes: curiosity, natural world, exploration
Explore a Book! Explore an Ecosystem! Age level: Grades 2-5; Duration: 45-60 minutes
Kids will develop an explorer mindset toward 1) picture books and 2) the northern river ecosystem. Following a reading of This is the Boat that Ben Built, they will discover how the author and illustrator work together to create a picture book, brainstorm other living and non-living parts of a river ecosystem, and add their own living thing to the story.
Key concepts: ecology, species diversity, food webs, STEM, picture book creation, writing process, cumulative stories, science
Key themes: curiosity, natural world, exploration
Writer’s Workshop Age level: K – grade 5*; Duration: 45-60 minutes (shorter for kindergarten)
Using This is the Boat that Ben Built, Jen will describe poetic techniques and explore word choices that make compelling, rhythmic stories. Includes generative writing and sharing time.
*If you are interested in writing workshops for students in grades 6 – 8, secondary school, or college, or in workshops for adults, please contact Jen about your group’s needs.
Library Storytime Age level: preschool – grade 1; duration 30-45 minutes
Following a participatory reading of This is the Boat that Ben Built, Jen will lead kids in a simple craft about the animals in the northern river ecosystem.
In-person rates (45-minute sessions): $250 for one, $450 for two, $675 for three, $900 for a full day (4 sessions) at the same school/location. For kindergarten classes, Jen offers two 25-minute sessions for $250, or a discounted rate for one session if combined with a second session for an older group. (Note: depending on location, travel and accommodation fees may apply; more information, along with equipment needs, can be found on Jen’s Authors’ Booking Service page.)
Virtual visit fees are $150 for one 45-minute session (or two 25-minute sessions for kindergarten students); $125 for each additional session the same day.
Jen will gladly collaborate with teachers, librarians, and writing groups to customize visits to student interests/curriculum requirements. Please contact her for more information.
“My students loved Jen Lynn Bailey’s visit to our classroom. They were excited to learn about the different animals in the story. Her book connections were engaging and they have enjoyed rereading her story during our quiet times. Thanks for a great visit!” — JV, kindergarten teacher, Ottawa, Ontario
“Jen Lynn Bailey captivated my students attention from beginning to end. They loved looking for all the animals in the story as Jen brought the story to life through facts and connections. They also learned more about being an author which was the perfect addition to our Author’s Day!” — RdH, grade 1 teacher, Ottawa, Ontario