Bring Cindy Derby to your school, library, or event
One of my biggest joys in life is visiting schools and libraries and sharing the wonderfully messy process of making books. I hope every presentation leaves students feeling curious, inspired, and excited to make something of their own.
Expect live drawing and painting, puppets, talking garbage cans, lots of audience participation, and a beautiful approach to wonderfully weird ideas.
Come make a glorious mess with me.*
I like my school visits to feel a little unexpected.
We might meet a talking garbage can, paint together using a banana peel, watch a splattered painting come to life, laugh at spectacular mistakes, or discover how one tiny, peculiar idea can grow into an entire story. Along the way, I'll share the winding path my books take—from sketchbook scribbles to finished paintings—and invite students into the wonderfully messy process of making something from nothing.
I want every student to leave knowing that creativity isn't about getting it right the first time. It's about paying attention, embracing your weirdness, making mistakes, and having the courage to follow an idea wherever it wants to go.
Make creativity feel playful, joyful, and accessible.
Celebrate weird ideas, wild imaginations, and happy accidents.
Show that mistakes are often where the best ideas begin.
Give students a behind-the-scenes look at how books come to life.
Get everyone laughing, participating, drawing, and wondering.
Send kids back to their classrooms excited to make something of their own.