Hey all, I'm new to these forums and was wondering if I could get some expert advice from parents of children ages 3-8 years in preparation for a book reading I'm going to be doing at a local school, to a group of children aged 5-7 years.
My little nephew is 6 and he is obsessed with dinosaurs. I'm a freelance Illustrator and I decided to spend the past year making a rhyming picture book about dinosaurs who travel through space, with a heartwarming message about appreciation and gratitude as well as educational elements, and publish it on Amazon.
Anyway, I did so and things have taken off pretty fast. I've already been asked to do a reading for a local primary school. I'm extremely nervous as I don't have children myself and am a bit of an awkward person. Could anybody give me some advice on how to present myself and engage with them to give them a fulfilling experience?
I've used different coloured writing for each of the main 3 dinosaur characters. So it's easy to immediately tell which one is speaking (for those who like to do voices), so I shouldn't mess up too much on that front! But what questions could I ask them before and after?
Could I ask beforehand what dinosaurs they know, and which are their favourites, or is this too much for younger age groups? Is it okay to ask their basic thoughts on aliens without offending any religions etc?
Sorry if this all seems like a stupid question but I'm really nervous and want to be as prepared as possible!
If you could suggest any good questions, or experiences you have reading to or speaking to groups of children of different age groups, what went well and what you would avoid doing next time, that would be great. Thank you! My book is called 'The Dinosaur Space Rescue' if anyone wants to look it up.