Author/Illustrator Brian Floca Visits Greenhill

 

While speaking to a group of students, Floca, a native Texan, said that from the time he was a little boy, he has always been interested in creating pictures that tell stories. He talked about the process of his work, ranging from the spark of an idea, to research, to ultimately, getting paid to draw.

A 4th grader in the crowd immediately spoke up, “You get paid to draw pictures? That’s the coolest thing ever!”

Floca’s job is indeed, very cool. He showed the process of creating an entire book, from the original concept work to the amount of drafts, research, and collaboration that go into the finished product. He also told the students the key to his research… “research helps guide the writing; and writing helps guide the research.”

Brian’s books as author and illustrator include Locomotive, for which he received the 2014 Randolph Caldecott Medal; Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11; Lightship; The Racecar Alphabet; and Five Trucks. He has illustrated the Poppy Stories series, by Avi; Ballet for Martha; Making Appalachian Spring, by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan; Kate Messner's Marty McGuire novels; and, most recently, Lynne Cox's Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas.

In addition to the Caldecott Medal, his books have received four Robert F. Sibert Honor awards, an Orbis Pictus Award, an Orbis Pictus Honor, a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, and have twice been selected for The New York Times' annual 10 Best Illustrated Books list.

Thank you Mr. Floca for visiting our community and sharing your amazing work! Learn more about Brian Floca.