David M. Sargent Jr., author of a series of children’s books about dogs, visited the Woodland Heights Elementary campus on Friday, December 9th. Welcomed by a cafeteria full of excited students, Sargent began a fun presentation that covered a selection of his books written about the special canines in his life.
“We read his books during library classes prior to his visit, so the children were already familiar with the dogs and the stories,” said Jenny Roberts, Principal at Woodland Heights Elementary. “The visit allowed the kids to meet the inspiration for his books in a fun way—making reading and writing real and meaningful.”
One at a time Sargent introduced the children to the real-life Tatum, Daphne, Emma, and Spike from the stories, and showed how each of their characters inspired the books.
“His purpose is to show kids that they can write stories about anyone and anything. They just need to use their imagination,” added Roberts.Students watched as Sargent lead the dogs to perform simple yet entertaining tricks on the stage using a teeter-totter, tunnel and hoop. If the “trick” didn’t go quite as planned, Sargent would try again while interacting with the audience and building the suspense of the children that sat eagerly anticipating the outcome.
The presentation lasted around an hour and ended with Sargent giving students the opportunity to come pet one of the dogs (as long as they were not allergic), and it was obvious through the excitement, engagement, and energy of the children that they not only enjoyed what they saw, but they also listened and learned from the experience.
“Kids learn that authors are real live people who write about everyday things. They learn that they too can be authors just by writing down the stories around them,” stated Roberts. “They also learn appreciation and love for books and reading.”
Pictured above is Sargent with one of his dogs. Below are pictures of the children listening to his stories. Photos contributed. Photo contributed.
