Meet-the-Author Recording with John Schu and Veronica Miller Jamison

This Is a School |

John Schu and Veronica Miller Jamison introduce and share some of the backstory for creating This Is a School.

Volume 90%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume
Decrease Volume
Seek Forward
Seek Backward
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Seek %0-9
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Translate this transcript in the header View this transcript Dark mode on/off

Veronica Miller Jamison: Hello. My name is Veronica Miller Jamison, and I'm the illustrator of This is a School.

John Schu: Hello. My name is John Schu, and I'm the author of This is a School. This is a School is an ode that I wrote that's about the power of play, the power of creativity, the power of sharing, the power of trust, the power of hope, the power of healing, but most importantly, the power of connection. And that was something I was thinking about a lot while writing This is a School. I was thinking about the various ways that I connected with my students as a third-grade teacher, as a fourth-grade teacher, and then as a school librarian for nine years, and in all the work that I did with students in those various roles, I was always looking for ways that we could connect with each other and by connecting that we could trust each other. And the best way that I always did that as a classroom teacher and as a school librarian was through story. And so when I wrote This is a School, I was imagining those first few days of school, when you're starting to get to know each other and starting to trust each other and the best way to do that is through a great read aloud.

I hope that when students experience This is a School, that they see themselves in one of the characters. And that's what's been so fun for me talking to children about the book of which character reminds you of you, which place in the story is a favorite place in your school. So, I hope that when students think about This is a School, there's a favorite spread that they come back to that the thought of the story makes them smile and that when they experience the story, they feel a lot of joy through the art and through the text.

Veronica Miller Jamison: When students read This is a School, I want them to come away also definitely feeling represented, but also knowing that it's okay to have harder, difficult feelings when they're in a new situation. Some of the characters in the story they're nervous or they're sad or they're just kind of unsure and that can feel really scary for children in a new place. And so I want them to know that it's okay to feel those things and that their community around them is there to support them. And I hope when they're finished reading This is a School, they can look at their own community, their own friends and teachers and librarians and staff and see that they have people around them that want them to be happy and to have fun and to learn and to succeed.

John Schu: And now I'll read a passage from This is a School:

Some people see what we're good at and that helps us know it too. We speak. We learn. We grow. We change. This is a community at work.

And this is my favorite scene in the book where you see all of the children coming together to put on a play.

Veronica Miller Jamison: This is my favorite spread as well. When I was thinking about a school community at work, I was thinking about what are the things a school community comes together to do? And when I was a kid, it was to put on talent shows and plays. So, in this scene, you can see a play where the children are dressed up as all sorts of different animals from across the world. We have a turtle. We have a couple of birds, some fish, a lion, and even a butterfly. And I love this spread because it's colorful and it's showing each character in their best light having fun as a group.

John Schu: I am so excited and honored that Veronica Miller Jamison is the illustrator of This is a School because her illustrations are so joyful. They're so warm, and they imbue your heart and your soul with love.

Veronica Miller Jamison: I'm really, really so happy and grateful that I got a chance to illustrate John Schu's This is a School. The words jumped off the page the moment I read them. It's an ode to school and it's full of love and warmth and community. And it was just so exciting to be able to bring this work to life with the artwork.

This Meet-the-Author Recording with John Schu and Veronica Miller Jamison was exclusively created in April 2022 by TeachingBooks with thanks to Candlewick Press.