Speakers

Mrs Susan L. Roth
Children’s Book Illustrator

Biography

Susan L. Roth began her career as a children’s book illustrator with her book, PATCHWORK TALES, in 1984.

To create her collage illustrations, she uses fabrics, photographs, occasional found objects, leaves and grasses, but mostly papers from everywhere. Her paste is made of rice flour and water. Her tools are only sharp scissors (all sizes) and precise tweezers.

Roth holds an undergraduate degree in studio art with an emphasis in art history and a master’s degree in the same disciplines with an added concentration in printmaking. She has illustrated more than 50 books for children, some of which she has also written.

susanlrothbooks@gmail.com

 

Presentation Abstract

Building Literacy and Global Consciousness Through Picture Books 

For a moment in time, they were one. Muslim & Christian, young and old, rich and poor—Egyptians held hands around their cherished Library in Alexandria, protecting it. It was January 2011. That moment of solidarity and support for a cause larger than oneself is captured in the American children’s book Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books, published in 2012. Picture books can make the complexity of world events manageable and concrete. Author Karen Leggett Abouraya and collage artist Susan L. Roth describe the process of transforming a news story into a picture book, matching words to images, respecting the facts. They discuss the impact of their own visits to American libraries and schools, where children hear the story, discuss their own understanding of civic engagement and sometimes engage with Egyptian children via Skype. They also share examples of activities for children that encourage reading, writing and civic engagement.