A Special Storytime, Right Here

Photo of author Charles Anthony Silvestri

Saturday. 10 am. Be here.

Why? Because storytime with Real-Life Author Charles Anthony Silvestri is going to be GREAT.

Here's what you can expect:

Feathers
Poetry
Music-making
A Skype chat with illustrator Anne Horjus
Really BIG pictures on the Mondopad
Books sales and signing
Painting
General awesomeness

Kids of all ages are invited to come meet author and lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri as he shares his exquisite children’s picture book, Sleep, a setting of lyrics he wrote for well-known choral composer Eric Whitacre. Silvestri's words have been sung by thousands of choirs around the world, in magnificent spaces from the Sydney Opera House to the National Cathedral, and onboard the space shuttle in orbit. Sleep was the featured piece for Whitacre's virtual choir 2.0, which you can listen to in the video below.

Let's learn a bit more abut Dr. Silvestri.

Read on for an original interview with Charles Anthony Silvestri, conducted by e-mail in November 2014.

What are some of your favorite children’s books?

Well, I love the books of Dr. Seuss—lots of whimsy, and I love his irreverence for language rules. He gives poets and writers permission to break grammar rules and make up words! I love the illustrations for Where The Wild Things Are and The Polar Express. These last two were printed at Worzalla Press in Wisconsin, which is why we chose to have our book printed there as well. The Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are my all-time favorite books, and I have re-read them regularly through the many seasons of my life.

Tell us a bit about your childhood.

I grew up in Las Vegas, Nev. at the height of the “Rat Pack” heyday. Vegas in those days was a pretty small town, and the life of a kid in Las Vegas in the seventies was pretty much the same I think as life in Topeka now. Not much to do except movies and bowling, and lots and lots of reading!

Tell us a bit about the book you are sharing with us at storytime.

SLEEP is a text I wrote for composer Eric Whitacre for a choral work. My text was designed to replace a different text he had originally set, and I had to create this poem to seem as if the music was written to fit MY text rather than the original version. The work became quite popular and was performed by choirs all over the world. A Dutch singer and artist sang the work in a choir, and asked me if he could illustrate it as a children’s picture book. I agreed, and this book is the result of that second collaboration.

What is it like to work collaboratively with a composer as a lyricist?

It is a unique challenge! I must create just the right text for the composer’s needs. Sometimes the music is completed first and I must create a poem that fits perfectly. Most often I write the text first and the composer sets it to music. When it is most fulfilling is when the composer and I write together, side by side. Those pieces are magical!

How do you honor reading and writing in your home?

I read all the time—books for pleasure, books to learn something new, books for cooking—I have thousands of books in my home! I am also writing all the time—I work with many composers from all over the world, and I am usually working on two or three commissions at a time, in addition to the reading and writing I do for my job as a history teacher.

Tell us about a teacher or mentor who made an impact on you.

Oh, there were so many, that’s why I became a teacher, because I was so inspired! I remember my first grade teacher, Mrs. Hall, and how kind and patient she was. I remember for free-reading time she let me lay on the floor under my desk with my legs resting up on the chair. A curious way to read, but that’s the way I liked to do it then! Years later I visited Mrs. Hall just before she retired. She had not seen me in twelve years, but she instantly recognized me, called me by name, and remembered that I was the one who liked to read upside down! The most inspirational teacher I had was Mr. Avron, my ninth grade world history teacher. He was so cool, I wanted to be just like him, so I decided then and there that I was going to be a world history teacher, and so I have been for the last 25 years!

What advice do you have for a parent or teacher of a child who does not want to read?

Hmm. Make sure they are exposed to books about the subjects that interest them most. There are really cool graphic novels and visual interactive books that are great introductions to reading. I would also encourage such children to write. To tell their own story.