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Vikram Madan: Author Visits & Presentations
Award Winning Children’s Author, Professional Visual Artist Geisel Honor, Numerous Best Book and ALA Honors Travels from Seattle WA |
BIO |
Vikram Madan is the author/illustrator of more than a dozen books for young readers, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book OWL & PENGUIN, the award-winning poetry books A HATFUL OF DRAGONS, THE BUBBLE COLLECTOR, and LORD OF THE BUBBLES, the early reader graphic chapter series BOBO & PUP-PUP, and the graphic-novel-in rhyme ZOONI TALES. His books have been honored by Kirkus Reviews, NYPL, Bank Street College of Education, School Library Journal blogs, ALA ALSC, Junior Library Guild, and multiple state award lists.
Vikram was born and raised in India, where he really wanted to be a cartoonist, but ended up an engineer. After many years of working in the tech industry, he finally found the courage to follow his heart into living an authentic creative life, and rebooted himself to start all over again as a professional artist and author. Vikram lives in the Seattle area. He enjoys meeting with students of all ages to share his love of poetry, art, and books. His in-person and virtual presentations usually leave students excited and inspired to try making their own literary and artistic creations. As an author, artist, former engineer and scientist, and first-generation immigrant and POC, Vikram brings a unique (& diverse) STEM + Arts perspective into the classroom. Read an interview with the Seattle Times on representation and choosing creativity. |
BOOKS |
FUNNY POEMS
Vikram is the author-illustrator of several collections of funny poems that are often compared to the works of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Ages 6 and up.     BEGINNING READER COMICS
Vikram is the author-illustrator of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book OWL & PENGUIN, recognized by the American Library Association as “one of the most distinguished American books for beginning readers”. Ages 3-7 and suitable for pre-readers, beginning readers, and emerging readers.     EARLY READER GRAPHIC CHAPTER BOOK SERIES
Vikram is the author of the BOBO & PUP-PUP Series, illustrated by NYT Bestselling Illustrator Nicola Slater. These books are often compared to ELEPHANT & PIGGIE. Ages 4-8 and can also be read to ages 2-4.     GRAPHIC NOVELS
Vikram is the author-illustrator of ZOONI TALES, graphic-novels-in-rhyme (think "Dr. Seuss meets Dog-Man") about the adventures of a plucky pup. Ages 5-9. Selected by Betsy Bird as one of the standout graphic novels of 2023.   POETRY ANTHOLOGIES
Vikram's poems appears in several poetry anthologies: * A WORLD FULL OF POEMS, edited by Professor Sylvia Vardell * WHAT IS HOPE? edited by Professor Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong (Winner of 2021 NCTE Excellence in Poetry Award) * WA 129 edited by WA State Poet Laureate Todd Marshall * FLIPPED MYSTERY & SCI-FI anthology, published by Harper Collins India * THE MISTAKES THAT MADE US, edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters * IF I COULD CHOOSE A BEST DAY, edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters |
Honors
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BOOK AWARDS AND HONORS
• Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel Honor awarded by the American Library Association to "the most distinguished American books for beginning readers". • Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Finalist • South Dakota Prairie Bloom Award Finalist • Moonbeam Silver Book Award for Children’s Poetry • Moonbeam Bronze Book Award for Children’s Poetry * Multiple Junior Library Guild GOLD STANDARD Selections • ALA ALSC Notable Children’s Book of the Year STARRED REVIEWS • Kirkus Reviews - Starred Review for A HATFUL OF DRAGONS • The Bulletin of the Council of Children’s Books – Starred Review for BOBO AND PUP-PUP BEST BOOK LISTS • Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year • New York Public Library Best Book of the Year • Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year • Denver Public Library Best and Brightest Book • Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids • School Library Journal (Fuse 8) Betsy Bird’s Funniest Books of the Year • School Library Journal (Fuse 8) Betsy Bird’s Best Poetry Books of the Year • School Library Journal (Fuse 8) Betsy Bird’s Best Easy Readers of the Year • School Library Journal (Fuse 8) Betsy Bird’s Standout Graphic Novels of the Year • ALA ALSC Summer Reading Pick * Multiple Texas Library Association Little Maverick Reading List Picks OTHER • Multiple prizes for Editorial Cartooning from the Society of Professional Journalists • Washington Press Association Great Communicator Award for Editorial Cartooning • Seattle Times 3-Minute Moviemaking Award, screened at Seattle International Film Festival • Multiple awards for painting • Multiple public art projects • Multiple appearances on Public Radio segments • Invited Keynote Speaker at the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival at the U. of S. Mississippi • Regularly appearing on panel discussions on various topics related to Children's Books • Artist Rosters: Washington State Public Artist, City of Seattle Ethnic Artist, City of Bellevue • On the STEM side, 12 US Patents granted for software innovations |
TALKS |
1. FUN WITH POETRY (In-person and virtual) ***Popular***
As one of the few author-illustrators creating books of funny-poems for kids, Vikram is an ideal speaker for getting kids excited about poetry. He is usually in high demand during National Poetry Month (April).
Grades K through 2: Readings of simpler fun poems supplemented with animated visuals, followed by author Q&A, as well as drawing demonstrations and exercises. Grades 3 through 6: Readings of more complex poetry and covering topics such as inspiration, ideation, using words/rhythms/patterns as building blocks, the value and necessity of revision and editing, poetic forms and their historical origins, ‘pulling back the curtain’ on the creative process, and author Q&A. In-person sessions with smaller groups will include a creative group exercise. 2. ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOP (In-person and virtual) ***Popular***
All ages Grades K through 8: Vikram will show artwork from his books, including behind-the-scenes time-lapse videos of the illustration process, and demonstrate easy-to-learn cartooning techniques, especially for figures and expressions. Simpler material for younger students, and more complex material for older students. Students will do a draw-along of characters from Vikram's books, and Vikram will show them how to create any expression on any character.
3. THE CRAFT OF COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS (In-person and virtual)
Grades 3 through 8: Using his graphic novels ZOONI TALES and OWL & PENGUIN, Vikram peels back the creative process and shows how he develops his graphic novels from initial sketch to final art while discussing topics such as pacing, rhythm, character design, panel layout, word and thought balloons, etc. There will be opportunity for a draw-along and time for Q&A.
4. DRAWING AND DESIGNING CONSISTENT COMIC CHARACTERS (In-person and virtual)
Grades 3 through 12, and also Adults: Creating a comic character can be easy. But drawing your character consistently, the same way, over and over again (like in a comic story) can be tricky. How do you create and draw characters that look consistent from start to the finish, or even every time you draw them? Learn the tips and techniques professional illustrators, cartoonists, and animators use to achieve consistency in their work. Presentation will be customized for the target audience age.
5. READING IS FUN (In-person and virtual)
Grades K through 2: Includes visual storytelling from the BOBO & PUP-PUP and OWL & PENGUIN friendship books, author Q&A, drawing demonstrations and draw-along.
6. THE ARTIST'S STUDIO (In-person and virtual)
All Ages Grades K through 12: Take a LIVE virtual tour of a professional artist’s working studio and gallery, located in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square Arts District, and discuss the process for making art and books. See a live painting demo. Young kids get a chance to see what the artist studio and process looks like. Middle and high school students, particularly art students, enjoy being able to have in-depth discussions about materials and techniques. In-person visits to Vikram’s art studio are possible for small groups. Please reach out to discuss possibilities.
7. LET'S MAKE A COMIC (In-person and virtual)
All Ages Grades K through 12: Vikram will demonstrate how to turn any story into a one-page comic, right in front of the audience’s eyes, using nothing more than ideas solicited from the audience, and a large drawing paper and a pen.
8. MEET THE AUTHOR (In-person and virtual)
All Ages Grades K through 12: Learn about the author’s creative journey from kid to cartoonist to engineer to scientist to programmer to artist to author and illustrator. Learn about the writing and illustrating life, about how to create and get books published, and ask detailed questions about Vikram’s books and creative process.
9. THE MAKING OF A BOOK (In-person and virtual)
All Ages Grades K through 12: Get a behind-the-scenes look at any of Vikram's books, showing the creative process as a book develops from ideas to drafts to early versions to final published product.
10. FOLLOW YOUR HEART / LIVING THE AUTHENTIC CREATIVE LIFE (In-person and virtual)
For High Schoolers: What does it take to live the authentic creative life? Ask Vikram about how he made the hard decision to leave a 'safe' tech career and embrace making art and writing books, and learn about all the insights he gained along the way.
11. CREATING GRAPHIC NOVELS IN PROCREATE USING AN IPAD (In-person and virtual)
For High Schoolers and Adults: A live walk-through of how to go about creating graphic novel pages in the Procreate App on an iPad. Learn from Vikram's experiences drawing several graphic novels this way.
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RATES |
Note: Rates are "sliding-scale" to allow picking a number that works best with the available budget.
• Single Session: 30-minutes to 50-minutes long. Range $275-$350 • Half Day Visit (3 hours): Up to three 50-minute sessions or four 30-minute sessions. Range $500-$900. • Full Day Visit (4 to 6 hours): Up to five 50-minute sessions or six 30-minute sessions, with break in between, and time to sign books. Range $1100-$1500 Session Rates are for up to 3 classes in one group. (Bigger groups would need to be charged more, or we can potentially reduce the length of the session). • All-school assemblies
There may be additional travel charges for in-person visits to WA schools outside King County, depending on distance. For in-person appearances outside WA State my charges start at $2000 for the first full day of visit (which covers travel, overnight stay, full day school visit, and return travel) + flight reimbursement. We can add additional schools to the itinerary at the added rate of $1000 per additional full day of visits. If you have limited budget for a visit please reach out to discuss what is possible. Sometimes I may available for a free 10-min VIRTUAL visit for student Q&A about my books. An invoice and w9 will be provided for payment. Note: Lately school districts have been asking authors to go through a 'vendor certification' process. Depending on how complex and time consuming this process is, an additional 'documentation fee' of up to $250 may have to be added to the invoice to cover the author's time and expenses related to the same, especially if there is a lot of paperwork for a short, one-time visit. Since author visits are usually brief, and do not involve any unsupervised contact with the students, school districts are highly encouraged to develop simplified author-visit policies that are separate from 'vendor/independent-contractor certification', and which policies respect the author's professional expertise and allow authors to create an enjoyable, unburdened educational experience for the students. |
RESOURCES |
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BOOK SALES |
For individual book purchases by kids, before or after the event, please coordinate orders directly with your friendly neighborhood independent bookstore. Most bookstores are well-versed in arranging book sales for author visits.
Some suggested Pacific Northwest-area Independent Bookstores: * Seattle Eastside: Island Books (Mercer Island, WA), Brick and Mortar Books (Redmond, WA) * Seattle Proper: Secret Garden Books (Seattle) * South of Seattle: Page 2 Books (Renton) * Bainbridge Island and Surroundings: Liberty Bay Books, Eagle Harbor Books * Tacoma and Gig Harbor: Invitation Books (Gig Harbor) * Bellingham and surrounding areas: Village Books (Bellingham) |
LOGISTICS |
For in-person visits, please arrange to have the following ready for the visit:
1. Projection system - for showing a PowerPoint presentation. Vikram will bring his own laptop, and a USB stick with the presentations. 2. Large drawing surface - Flip-chart (preferred), smart-board, white-board etc. 3. Wireless (hands-free) Microphone headset for large spaces like gyms and lunch-rooms, or for large groups. |
TESTIMONIALS |
“Vikram Madan graciously shares his inspiring story, process and journey to being an author, poet, artist & illustrator. He differentiates well for each grade level and connects with all students.” - Librarian, Creekside Elementary
"You were wonderful with the students…you know how to engage and differentiate for all of the various age levels. You know what makes them smile and laugh!" - Teacher-Librarian, Issaquah School District "We loved having Vikram come visit our school and bring writing alive for our students! Out second graders were fascinated to learn about how Vikram started out as an author and pursued his passion. His advice to keep practicing what you love resonated with us. Vikram's visit was the perfect enrichment opportunity for us." - Second Grade Teacher, Cedar River Elementary "This visual connection to literacy is so important to kids this age. [Vikram's books are] a great example of this." - Librarian, Redmond Middle School "Vikram's presentation was humorous and inspiring for students. He encouraged students through his own stories, poetry and art to persevere as they pursue their unique dreams and aspirations. This important message cannot be repeated enough and Vikram did so eloquently and with grace." - Librarian, Thoreau Elementary "Vikram’s program and presentations were both interesting and entertaining. The students learned how to turn ordinary poetry, into compelling works. Vikram was very personable and patient with all students, K-6. I would highly recommend Vikram Madan for any elementary audience." - Librarian, Echo Lake Elementary "We had the honor of hosting Vikram Madan in our class. After his presentation, each student dropped everything and started writing! The kids in my class adore [Vikram's book], and I love it because it’s very clever and fun to read." - Fourth Grade Teacher, Spiritridge Elementary School "In addition to engaging students in the fun, fantasy and whimsy of his poetry, Mr. Madan also communicated the invaluable lesson of perseverance in the writing process." - Librarian, Audubon Elementary School "Seeing your artwork has opened up a world of possibilities for my students. They are now really excited about art." - Elementary School Teacher, Louisa Boren STEM K-8 School "Vikram's poetry and illustrations are engaging, and my students thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. They stayed through recess to talk with him and had to be persuaded to return to their classes when the bell rang! We had the best time." - Librarian, Stevenson Elementary School |
VIDEOS |
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HOMESCHOOL GROUPS:
Visits can definitely be arranged for homeschool groups. Usually, one parent/family should take the lead for organizing such a visit and for being the point person for arrangements:
1. Arrange a venue - this can be a meeting room in your local public library or community center. You should be able to book the room for no charge. The ideal venue will have a projector and whiteboard (but if these are not available, we can work around that!).
2. Coordinate with the other parents to decide a day and time, and to collect contributions to pay for the visit (See rates above - the more families you can pull together, the smaller the per-child cost).
3. Contact Vikram to finalize the visit.
Visits can definitely be arranged for homeschool groups. Usually, one parent/family should take the lead for organizing such a visit and for being the point person for arrangements:
1. Arrange a venue - this can be a meeting room in your local public library or community center. You should be able to book the room for no charge. The ideal venue will have a projector and whiteboard (but if these are not available, we can work around that!).
2. Coordinate with the other parents to decide a day and time, and to collect contributions to pay for the visit (See rates above - the more families you can pull together, the smaller the per-child cost).
3. Contact Vikram to finalize the visit.
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Comments from Kids:
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Comments from Educators:
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