Sweet Potatoes and Puppets
Author VisitsHolly Thompson
21 May 2025 (Wednesday)AgeS 5 & Up
Get inspired by Japan’s rich cultural heritage! In this engaging workshop, students will be introduced to two delightful picture books:
- Grow, Grow, Grow, Tome Sweet Potatoes – a story about heritage farming,
- The Puppets are Back – a celebration of a revived form of Japanese puppetry.
After exploring these stories, students will channel their creativity to craft poems centered around local foods, traditional crafts, or cultural arts from their own lives. This session is a wonderful way to connect literature, cultural appreciation, and creative writing—all while encouraging young poets to celebrate their roots.
Holly Thompson (US)
Holly Thompson is author of three verse novels for young people: Falling into the Dragon's Mouth; The Language Inside; and Orchards — winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and the picture books Listening to Trees: George Nakashima, Woodworker; The Wakame Gatherers, Twilight Chant and One Wave at a Time. A graduate of the NYU Creative Writing Program and Regional Advisor Emeritus of SCBWI Japan, Holly writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction for children, teens and adults; teaches writing at Yokohama City University and UC Berkeley Extension; and visits schools in Japan, the U.S. and places in between. Visit her at www.hatbooks.com
Part of AFCC Author Visits.
Email [email protected] for a quotation for school bookings.