Last Thursday we spent the afternoon with the students and teachers of Rock Hall Elementary School.

They had used their Title I funding to purchase a hardcover book for each student and teacher. Robbi and I talked observation and storytelling with a group of preK–1st graders and collaboration with the 2nd–5th grade crowd.

After our presentation and Q&A, principal Gillian Spero led the kids outside to see the bus. It was a thrill seeing their eyes light up when they saw the mural.

They rushed from spot to spot, pointing out discoveries, looking for the characters from their new books, and asking questions: “Is that your dog?” and “Are you really going to live in there?” and “Who did that ridiculous drawing?”

Answers: “Yes!,” “Apparently so,” and “Definitely Matthew.”

As is always the case when we go into schools, the kids had fun, asked great questions, and were excited to meet the people who’d written the book they’d been given.

This is our favorite part of what we do. We love to make books, but they’re just stacks of paper until they find themselves in the hands of a kid.

From that moment forward, anything is possible.