As an author, Dianna welcomes opportunities to engage children with the awe and wonder of nature, to ignite curiosity, and to inspire them to be STEAM leaders and stewards of our home in the galaxy. From the tendrilled eggs of dogfish to the sweet, gooey feet of a butterfly; from the mysterious delicacy inside a seed to the athleticism of snails in their shells; and from Lamborghinis inspired by beetles to baby Komodo dragons that roll in their own poop (with good reason!), Mother Nature offers us opportunities to discover the who, what, where, why, when and how of her designs.

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Presentation options include:

• THE WICK IN THE CANDLE/ From mind-boggling to “passionately curious”

• POLLINATORS’ SPRING FLING! Growing a rainbow… and eating it!

• TO THE MOON AND BEYOND! From big dreams to astonishing achievements

• 20 SECONDS/From orchard to playground, the juicy journey of a small moment

• MOTHER NATURE’S ARCHITECTURE/ Blueprints and biomimicry

• PK STORY TIME/in-class reading at no charge
   

In addition to presentations, Dianna is excited to announce that she will once again offer writing workshops for students in grades 2-5, beginning in March 2025!

PRESENTATION OPTIONS

 

 

• THE WICK IN THE CANDLE/From mind-boggling to passionately curious
   

Dianna will read portions from her internationally acclaimed 7-book nature series (illustrated by Sylvia Long): AN EGG IS QUIET, A SEED IS SLEEPY, A BUTTERFLY IS PATIENT, A ROCK IS LIVELY, A NEST IS NOISY, A BEETLE IS SHY, and A SHELL IS COZY. What drives her to explore the natural world is curiosity, and she begins her presentations with: I wonder why, how, when, who, what, where. As Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Accompanying her talk is a PowerPoint slideshow of selected illustrations, plus photos of objects in their natural environment. STEM topics may include animal and plant life cycles, adaptation, habitats, environmental threats, conservation and teamwork. In addition, time permitting, she will highlight some “small moments” in her life that became stories. In each of her presentations, plenty of time is designated for Q&A.

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• ​​POLLINATORS’ SPRING FLING! Growing a rainbow… and eating it!
   

How did that rainbow of fruit (apples, oranges, blueberries, bananas, plums, vanilla, and lilly pilly berries) make its way to the bowl on the kitchen counter? How did the fruit of the vanilla orchid end up in my ice cream? What do honeybees have to do with sweet lilly pilly muffins? We all know that butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and flies are the greatest pollinators, but… do people, wolves, and dragons pollinate, too? Find out about it in this engaging spring fling that includes A SEED IS SLEEPY and A BUTTERFLY IS PATIENT! Pollinator costumes encouraged!

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• TO THE MOON AND BEYOND! / From big dreams to astonishing achievement
   

THE MOON OVER STAR, illustrated by the late, great Jerry Pinkney, is a work of historical fiction with plenty of non-fiction. The book was honored with a Coretta Scott King Award, and librarians often highlight it during Black History Month. It is the story of an African American girl named Mae – (a name Jerry chose in honor of his mother, Willie Mae, whom he called his “moon.”). Mae is thrilled and inspired by the awesomeness of the first moon landing. Watching the astronauts moonwalking like “ghosts on a trampoline,” Mae dreams of becoming an astronaut too. Despite the initial skepticism of her farmer grandfather, she won’t be discouraged. Ultimately, her beloved Gramps comes around and encourages her, in his quiet, “lifetime-weary” way, to pursue her dream. It is set in Star, a real, (now ghostly) town in Texas, where her son’s second grade teacher was on July 20, 1969. THE MOON OVER STAR has been read to children by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as astronaut (and former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions) Leland Melvin.

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• 20 SECONDS/From orchard to playground, the juicy journey of a small moment
   

Most suitable for K-2. Dianna enjoys sharing a “small moment” that led to the publication of AN ORANGE IN JANUARY and its surprising use in social studies units in kindergartens nationwide. The book, the favorite of hers, is based on a 20-second moment in January ’02 following a set of shocking events that occurred the previous year. Her heart and mind were heavy with sorrow as she sat in traffic. Suddenly, a man appeared at her car window holding the regretfully ubiquitous cardboard sign: Hungry. Homeless. Please help. God bless. In memory, it was the only time in her life when she turned away from someone in need. Five years later, AN ORANGE IN JANUARY, illustrated by Julie Maren, was published. It traces the journey of a nourishing orange (given to him by the woman in the car behind her) from orchard to playground, with transportation from basket to facility to grocery to buyer. She has since concluded that angels appear in many disguises…and that redemption takes many forms. Years after its publication, it continues to be published by McGraw-Hill in its educational materials.

 

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• MOTHER NATURE’S ARCHITECTURE/ Blueprints for biomimicry
   

Using her science books as a springboard, Dianna will introduce the topic of drawing inspiration from nature to design buildings, vehicles and “stuff” in this talk and slideshow of beetles and Lamborghinis; shells and the Sydney Opera House; the Eastgate Center in Zimbabwe inspired by termite mounds; supercars based on the aerodynamics and shapes of sailfish, owls, honey bees, sharks and rays; the wall-climbing Mobiliant urban vehicle’s design inspired by ants that nest in trumpet trees; Velcro, wetsuits, and planes! Oh my!

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• PK STORY TIME/ no charge
   

A 15-minute reading of MERMAIDS' SONG TO THE SEA, a rhyming, rhythmic lullaby to the animals of the coral reefs and the mermaids who love them.
 

 

 

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