School Visit Discounts

I am currently booking for the 2025/2026 school year. If your school would like an author presentation, I am pleased to offer two for one discounts for organizations who book by September 30th 2025. When you book a one hour presentation, you receive a second 30-60 minute presentation at the same school for free. I offer a maximum of two presentations per day.

Children wearing animal and character masks and costumes, sitting on grass outdoors while a woman reads a storybook to them on a sunny day.

SCHOOL VISIT OPTION 1

What do people have in common with bees, giraffes, snails, owls, and other creatures? Join author and former elementary teacher, Cynthia Mackey, as she reads IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE aloud and become the creatures in her story. Children will choose roles to play and will act out the story using costumes from Cynthia’s ‘bumblebee bag’. Suitable for pre-K through grade two.

30 minute presentation

Maximum number of students: 25

A woman dressed as a fairy reading a colorful book to children at a storytelling event, with children sitting on chairs and on the floor, in a room decorated with folding screens, a small table, and a guitar in the background.

School Visit Option 2

Cynthia will read her picture book, IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE and BUTTERFLY SEA. Cynthia will discuss the process of how picture books are made and how they are a collaboration between the author and the illustrator. She’ll share how that collaboration works and students will have the opportunity to become Cynthia’s illustrator for a new book she is working on. Suitable for kindergarten through grade four.

One hour presentation

Maximum number of students: 50

Materials: Each student will need coloured pencils or crayons and paper

A woman reading a colorful storybook to a group of children sitting outdoors on a plaid blanket, in a garden with wooden planters and a chain-link fence.

School Visit Option 3

Cynthia will read her picture books, IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE and BUTTERFLY SEA. Cynthia, who is a volunteer citizen scientist with David Suzuki foundation, will discuss how she came to write books about pollinators. Who are the pollinators? Cynthia will talk about role of pollinators, things that are impacting their survival, why it matters, and how we can help them. For Grades 2-4 there will be a follow up writing activity.

Grade 2-4 One hour presentation

Maximum number of students: 50

Equipment: Projector and Computer with Internet access for Google Slide presentation

Family Literacy Night

Book Cynthia for a presentation on family literacy. She’ll cover the reasons why it’s important and ideas on how you and your family can make literacy engaging and fun. It’s simpler than you might expect.

IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE

Miniature fairy garden scene with a small ceramic house and a swing set with a fairy figurine, surrounded by green foliage.