Former resident and renowned children’s book illustrator and author Steven Kellogg and award-winning author Patricia MacLachlan visited Sandy Hook Elementary School on Thursday, January 16.

Mr Kellogg and Ms MacLachlan worked together to create Snowflakes Fall in memory of those lost at Sandy Hook School on 12/14. According to a description of the book, it portrays the beauty, joy, and sorrow of life’s natural cycle.

Throughout the day Mr Kellogg and Ms MacLachlan gave presentations for groups of students and signed copies of their books.

“It was really wonderful. The kids were very excited,” said Sandy Hook School library/media specialist Yvonne Cech.

Ms Cech said Mr Kellogg and Ms MacLachlan were energetic and engaging with the students, “and I think everyone enjoyed their visit.”

During one of his morning presentations, Mr Kellogg told students it was  a pleasure to be back. He also said as a child, he loved making up stories and making drawings to go along with them. Stories, Mr Kellogg said, “enrich our lives, and they are also a lot of fun.”

Ms Cech said students at Sandy Hook School read books by Ms MacLachlan and Mr Kellogg to prepare for the visit. For example kindergarteners read The Missing Mitten Mystery by Mr Kellogg, and fourth grade students read Ms MacLachlan’s Word After Word After Word. Students at all grade levels at the school, according to Ms Cech, prepared for the visit by reading books and completing activities around the books.

While sharing his presentation with one group of students, Mr Kellogg also shared news that he is working on an anniversary edition of Pinkerton, Behave!, the first book in his Pinkerton series, for 2014. Students also heard Mr Kellogg perform part of his book Best Friends, while pages and illustrations from the book were projected in front of the group.