Home Location: Toronto, Ontario
Creator Type: Illustrator
Genres: Picture Books
Website: www.carmenmokstudio.com
Tour Region: Quebec
Target Audience: Grades 2 and up
Cost: $300* (for one 60-minute presentation)
*(The illustrator collects $250 of the fee and $50 of the fee covers The Canadian Children's Book Centre's administration fees for coordinating Book Week).
Taxes charged on presentations: Yes
BIOGRAPHY
CARMEN MOK is a studio-art graduate of the University of Waterloo and a craft and design graduate of Sheridan College. She has illustrated Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino, selected for the annual TD Grade One Book Giveaway for 2024. Grandmother’s Visit by Betty Quan, an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Picture Book Honor title. Percy's Museum by Sara O'Leary, When I Listen to Silence by Jean E. Pendziwol. Carmen’s other noteworthy books include Orris and Timble by Kate DiCamillo, I Hear You, Forest by Kallie George and Luna’s Green Pet by Kirsten Pendreigh. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
The Art of Imagination: A Crown-Making Adventure
Recommended grades: Grades 2 - 6
Length: 1 Hour
Preferred group size: 20 students
Maximum group size: 25 students
Join acclaimed illustrator Carmen Mok for an engaging and creativity-filled arts workshop! Carmen will kick off the session with a reading of her picture book When I Listen to Silence, exploring the beauty of imagination and how it can inspire artistic expression. Participants will then have the opportunity to create their own unique, wearable paper crown, drawing from the themes of the story. Carmen will guide them through illustration techniques, offering live demonstrations and encouraging brainstorming sessions to help each participant express their ideas visually and bring their creative visions to life.
Required equipment: speaker and microphone
Required materials:
-printed crown template on letter size card stock paper, 3 sheets for each participant. (Template provided by Carmen)
- assorted art tools such as watercolours / colour pencils / colour crayons / colour markers
- scissors
- some extra plain card stock papers (Children are welcome to personalize the crown by creating their own art out of my template.)
- transparent tape and glue sticks
- paper pad and easel. (For art demonstration only)
Brave and Bold: Turning Feelings into Art
Recommended grades: Grades 2 - 6
Length: 1 Hour
Preferred group size: 20 students
Maximum group size: 30 students
In this workshop, Carmen Mok will read from Violet Shrink, and guide participants in exploring how imagination can be a powerful tool for managing anxiety in social situations and expressing their emotions. Through this session, Carmen will share insights into her creative process, showcasing some of the paintings she created for the book. Participants will then be invited to collaborate on a group art project that celebrates the importance of empathy, understanding, and acceptance. With Carmen’s guidance, this workshop aims to inspire young artists to use creativity as a means of expressing their feelings and connecting with others.
Required equipment: speaker and microphone
Required materials:
- plain white letter size paper, approximately 5 sheets for each participant
- assorted art tools such as watercolours / colour pencils / colour crayons / colour markers
- scissors
- transparent tape
- paper pad and easel (For art demonstration only)
Illustrator’s Journey: Creativity, Tips and Insights
Recommended grades: Grades 9 and up
Length: 1 hour
Preferred group size: 25 students
Maximum group size: 40 students
Do you love making art? Have you ever dreamed of becoming a children’s book illustrator? Join award-winning illustrator Carmen Mok as she shares her journey into the world of illustration, from turning her passion into a career to creating her beloved children’s books. Carmen will take you behind the scenes of her book-making process, share helpful tips for aspiring illustrators, and lead a fun sketching exercise to spark your creativity. The session will wrap up with a Q&A, where you can ask Carmen about her experiences, techniques, and any questions you’ve been eager to explore.
Required equipment:
- projector and screen for PowerPoint presentation
- speaker and microphone
Required materials:
- 3-4 pieces of plain white letter size paper for each participant, pencils or markers. (Participants could bring their own sketchbooks, pencils or markers).
- Paper pad and easel (for art demonstration only)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Orris and Timble - Lost and Found by Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick Press (Pub Date: April 30, 2025)
Alfred Blooms by Carrie Kruck, Random House Studio (Pub Date: March 25, 2025)
I Hear You, Mountains by Kallie George, Greystone Books, 2024
Orris and Timble - The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick Press, 2024
Cone Dog by Sarah Howden, Owlkids Books, 2023
I Hear You, Ocean by Kallie George, Greystone Books, 2022
Luna’s Green Pet by Kirsten Pendreigh, Sleeping Bear Press, 2022
When I Listen to Silence by Jean E. Pendziwol, Groundwood Books, 2022
I Hear You, Forest by Kallie George, Greystone Books, 2021
Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, Tundra Books, 2021
Percy’s Museum by Sara O’Leary, Groundwood Books, 2021
Here Babies, There Babies in Summer by Nancy Cohen, Nimbus Publishing, 2021
Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino, Groundwood Books, 2020
A Stopwatch from Grampa by Loretta Garbutt, Kids Can Press, 2020
Cone Cat by Sarah Howden, Owlkids Books, 2020
Dans le ventre du loup by Thomas Scotto, D’EUX, 2020
Grandmother’s Visit by Betty Quan, Groundwood Books, 2018
Waiting for Sophie by Sarah Ellis, Pajama Press, 2017
Ride the Big Machines in Winter, HarperCollins Canada, 2016
Poster to Color, Running Press Book Publishing, 2016
Ride the Big Machines Across Canada, HarperCollins Canada, 2015
Here Babies, There Babies by Nancy Cohen, Nimbus Publishing, 2015
Look at Me Now by Carol McDougall, Shanda LaRamee-Jones, Nimbus Publishing, 2014