APPLY TO HOST JAMI GIGOT (IN PERSON)
BIOGRAPHY
Jami Gigot is the author and illustrator of seven picture books for children, including The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers, The World in Our Backyard, and Starboy; Inspired by the Life and lyrics of David Bowie. Currently, she is working on her first early reader graphic novel Mac and Croc (Kids Can Press, 2026). Jami is also a Texture Supervisor at Disney’s Industrial Light and Magic, and has worked as a visual artist on more than forty motion pictures and episodic series. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, she studied 3D Animation at Vancouver Film School and worked in Los Angeles and London before settling down in Vancouver, BC, where she now lives with her husband, two children and a big orange cat. In addition to writing, drawing, and making films, Jami loves cozying up with a good book and thick socks, combing the shoreline for treasures, and hiking through the rainforest with her family.
Home Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Creator Type: Author-illustrator
Genres: Picture books, graphic novels
Website: www.jamigigot.com
Tour Region: British Columbia (Vancouver Island)
Target Audience: Kindergarten - Grade 5
Cost: For one 60-minute presentation: $300 plus 5% GST
NOTE: The fee of $300 (plus tax) will be paid to The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) upon receipt of an invoice from the CCBC. After Book Week, the CCBC will pay the author their presentation fee of $250 (plus taxes, if applicable).
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
Cryptids!
Target Audience: Kindergarten - Grade 5
Preferred group size: 1 - 4 classrooms
Maximum group size: 100 students
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of cryptids! In this fun presentation, Jami will lead a lively and interactive discussion about cryptids—those legendary creatures that blur the line between myth and mystery. From Sasquatch to Nessie, students will explore fascinating creatures and curious sightings from around the world. What sparks these strange stories? Could any of them be real? She will read her humorous new picture book, The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers, and give a behind-the-scenes peek at how the book was created.To wrap up, students will take part in a high-energy, call and response live drawing session—where they’ll help design a brand-new cryptid of their own!
Required equipment: projector and/or large screen with USB or wifi for presenting and live drawing
Required materials: none
Creating Characters with Personality: The Illustrators Toolbox
Target Audience: Kindergarten - Grade 5
Preferred group size: 1 - 2 classrooms
Maximum group size: 50 students
In this workshop students will stretch their imaginations and sharpen their pencils as they create their own character designs. Jami will share a behind- the-scenes look at her process of creating picture books, including character sketches, references, and work in progress. She will then show how small changes in shapes and lines can make drawings more expressive and will guide the group through playful drawing exercises to help bring each character to life. By the end of the workshop, each student will have a one-of-a-kind character and the makings of their very own story to continue building!
Required equipment: projector and/or screen with USB or wifi for presenting and live drawing.
Required materials: paper, pencils, colored pencils and/or markers,printed worksheets (provided)
Express Yourself!
Target Audience: Kindergarten - Grade 5
Preferred group size: 1 - 2 classrooms
Maximum group size: 50 students
David Bowie was one of the most influential and inspirational artists of all time, beloved for his fearless self-expression and fierce individuality. In this workshop, Jami will read her book STARBOY (Inspired by the life and lyrics of David Bowie), share some of Bowie’s iconic work, and dive into how the book was made. She will then lead the students in a workshop where they can express their own unique interests and passions through art and collage similar to the final spread of the book.
Required equipment: projector and/or screen with USB or wifi for presenting
Required materials: If possible, each student should bring a B&W photocopied print of a photograph of themselves (or be prepared to draw a self portrait), paper, pencils, colored pencils and/or markers, paints (if space allows).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mac & Croc. Kids Can Press, 2026.
The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers. Kids Can Press, 2025.
The World in Our Backyard. Paula Wiseman/S&S 2024.
My Daddy Can Fly (illustrator), Random House Studio, 2021.
Starboy: Inspired by the Life and Lyrics of David Bowie. Henry Holt/Macmillian, 2021.
Imagination Vacation. Albert Whitman, 2019.
Seb and the Sun. Ripple Grove Press/Chicago Review Press, 2018.
Mae and the Moon. Ripple Grove Press/Chicago Review Press, 2016.