APPLY TO HOST NADIA ALAM (IN PERSON)
BIOGRAPHY
Nadia Alam is a children’s book illustrator with a deep love for storytelling and visual narrative. She studied at OCAD University and earned a Master’s in Education from the University of Toronto, combining her passion for art with a strong commitment to literacy and learning. She has had the privilege of illustrating books for publishers such as Scholastic, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Candlewick Press, Abrams, and more—always with the goal of creating artwork that reflects warmth, imagination, and inclusivity. She has also taken part in school and library visits and book festivals, where she has had the joy of connecting directly with young readers and celebrating the richness of Canadian children’s literature. Supporting and promoting literacy and books for young people is at the heart of what she does, and she is excited to contribute her skills and experience to initiatives that nurture a lifelong love of reading, writing, and illustrating.
Home Location: Toronto, Ontario
Creator Type: Illustrator
Genres: Picture books
Website: nadiaalamillustration.com
Tour Region: Ontario
Target Audience: Grades 2 - 6
Cost: For one 60-minute presentation: $300 plus 13% HST
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
Frankendoodle!: A Celebration of Creative Collaboration
Target audience: Grades 2 – 6
Preferred group size: 10 – 30 participants
Maximum group size: 40 participants
Making a picture book is a team effort! From authors and editors refining the story to illustrators and art directors shaping the visuals, collaboration is at the heart of every great book. It takes conversation, curiosity, and a whole lot of flexibility—and yes, plenty of mistakes — to turn an idea into something real.
In this interactive presentation, children’s book illustrator Nadia Alam invites students behind the scenes of how a picture book is made. With a lively slideshow and real tools from her studio — props, sketches, materials, and more — Nadia will show the many stages of the creative process, from early rough work and revisions to the polished final art and book. Students will see how much teamwork and trial-and-error go into every page, and how each person’s contribution helps shape the final story.
Then, students will roll up their sleeves for an inspiring group drawing activity called Frankendoodle! Based on the classic game Exquisite Corpse, this collaborative project invites students to each draw a section of a mystery character without seeing the rest. The results are surprising, creative, and always crowd-pleasers — an unforgettable lesson that the best ideas often come from working (and laughing) together.
Required equipment: Monitor/set up for slide show
Required materials: sheets of printer paper, pencils, coloured pencils, markers
Character Builders!: Drawing Unique and Expressive Characters
Target audience: Grades 2 – 6
Preferred group size: 10 – 30 participants
Maximum group size: 40 participants
Character building is one of the most imaginative and exciting parts of being an illustrator! In this fun and interactive presentation, children’s book illustrator Nadia Alam will show students how she brings stories to life by adding unique and expressive characters — some of whom might not even appear in the book’s text! Maybe the main character has a cat who loves movies, a mischievous messy little sibling, or a neighbour who loves to dance. These details come to life through pictures alone.
Nadia will take students behind the scenes of how a picture book is made, focusing on the process of character development. Using a slideshow, props, and real materials from her studio, she’ll share how she creates each character — from first rough sketches and research, to be experimenting, revising, and making lots of mistakes along the way. Students will see how “messing up” is actually a key part of the creative journey!
She’ll also reveal how illustrators can sneak visual clues into a character’s clothing, room, or body language to show what they like, how they feel, or what kind of person they are — without saying a word.
Then Nadia will lead the class in creating their own original character, brainstorming personality traits, backstory, and visual details. Step by step, students will help her sketch a character using simple shapes and add expressive features, clothing, and other clues that help their story.
Required equipment: Monitor/set up for slide show
Required materials: White board, sheets of printer paper, pencils, coloured pencils, markers
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Wishing Machine. Written by Jonathan Hillman. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023
Awake Asleep. Written by Kyle Lukoff. Scholastic Inc., 2023
Mauntie and Me. Written by Rajani LaRocca. Candlewick Press, 2024
The House Without Lights. Written by Reem Faruq. Henry Holt and Co., 2024
Many Things at Once. Written by Veera Hiranandani. Random House Studio, 2025
Sarabeth’s Garage. Written by Melanie Florence. Tundra Book, 2025
Baba Palooza. Written by Aiman Ghani. Abrams, 2026.
Asha Means Hope. Written by Pooja Makhijani. Rocky Pond Books, 2026.