Imagination Friday with Joanna Ho

a boy and a girl speaking to each other through speech bubblesMeet Joanna Ho, the author and illustrator of Say My Name. Names reveal generational ties and histories, weaving an intricate tale of the past. Names — and correctly saying them — are important. Each one carries the hopes, dreams and traditions of those that came before us. Six captivating kids of Chinese, Tongan, Persian, Diné, Mexican and Ghanaian descent proudly celebrate their names, languages and cultures. Joanna Ho’s lyrical story explains how saying a person’s name is the only way we can truly know another.

Joanna will share her new book and process in creating the story, invite children to participate in an activity and answer questions.


You must register for the webinar to attend and will receive a link to click on and join this exciting interaction with Joanna Ho. The webinar will be recorded and those who register will receive that link to watch the recording if unable to join us live. Teachers or families who want to show the webinar live to their classes will be able to live-stream the webinar.

Register here to attend the webinar.


Host: Kathy Short, UArizona Regents Professor and Director of WOW.
Panelist: Joanna Ho
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books


Woman looks over her shoulder smiling

Photo by Katie Heiner

Joanna Ho Joanna Ho is the bestselling and award-winning author of many books for children, including Eyes that Kiss at the Corners, Playing at the Border, and Say My Name. She is a writer and educator with a passion for anti-bias, anti-racism and equity work. She has been an English teacher, a dean, the designer of an alternative-to-prison program, a creator of educator professional development, and a high school vice principal. She lives in the Bay Area, where she survives on homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids.

Imagination Fridays is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words/University of Arizona and will occur from 1-1:45 p.m. once a month on a Friday from September to December with a different author or illustrator. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrators to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Adam Rex

A young boy in a wizards robe and hat runs through a forest, closely followed by a large crow.Meet Adam Rex, the author and illustrator of The Story of Gumluck the Wizard, a new early chapter book series. In this absurdly silly and heartfelt book, a wee wizard is on a quest to become a helpful hero by doing the bidding of rude, ungrateful townspeople. Narrated by a sarcastic raven, this noodlehead tale introduces a goofy magical kingdom along with questions about truth and lies.

Adam will share his new book, his process in creating the story, invite children to create their Gumluck adventure, and answer questions.


You must register for the webinar to attend and will receive a link to click on and join this exciting interaction with Adam Rex. The webinar will be recorded and those who register will receive that link to watch the recording if unable to join us live. Teachers or families who want to show the webinar live to their classes will be able to live-stream the webinar.

Resister here to attend the webinar.


Host: Kathy Short, UArizona Regents Professor and Director of WOW.
Panelist: Adam Rex
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books


a man with short hair wearing glassesAdam Rex is the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, On Account of the Gum, Are You Scared Darth Vadar and The True Meaning of Smekday (made into the animated movie Home). He is the author of Oh No, The Aunts Are Here and Pluto Gets the Call, and the illustrator of Chu’s Day. He has also created art for games like Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. He lives in Tucson, Arizona with his cat, dog, son and wife. Visit him at https://www.adamrex.com/ or follow him on Twitter.

Imagination Fridays is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words/University of Arizona and will occur from 1-1:45 p.m. once a month on a Friday from September to December with a different author or illustrator. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrators to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Michaela Goade

A young girl holding a white and grey feather stands in the middle of a stylized wave. A crescent moon is behind her, plants in the dark of the moon, and sihlouettes of peopel holding hands to form a line is in the background.Meet Michaela Goade, illustrator of We Are Water Protectors, winner of the Caldecott medal. Michaela is the first Indigenous illustrator to win this award. We are celebrating her book in the Big Read initiative due to its focus on water as the first medicine that affects and connects all of us. When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison the water, one young water protector takes a stance to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

Michaela will talk about her process of creating illustrations for the book and provide an illustrating invitation for children. She will also answer questions.

Big Read Tucson is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and features literary events from January to early March to explore the theme of water. The series centers on Postcolonial Love Poem, by Natalie Diaz, and We are Water Protectors, written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade.


Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Michaela Goade
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books


Portrait of a woman outdoorsMichalea Goade is an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Her Tlingit name is Sheit.een and she is of the Kiks.á Clan (Raven/Frog) from Sheet’ká. She works as an illustrator with Indigenous authors and tribal organizations in the creation of beautiful and much-needed books. Her recent books include I Sang You Down the Stars, Berry Song and Remember.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs one Friday a month from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2022 with a different author or illustrator each session. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

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Worlds of Words Presents Imagination Fridays

By Aika Adamson, Worlds of Words

Worlds of Words and the Tucson Festival of Books partner to bring excitement and fun to children with our limited series, Imagination Friday. Watch as an author or illustrator appears virtually to discuss their books live with children in classrooms and at home. These bestselling creators do a brief presentation, lead activities and answer questions. This periodic webinar series occurs during the school day on Fridays from 1:00-1:45 PM from September to December 2023 so teachers can share in their classroom. You must register for the webinars to attend and will receive a link to click on and join each webinar. The webinar will be recorded and those who register will receive that link to watch the recording if unable to join us live. Registration links are on the Tucson Festival of Books and on Worlds of Words. Registration is free! Continue reading

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Imagination Fridays

By Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

Each week in November, WOW Currents will feature an online resource that teachers and families can access to support literacy instruction in their virtual learning spaces. This week’s post features Imagination Friday hosted by Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures and Tucson Festival of Books. WOW offers many amazing resources for teachers and families, and Imagination Friday is no exception. Continue reading