WATSONVILLE — In front of a packed multi-purpose room at H.A. Hyde Elementary School Tuesday, children’s book author and filmmaker Drew Daywalt read his new book and hopefully, he said, encourage the students to create their own stories.
“I want to inspire the kids and make them laugh,” he said. “I want them to walk away from this thinking, ‘I can do this.’”
Best known for writing “The Day the Crayons Quit,” Daywalt has also penned about a dozen other books for young readers. He was at the school to promote his latest book, “Huggie & Stick.”
Daywalt has also written and directed several films.
While author engagements can set schools back as much as $5,000, Daywalt’s came at no cost thanks to Bookshop Santa Cruz’s school outreach program, coordinator Kathy Ritchie said.
“It’s a way to encourage kids to read,” she said. “Many of these kids have never met an author. They don’t know where books come from.”
