“My librarian heart is full of happiness and joy! Thank you again for being such an inspiration to me, the students, and staff here at Garin!” —Candace Golinveaux, Librarian, Garin Elementary School, Brentwood, CA “Omgoodness! I hear kids singing the books all day! It’s so awesome how much they loved your visit!” —Stacie Robles, Librarian, Pioneer Elementary School, Brentwood, CA “Thank you for a fantastic week of Music, Language and Rhythm! Hundreds of happy, book-loving children, parents and teachers!” —Pia Wong, Executive Director, Bring Me a Book Foundation, Hong Kong —”Our students are still talking about your visit! They loved it so much! It put some pep in everyone’s step for sure!! Thanks for sharing your passion for literature and music with us…it left a lasting impression!” —Lynda Brewster, Librarian, Paradise Valley Elementary School, Casper, WY “Thank you for putting so much energy into your thrilling performances today! We so enjoyed your storytelling talents, musical abilities, and great multi-language integration into your presentations! You are a rock star!” —Angelique Lackey, Librarian, North East Independent School District, TX “Thank you for delivering such an inspiring and entertaining keynote for our conference [for pre-school educators]. The feedback has been incredibly positive. You played a major role in the success of the event. I will be sure to share your work with other Raising A Reader coordinators.” —Patricia F. Sasso, Raising a Reader Initiative Officer, Silicon Valley Community Foundation “It was a wonderful two days and our students are still excited! They absolutely loved your presentations and your books are the most requested.” —Martha Rowland, District Librarian, Sacramento City Unified School District “Our kiddos are STILL raving about what a great time they had at your presentations. Thank you again for the wonderful visit!”                                     —Jennifer Williams, Library Media Assistant, Hort Elementary School, Bakersfield, CA “I’ve heard nothing but great things regarding your visit from students and staff alike. My 6th graders came to class yesterday singing lines from Jazz Fly II.” —Mitch Mendosa, Teacher and Assistant Principal, Anderson Valley Elementary School, Boonville, CA “I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciated that wonderful visit. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from teachers and students. Thank you again so much for truly memorable assemblies.” —Robin Butts, Librarian, La Tercera Elementary School, Petaluma, CA “Thank you so much! I’m going to send you the journal entries from my middle school students, I think you’ll enjoy them. All our students LOVED your assemblies, so they’ll be sure to bring their parents to school, it will be a fantastic evening.” —Sandy Kaplan, Reading Specialist, Tomales Elementary School, Tomales, CA “Many of the teachers commented on how wonderful your presentations were: ‘The best we ever had!’ As you know, we have had many authors and illustrators visit our schools, and your presentations are the best!” —Barbara Bundy, Librarian, Foot of Ten School and Charles W. Longer School, Hollidaysburg, PA The kids are still singing Jazz Fly 2, and I know they won’t forget your time with us. Thank you for visiting Hollidaysburg!” —Cathy Rodgers, Blair County Reading Council President, Hollidaysburg, PA “You are an excellent presenter modeling multilingualism, music, creativity, and originality in addition to authoring fun books. You do an awesome job bringing reading joy to the students.” —Louise Pontius, Librarian, Cantú Elementary School, Alton, TX “Your author assemblies are a feast of creativity and entertainment. They are nothing like the way I could read your stories myself. At your core, you are a performer—and worth every penny! I will recommend your program and books enthusiastically!” —Mary Jane Beccaria, Library Assistant, Monte Vista Elementary School, Rohnert Park, CA “Again, we thank you for the FANTASTIC author assemblies! We hope you enjoy this sampling of letters from each grade level. All students wanted to have their letters included, but it would have made this book HUGE! Now everyone’s an author.” —Harmony Gooch, 6th grade teacher, Wright Elementary School, Santa Rosa, CA “I have been teaching twenty-five years. I have heard lots of authors, and you are BY FAR the best presenter I’ve heard!” —Nancy Aiona, 2nd grade teacher, Evergreen Elementary School, Rohnert Park, CA “Thank you so very much! You did a fantastic job. The children that live in this area do not get opportunities like this very often. It is greatly appreciated.” —Melissa Cowan, 3rd grade teacher, DiGiorgio School, Arvin, CA “In thirty-two years of teaching, I’ve heard a lot of authors, and you are the most talented presenter I’ve seen.” —Diane E. Vella, Foot of Ten School, Duncansville, PA What a great job! Your presentations received great reviews. You left your audience wanting more.” —Diane Buckalew, Director, Fresno Teachers Conference, Fresno, CA “On behalf of our entire staff, thank you for showing our students an exhilarating day. They didn’t even know they were learning! Ha!” —Tina Stolberg, Parent Volunteer, Sun Valley Elementary School, San Rafael, CA “Our staff and students are still talking about your enthusiasm and how well you related to our community. We had an awesome time! We will be sure to tell other schools about your great message of family literacy.” —Veronica Braynt, Library Clerk, Stratford School, Stratford, CA “Thank you for coming to ‘the sticks,’ Coalinga. You have had an impact on young minds to dream big, and pursue their dreams.” —Lori Jennings, Teacher, Coalinga, CA “Thank you for coming to our school and giving our students two terrific author assemblies. Enclosed you will find some letters from students, pictures of a bulletin board they did, and some creative endings they produced centered around The Moon was at a Fiesta.” —Rebecca Knops, Librarian at George Hall School San Mateo, CA “Your performance at Lejeune High School today was sensational! I truly enjoyed your musical talent and children’s literature.” —Susan Potter, 3rd grade teacher Camp Lejeune, NC “Thank you from all of us at Royal Oaks for such a wonderful visit. Not a day passes without a student, or teacher, telling me what a fun time they had!” —Melody, Librarian at Royal Oaks School Visalia, CA “What a pleasure it was to meet you and hear you speak—so very wonderful and inspiring. Your enthusiasm was infectious and everyone I spoke with thoroughly enjoyed your presentation.” —Lisa Foshay, C.A.R. Author’s Luncheon “We really enjoyed your author assembly at our school and have had lots of fun in class reading your books. We made puppets to Ten Oni Drummers and took turns acting it out. Thank you so much for inspiring us and sharing your work with us. We hope that you can come back sometime.” —Julie Buickerood, 1st/2nd Grade Teacher “We enjoyed your visit with us at Hyer. The students, teachers and staff, all, have showered me with thanks! You certainly relate well with the students and make your books come alive!” —Janet Peters Hyers Elementary School, Dallas, TX “You have a wonderful gift with connecting with kids of all ages. I have personally gained so much insight with regard to other cultures and beliefs by reading and sharing your stories with the kids.” —Steffani, Roy Cloud School Redwood City, CA “Many thanks for your wonderful gift of The Jazz Fly. I have enjoyed your rhyming and play with sounds. Having the CD with your book adds so much to the story. I marvel at the music and the keen instrumentation.” —Ashley Larson, Librarian Woodside Elementary School, Woodside, CA “The teachers and kids are still talking about how much they enjoyed your author visit.” —Vicky Porter, Librarian Schaefer Elementary Media Library, Santa Rosa, CA “Welcome to Colegio Maya! Looking forward to your author assembliess tomorrow!” —Dr. Sheryl Miller and all the Maya community Guatemala City, Guatemala “I am the elementary school librarian from St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Japan, a private all-boys K-12 school. The Jazz Fly won the boys over with its playful language and infectious rhythm. Our students come from 70 different countries and many are bilingual or trilingual, so they really did appreciate your dedication of the book to second-language learners, and your message of trying to communicate in different ways.” —Anna Fernicola, Librarian St. Mary’s International School, Tokyo, Japan “Thank you so much for the last shipment of books. All the children seem really delighted with the entire visit and autographed treasures.” —Sandra, White Oaks School San Carlos, CA “I want to thank you for a wonderful evening. We have all heard so many great words about your author presentation…Your talents and kindness will be remembered for a long time!” —Darlene Dodd, Title I Teacher “As usual, your performance was splendid…I showed the video of The Jazz Fly this week and it got rave reviews just like you did. The password around school is now, ‘Za-baza, Boo-zaba, Zee-zah, RO-ni,’ The question around here is, ‘When can we have Matthew Gollub back again?’ You continue to be professional, educational and entertaining all at once. We were delighted to have you come and thank you for a wonderful performance.” —Shelley Pickett, Librarian Forkner Elementary School, Fresno, CA “Thank you for a wonderful author visit to our school. The students and teachers are sure to remember it for a long time to come.” —Cathy O’Connor McPherson School, Napa, CA “Thank you for your wonderful visit. Your author assemblies were fantastic, and I have gotten so much positive feedback from the school.” —Kristin Wilfong, The Carey School San Mateo, CA “Thank you so much for allowing us to come and be a part of this special day in the life of McSwain Elementary School. We enjoyed the times we spent with you and appreciate the time you gave us for an interview.” —Robin Hopper, METV Reading Specialist Merced County Office of Education “We recently had author Matthew Gollub visit our elementary school and I just had to share the success of this program with you all. I attended this trilingual (English, Spanish and Japanese) author’s workshop at CSLA in November and was impressed with his enthusiasm and creativity. His book, The Jazz Fly, is a rollicking romp through jazz scatting that the youngest through the oldest of our students adored. I can’t recommend this author’s program enough!” —Robin Ludmer, Librarian Beach School in Piedmont, CA “I just had to tell you that a class of 7th-8th graders are learning to tell stories this year and your storytelling video Techniques for a Dynamic Storytime, was so useful for them. These kids are telling stories at a school in which there are a lot of Spanish-speaking children, and as a result of seeing your video, have decided to incorporate the Spanish they are learning in their storytelling.” —Leslie Kanno, Christa McAuliffe School Saratoga, CA “I was so positively influenced by your workshop at the Fresno Convention Center. You impacted me so much that I went back to my school, enthusiastic about sharing some of the good things that I learned from you about storytelling.” —Nola Kanawyer, Reading Specialist Sierra View Elementary School, Madera, CA

What Students say, Grades K-8

“Dear Mr. Gollub, I love your books. I learned how to read with your books.” — (5th grade student, Five Points, CA) “I am full of energy because your drums and books made me fantastic with energy.” “You inspired me to keep trying. You also inspired me to keep reading and writing.” “You’re a very talented person and author.” “Thank you for showing us the books your wrote. I also enjoyed learning some Japanese words. Arigatoh!” “I am from India! That’s so cool that you went to India. You inspired me to read and write books. Also, you made me not want to watch that much TV and only watch it for 30 minutes a day.” “I think you are an excellent author. I also liked your mask and books, especially Gobble, Quack, Moon.” “I’m very impressed that you learned three languages.” “I really liked how you talked in Spanish and Japanese.” “I enjoyed learning about Japanese culture. Your assembly was fantastic and I enjoyed looking at the slides you brought in.” “I was amazed at how much Japanese you know. My aunt is from Japan so I know a little. I loved your drums, but I play the piano.” “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!! You were great. We enjoyed having you come to our school. Mrs. Royer let us listen to The Jazz Fly again today… It is the best. Keep on writing!!!” “I really liked it when you played the drums and taught us about haiku.” “Your author assembly was magnificent. P.S. I am the person who volunteered.” “I enjoyed listening about your life. You have a very interesting career. My favorite books are Gobble, Quack, Moon and Ten Oni Drummers. I liked your drumming and you being respectful and teaching us a little Japanese.” “It was really cool when you played the drums with some other people playing the rest of the instruments. My friend, Noam, got to play ‘el frying pan.’” “I like the way your Jazz Fly voice goes with the words of the book. I thought it was funny when you told us about your breakfast.” “The things you told us really gave me a good idea of writing a story.” “I know that your advice on writing will help me. I have read almost all of your books. I enjoyed you telling us how you made your books.” “Thank you for coming to our school. I did not know anything about Japanese until you taught me. It was very neat to hear the drum beat. I liked when you dressed up in the funny clothes.”

What still others say

“In all seven years I’ve participated in the event [CA Association for Rehabilitation Author’s Luncheon], you were the most well-received, most-enjoyed children’s author we’ve had! You were a hit! You kept the audience rolling with laughter and awe…I could sense everyone wanted you to go on beyond your time limit. What a success!” —Julie Davis, Atherton, CA, C.A.R. Author’s Luncheon Committee member “You are not only a talented writer, but also a very charismatic presenter. Thank you for the author assemblies and the difference you have made in our students’ lives. They will enjoy the books and memories for many years.” —Sharon Kirklin, Principal Buckeye Elementary School, El Dorado Hills, CA “Your ability to connect with people is such a gift, and you put so much of yourself into your visit! Each assembly was perfectly matched to the ages of your audience, and your interaction with the children was so genuine.” —Gennie Williams, Librarian Lincoln School, Burlingame, CA “We are still basking in the afterglow of your visit. Our students really benefited from your visit here.” —Allison Wagner, District Librarian Butte County Office of Education, Oroville, CA “Thank you for your inspiring work. The children love your books. We all enjoyed your assemblies and appreciated the opportunity to show you how we felt about your stories.” —Kelly Martin Mauro, Teacher Lake Forest Elementary School, El Dorado Hills, CA “The kids thoroughly enjoyed your author assemblies. I heard from many parents who told me that their kids rarely report on any of their daily activities, but many talked about the “cool” presentation they got to see when the author came to school!” —Julian Dreswick, Teacher Baywood Elementary School, Piedmont, CA “Jack [my son] came home on a cloud and could not stop talking about you. I loved the way Jack said to me, ‘Mom, I met the neatest guy at school today’ and then proceeded to tell me about you as if he had made a new friend. He thought you were fascinating.” —Parent Armstrong Elementary School, Dallas, TX “Thank you so much for coming to our school. We learned so much from you and your books! The kids are really interested in other languages now.” —Judy Berchelli Foothill Oaks School Library, Sacramento, CA “Wow! What a sensation you were at the Santa Clara Library. We’re still getting thanks for bringing you to our patrons. They loved it all–from your drumming to your multi-lingual storytelling to your spectacular performance of THE JAZZ FLY. Rarely do we have such a multi-talented performer.” —Jan Lieberman, Librarian Santa Clara Public Library, CA “Boys and girls, you are about to be treated to the best assembly all year. Mr. Gollub is not just an author, but a musician, a linguist and storyteller as well!” —Claudia Plumley, Principal Jefferson School, Cloverdale, CA “It has been nearly a month, and I am still receiving congratulations for bringing you to the District.” —Anne Mangels, Library Media Coordinator Rocklin Unified School District, Rocklin, CA “Once again, a super thank you for firing up the kids. You definitely make and leave an awesome impression.” —Rosaedith Villaseñor Alcott School, Pomona, CA “You made me realize how important it is to give the profession you have chosen one hundred percent dedication. Thank you very much for being such an inspiration to us all. We will always remember you and learn from you as we grow in any career we’ve chosen.” —Eva García, Teacher’s Aide Alcott School, Pomona, CA “Your command of three languages, storytelling and rhythmic instruments made for an unbelievably dynamic combination. You are a truly talented professional able to captivate an audience regardless of age.” —Shelley Pickett, Library Assistant Forkner Elementary School, Fresno, CA “We are very pleased with your bilingual workshops surrounding the exhibit of Mr. Martínez’s exquisite art. Thanks again for all your work in helping us reach a broader community.” —Mary Felt, Coordinator of Educational Exhibitions The Art Institute of Chicago “You were terrific! The [graduate] students really enjoyed your presentation and learned so much from you.” —Dr. Dianne Lapp School of Teacher Education, San Diego State University “We are grateful for special guests like you who greatly enrich our learning of Japanese culture and of all cultures. Domo arigato gozaimashita!” —Etsuko Mayetani, Bilingual Teacher El Marino Language School, Culver City, CA “Thank you so much for your author assemblies and workshop. I have heard nothing but raves from the faculty and students. We enjoyed you and the students learned from you.” —Janet Barrows, Administrator Lincoln School, Santa Rosa, CA “What a great job! Your presentations received great reviews. You left your audiences wanting more!” —Diane Buckalew, Director Fresno Teachers Conference, Fresno, CA “Thank you, again, for your wonderful presentation at our first Tehama County Reading Council Conference. You did a terrific job of weaving the English and Spanish. Lucky Tehama County!” —Dottie Renstrom, Chair Tehama County Reading Council, Red Bluff, CA “My class really enjoyed your assembly. They loved getting to be a part of it; they loved your expression; they were enthralled with the bilingual telling. Thank you for sharing your many talents with us. It is a day we will remember.” —Diane C. Kellogg, Teacher Van Meter School, Los Gatos, CA

Back to Speaking Events