On March 11th, BFS was thrilled to welcome New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Tad Hills to our library for a special presentation. As the creative mind behind the beloved Duck & Goose and Rocket book series, Mr. Hills captivated our Early Childhood to Grade 2 students with his lively presentation, engaging read-aloud, and sketching and painting demonstration. 

Mr. Hills shared his process as an author and illustrator to create beloved characters and stories, including his own real-life dog Rocket. The students enjoyed seeing photos of the real Rocket and learning about his family. 

Mr. Hills presented an engaging read aloud of his book Duck & Goose Go to the Beach, and students were excited to make predictions about the plot and share their understanding of the characters’ feelings.

Students were mesmerized as Mr. Hills demonstrated how to draw his character Duck using simple shapes, and he helped students understand that sometimes pictures can tell a story and convey emotion without words.

Students didn’t just listen, they asked thoughtful questions that helped them discover how characters, stories, and illustrations come to life.  Mr. Hills shared that he learned to draw and paint over many years of practice, and he encouraged our students to continue developing their skills as authors and illustrators.

The curiosity, excitement, and wonder of our youngest Sharks filled the library, and they reflected on the experience:

“My favorite part was his drawing because the duck was looking so good. The books Duck & Goose are amazing and funny.” – Nasser A. (K5)

“I like when he draws and he tells us a story about Duck & Goose.” – Kirill I. (K5)

“My favorite part was when he was drawing. I was so amazed! I like the knock knock jokes in his books.” – Shéhérazade T. (G1)

“I loved it. I’ve read a lot of his books since I was little.” Rania K. (G2)

As part of We Love Reading Month, experiences like this help bring stories off the page and into our community—supporting our vision to empower students to excel academically, thrive socially, and grow into compassionate global citizens and leaders.

We deeply appreciate Mr. Hills for visiting BFS and inspiring our youngest readers.