Sandra Santos/Daily Journal Ashley Bryan, a children’s book author and illustrator, reads to preschoolers and kindergarten students at St. Matthews Episcopal Day School in San Mateo Thursday morning.

Although rather quiet in his responses before children entered the room, author and illustrator Ashley Bryan quickly engaged students with the similarities they all shared.

“Hello friends. What’s my name?” he asked in a projected voice that clearly got the attention of preschool and kindergarten students at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School in San Mateo yesterday.

“Ashley Bryan,” students replied.

“Good. Since you know my name, when you go to the library, you won’t say, ‘I want a book by that man,’” he said before leading the children in an almost a sing song of poems and music.

Bryan, a children’s book author and illustrator, visited St. Matthew’s yesterday reading to students and explaining his inspiration found in poetry and African tales handed down through spoken word rather than written. His work has earned numerous honors including the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration, six Coretta Scott King Honors, the Arbuthnot Prize and a Fulbright Scholarship.

Bryan, the illustrator and author of over 30 books, has made a point to work with children over the years. His illustrations utilize mediums that children use like collages using colored construction paper and painting.

“What I love about having an author at the school is it brings the books to life,” said Head of School Mark McKee. “It helps children realize books come from people and to encourage them to see themselves as authors.”

Bryan began his artistic habits before kindergarten and created his first book in kindergarten for his classmates.

Today, Bryan brings the melodic beat of poems and African spirituals to life while telling stories to the children he meets. On Thursday, Bryan looked as if he were conducting a musical group as he said lines from the work of Langston Hughes and Eloise Greenfield, among others.

Poems and stories call for voices, different tones and a rhythm that anyone can identify by practicing a poem over and over again, he said before having children follow his vocal lead loudly for one poem then in a near whisper for another.

Repetition is a wonderful way for new readers to better learn, he said. Really learning a poem allows students to become aware of the natural beat inspired by those words, Bryan said earlier in the day.

Bryan ended with an excerpt of some of his own work, ending with a teaser and encouraging the children to visit the library and read the book to discover the ending.

The closing brought sad groans for the little ones who had specific book requests they had hoped Bryan would read.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.