I visit about 15 schools a year. I live in Kutztown, PA, so most of my visits are in Pennsylvania and neighboring states, but I do love to travel. I’m working on a new book about Capybaras, coming in May, 2026.
This year I had fun doing summer presentations at public libraries in Reading and Nazareth, PA. In 2026, I’ll be visiting three schools in Lancaster County, PA and one in Pittsburgh. I still have plenty of dates open for school visits.
I have a dozen videos on my YouTube channel. Most are just a few minutes long and they are all kid friendly.
FEES: $750 for a full school day, up to 3 presentations. Happy to make brief visits to Kindergarten or art class beyond the formal presentations. Plus travel: 50 cents per mile travel from Kutztown, PA. Over 120 miles from my home? Let’s talk. I’ll need to add a night’s accommodation. If you work with a local independent bookseller, let me know. Questions? Contact me.
Two literacy organizations — Behind the Book in NYC and An Open Book Foundation, Wash, D.C. bring me to big city schools. It is great to meet kids who might not have a lot of books in their homes. I get so much good energy from enthusiastic learners. If you are at a Title 1 school, let me know and I will discount my fee.
What to expect when I visit…
My books are geared for pre-K to 3rd grade. Lower grades love to hear my stories about animals. For upper grades I focus on the process of writing and illustration. I share images and text edited out of my books and explain the editing process. Sometimes I bring a bucket of worms and stage a worm race. That really wakes a school up!
With small groups I use my ‘Crankie’ box for presentations. For larger groups, I use PowerPoint and draw on an easel. Even in a large assembly I strive for an interactive learning experience.
Natural history and simple biology are the subject matter of my recent books. I appreciate science, but I am no scientist. Fortunately, I have friends who are scientists and TOON Books has editors to check my facts. I am always learning!
“Kevin McCloskey was part of our Family Math and Reading Night at Oley Valley Elementary this year. We loved his presentation, especially getting to try out our own snail illustration. Students of all ages and families enjoyed the fun facts (exploding ants!), shadow box, and even worm races. Kevin McCloskey was great with the students and we would highly recommend him for a school visit.
Mrs. Dawn Conrad, Librarian
Oley Valley Elementary School, Oley, PA
Hey, McCloskey 
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