Lois L. Hunt
Richard Cowdrey was invited to our primary school for our annual Reading Week event. His illustrations in Bad Dog, Marley! had caught my eye, especially the way he painted Marley’s nose! He was well prepared for his presentation. He shared a PowerPoint slideshow that made the kids laugh out loud.
Some of his artwork inspired our students to “think outside the box” and his commissioned pieces were amazing! He explained how and why he became an illustrator in a way that was enlightening and motivating, like and invitation for each of our students to take a try at it.
The best part of his presentation was when he sat down and actually drew a Marley face for them as they watched. We have the picture hanging in our library! To top it off, he spent 2 hours signing copies of Bad Dog, Marley! for every student in our building.
Meeting Richard and having him share his talents with our students was a very rewarding and memorable event.
Lois L. Hunt
Reading Specialist
Frank Knight School
Pam Rose
Having Richard Cowdrey visit Columbia Elementary School (Mount Vernon, Ohio) was an exciting time for the students and staff. He gave presentations to primary and intermediate students that were meaningful to the children’s own experiences as illustrators. He spoke of his childhood and early years as an illustrator, along with the training he received. His visuals of the illustrating process made the work real to his audiences.
Richard’s work is fresh and appealing to the children and adults of all ages – everyone can relate to Marley and the adventures that a dog can bring to a family.
Pam RosePrincipal
Columbia Elementary School
Solina Marquis
Everyone who attended one of Richard’s presentations in Allen, Texas, left inspired by the story of his journey, both as an artist and as a person. Richard is not just a terrific illustrator – he is one of those humble, generous individuals who makes you want to go out and make the world a better place.
A joy to work with, we couldn’t have asked for a better speaker to kick off the first year of ALLen Reads, our city’s one community-one book program.
Solina Marquis
Allen Public Library Youth Services Librarian
ALLen Reads Committee
Kim Redington
What a positive, inspiring, uplifting and wonderful experience we had with Mr. Cowdrey! It is obvious that he is doing his passion in life and exudes that passion to students of all ages.
Kim Redington
Director
Clinton County Adult Literacy Program
Benjamin Sapp
Richard’s presentation combines history of creating his work along with humor as he talks about illustrating his books. He does a wonderful job holding the interest of children and adults alike. Richard is one of the most down-to-earth and genuine people you will ever meet… two traits we want to instill in the children we teach.
Benjamin Sapp
Director
The University of Findlay Mazza Museum