Picture Book Professor
I earned a PhD in Organizational Communication Education and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Communication, at the University of Utah. I am currently a Visiting Professor at Brigham Young University teaching Organizational Behavior and Management Communication. Courses I have taught in the past include: Interpersonal Communication, Communication Theory and Research, and Communication and Conflict.
One night while reading to my four children, I made a discovery that changed everything I thought I knew about teaching Communication. The book was, Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin. It is a book about cows, a duck, and a farmer who were negotiating a trade of milk for blankets. There is a standoff, compromises are made, there is give-and-take, and eventually the cows and the farmer settle on a comfortable resolution for both parties.
After many years of studying and teaching at the University level, I was astounded by this book’s ability to make the complexity of negotiation and communication come to life in such a vivid, illuminating, and simple way.
I decided to search for other picture books that had a similar effect and found many. I found many and realized that these picture books could help children (and adults!) learn how to become better communicators in a very effective way. They were simple yet complex, humble yet powerful.
As a result, I partnered with experts in Communication, Children’s Literature, and Conflict Resolution to combine their knowledge and passion to develop this website.
This website is for teachers, parents, librarians, home-schoolers, and others who are interested in pedagogy, communication, and teaching skill-building to kids using the powerful tool of picture books.