Hi, and welcome to my website!
More than 30 years ago I made the best decision ever: That was to change profession and to become an Elementary School teacher!
Ever since I started out as a rookie in NYC and followed my wife on her international job assignments, not once have I regretted that choice.
On the contrary. Those years of teaching weren’t just a profession, but a calling and commitment. Most of all, it was a promise to the kids to help them grow and feel excited about learning.
I believe to have found a way to connect with them, get them inspired and grow in self-confidence.
In the course of my teaching years, I acquired my own toolbox of go-to lessons and approaches, that I also learned from and shared with colleagues. These I plan to share with you for FREE. Keep checking back as the toolbox will be filled in the weeks and months to come! I believe this toolbox will help you just as much to get kids engaged with their learning.
Teaching will always be part of me, a passion that I wanted to bring into the picture books I have published. This is why I included a Did you know? section at the back of my books. Kids get an opportunity to learn more about the topic and teachers may find it useful in class discussions.
Hope you like them!
R.G.
p.s. Want to read about my very own personal hippo attack? Check out my travels section!
Award-Winning Books for your classroom and home
I am very proud and honored that my books have received several awards and found their way into many classrooms, libraries and homes! It is especially rewarding to hear how much kids enjoyed reading them!
The idea for Books For Benjamin (Book #1) came about while visiting the Library of Congress, the world's largest and ever growing library. I thought it would be great to have a book character connected to that library. During the visit, I learned about Thomas Jefferson's contribution to the library and his famous quote, "I cannot live without books." This inspired me to create Benjamin, a bookworm (only the name stems from Benjamin Franklin, another great man who cherished learning and reading). Benjamin and books go well together. I also like the alliteration in words "Books" and "Benjamin" and used that in the title.
For educators: I believe this picture book to be perfect for classrooms, libraries, and homes, as it encourages early literacy, a growth mindset, and the joy of discovery. It also introduces young readers to an essential topic in today’s digital world—copyright—helping children understand the importance of respecting books and creative work.
Fun sidenote: My school's librarian used the book to not only encourage library use, but also to introduce the topic of plagiarism!
In No Books For Benjamin (Book #2) Benjamin is faced with a challenge when a sickness called the "Purple Dots," closes down libraries. Will Benjamin and his friends succeed in getting books in the hands of kids again? The seeds of this book stem from the experience of educators from around the world during the Covid pandemic. All of a sudden libraries, as we knew them, were shuttered which included school libraries. However, undaunted librarians came up with ideas of how to get books into the hands of kids again. In my particular school it was called , "Click and Collect." Parents would order books online through the library system and the librarian would select the books, sanitize them and place them in a bag for each parent to drive by and pick them up.
For educators: Working as a team when faced with challenges is a valuable lesson for children. In this story each of the characters brings in their very own strength and contributes to finding solutions. And so can your kids in the classroom!
While my wife and I were living in Kenya, we loved going on safaris and we especially loved watching elephant families at the waterholes. Watching the little ones at play and seemingly having a lot of fun, was simply heartwarming. However, to hear of the plight of young ones, orphaned by poachers, was so saddening. When I heard of a local lady, who dedicated her life rescuing orphaned elephants, I had to visit. Her name was Daphne Sheldrick and her life's mission was to nurse them and bring them back into the wild.
Her story really captured me. I went to the orphanage to see the elephants close up and was promptly greeted by a little elephant named, Imenti, who proceeded to swallow my arm like a baby teething and then took my arm with his trunk and led me around a bit. His keepers were very excited. They told me that only the day before that Imenti was so sick they worried they would lose him. His taking my arm in play meant that this little elephant now had the will to live. I looked all around and couldn't find books for children on this topic so I was inspired to write a picture book to introduce children to this great lady.
For educators: The main idea I wanted especially young readers to come away with is that through love and determination anything is possible. When faced with challenges, Daphne refused to give up, leading her to be the first to develop an elephant baby formula that worked.
