• Illustration
  • Books
  • Motion
  • School Visits
  • Activities
  • News
  • About
Menu

Anna Raff Illustration

  • Illustration
  • Books
  • Motion
  • School Visits
  • Activities
  • News
  • About
ARaff-LCballoons1.jpg

Little Card & Portland Stage

April 11, 2019
ARaff_LittleCard_cvr_LoRes.jpg

Who among us children’s book creators doesn’t wonder if our work might find a second life somewhere beyond the page? Sure, a movie deal would be amazing—pardon me while I fantasize about a second home with an ocean view—but in reality, it rarely happens. More commonly, that second life comes in a smaller, more intimate form. So it was with great pleasure that I traveled up to Maine last week to witness something really special.

For the past three years, the Portland Stage Company has been performing A BIG SURPRISE FOR LITTLE CARD by Charise Harper as part of their educational outreach into public schools. Their PLAY program brings children’s literature and poetry to life in front of students, grades K–5. Here’s a quote from their website:

“The goal of PLAY is to connect theater with literacy by making literature performative and encouraging reading fluency, character recall, understanding of themes, emotional recognition, physical storytelling, and vocal characterization.”

I really didn’t know what to expect, but the performance was delightful and the actors were wonderfully engaging. Best of all, the students really loved it. LITTLE CARD is a plucky, enthusiastic guy who show great perseverance even in the most challenging situations, so he seems like an excellent choice.

So while this may not be a movie deal—or something that has any financial payoff—it still makes me feel pretty good. Look at these lovely people. Thanks, Portland Stage! 💜

Raff_PortlandStage_LC1.jpg
Raff_PortlandStage_LC2.jpg
Raff_PortlandStage_LC5-group.jpg
Tags A Big Surprise for Little Card, Charise Harper, Candlewick, Portland Stage, theater, school visit
← KANGAROO & Dolly Parton‘s Imagination Library★ Another Star for THE DAY THE UNIVERSE EXPLODED MY HEAD →

Subscribe to My Newsletter...

Care to know what's news with me? Sign up with your email for
quarterly updates.*

*That is, if I'm super organized.

We respect your privacy. See a sample newsletter.

Thank you!

© 2025 Anna Raff