HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Guest Post by Susan L. Roth

Many Americans welcome the new year with parties, fireworks, feasts and champagne at midnight. And what do we do the morning after? We make lists of New Year’s resolutions. Do we keep them? Well, we try.

New Year’s Day is our once-a-year-day for a clean slate, yet another chance to do better and be better. On New Year’s Day everyone is full of good intentions.

New Year's Eve in NYC, Illustration Susan L. Roth

Diets and exercise usually top the list, but really, lists can go on and on and on: Read more good books, work harder, work longer, be more polite, stop being impatient. No more bad words, go to sleep earlier, get up earlier, hang up clothes instead of dropping them on the floor! Be better! Be nicer! Be more generous! Be more appreciative! Be a better friend! Be a better neighbor! Be tolerant, be understanding, be kind, be GOOD!

Chinese New Year, Illustration Susan L. Roth

Once the list is begun, it can quickly fill the page, and usually the list is adhered to, at the beginning, anyway. But what if we were given a plethora of second chances for celebrations as well as for second chances to improve ourselves?

Every Month is a New Year, (Lee and Low, 2017) a book of poems by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by me, is a book full of Happy New Year celebrations from all over the world. I learned so much from making the pictures for this book:  there are no two even similar looking. And as for resolutions, every page turn affords a fresh start.

Muslim New Year, Illustration Susan L. Roth

Herewith I am presenting you with another big list full of related activities for students, at least enough for an entire happy new year.

1-Ask students to write a short piece about the new year celebrations that they enjoy in their own families. 

2-Suggest that they create an accompanying illustration. My favorite medium is collage, but they should choose their own favorite.

3-For the most energized, curious and adventurous students: let them try to find other new year celebrations not mentioned in Every Month Is A New Year that they can write about and illustrate.

4- Invite your group to make a joint project calendar of happy new year illustrations which could certainly begin in February or March. Pictures would not have to correspond with unusual-to-us month-specific celebrations, but rather, personal ones. If there are more than a calendar year's worth of students in your group, continue the calendar for as many months as there are students. The finished product could be presented as a big wall of illustrations as well as a calendar, designed to fill a bulletin board, and/or it could be a consecutive band of illustrations designed to go around the walls of a classroom.

5-Encourage each student to start his/her own list of resolutions. Designate one day every month for looking back to see how they did. Invite anyone who managed to keep his/her resolution for that month to give a 30 second speech telling about it. Was it easy? hard? worth the effort? Does the student feel proud and victorious? Take time for applause! 

Do the same for anyone who wishes to tell about failing in the attempt, with applause for the courage it takes to speak about the failure. (This should be handled with humor).

6-Encourage a designated time, probably monthly, to look into each of the cultures explored in Every Month Is A New Year. The back matter in the book includes great explanations and resources for each holiday.  For example: make a dragon; watch wheat grass grow fast daily, right before everyone's very eyes, in a little dish in the classroom; make a kite and fly it; eat green grapes. With permission and supervision, break pots. (Do skip fireworks and firecrackers).

7-Maybe you could even create a brand new holiday: Happy New Month! Let it include a short monthly LITTLE party, and don't forget the Happy New Month's resolutions.

8-Finally, here are some heavier thoughts to think about, write about, to illustrate. 

Encourage everyone, including teachers and librarians, to think about the concept and idea of starting new, starting over. Why is the possibility of one more chance to BE better and to DO better so important? Does hope REALLY spring eternal? And why do we have celebrations anyway? for incentives? for rewards? just because they are fun?

I hope this food for thought gives you something to ponder all year long.

http://susanlroth.com/

Creating Amate Bark Paintings

by Joan Waites

Amate bark paintings are a beautiful type of folk art created by the Otomi Indians of Mexico. These paintings are done on paper made from brown and white bark. The art depicts various flowers, birds, reptiles, and other native animals and/or scenes from everyday life using beautiful patterns and vibrant colors.

Students can create their own Amate paintings using brown Kraft paper or cut up pieces of a brown paper bag to simulate the look of bark.

1. Cut paper into the desired size for the project. Students can create individual works or one large collaborative painting.

2. Crumple the paper into a tight ball. Carefully unwrap the paper and smooth it out using hands, a ruler, or if needed, have an adult iron the paper flat.

3. Using a pencil, have students lightly sketch out their designs. Go over pencil lines with a black Sharpie, oil pastel or crayon.

4. Fill in the designs, shapes, and scenes with bright tempera paint, acrylic paint, oil pastels or markers.

After the students have created their artwork, ask them to write a short folk tale featuring one or more of the animals or people featured in their paintings.

www.joanwaites.com

INSPIRE YOUR STUDENTS WITH BLUE DOG

by Joan Waites

This past week, my young art students completed a project based on the Blue Dog paintings by the late artist George Rodrigue. After talking about the artist and looking at examples of his work, students were instructed to create their own version of a blue dog painting. The idea was not to copy the original work exactly, but to give their own dog a personality by using color choices, background design, and any accessories they wanted their dog to wear.

The paintings were completed on canvas paper with initial sketches done in pencil. Students then traced over their pencil lines with black oil pastel. Acrylic paint was used to fill in color, and as a final step, black acrylic ink was used to go over the oil pastel lines that may have been covered up in the painting process. Works like this could also be completed using basic supplies such as oil pastel, tempera paint, or using colored pencils and crayons.

There have been several books for children written by the artist featuring Blue Dog, including Why is Blue Dog Blue and Are You Blue Dog's Friend? 

As a writing exercise to complement the art, ask students to write a short story featuring their blue dog character. Where does he/she live? Who are his/her owners? What does their dog like to do? Who are his friends, and the question that might reveal the most exciting part of the story…why is Blue Dog blue?

www.joanwaites.com

DO NOT OPEN THIS BOX!

guest post by Timothy Young

Boxes are incredibly useful and somewhat mystical things. Without boxes, birthdays would be less exciting, we’d have a heck of a time on moving day and Schrodinger would have no problem knowing if his cat were dead or alive. Thankfully, we have boxes and my new picture book, Do Not Open The Box!, is a story about one boy and a box. Benny comes across a very large box with a sign on it that says “Do Not Open.” Benny is curious and thinks of all kinds of things that could be in the box, both good and bad, and has to decide whether to give in to temptation and open it.

There are many books about boxes and their plots are as different as the number of things you could find in a box. For example, Too Many Toys by David Shannon, Not A Box by Antoinette Portis or The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli tell very unique stories about what kids do with boxes.

Writing Exercise:

Put a box on a table. Ask students to write two lists of what they think could be in the box. One list will be things that would realistically be in the box. The other will be a fantasy list of what they’d like to be in the box. Examine the differences between the possible and the impossible.

Art Exercise:

The students can pick an item from each list and draw a picture of a dragon eating cupcakes or monsters reading textbooks.

Timothy Young has been an animator, puppet maker, toy designer, sculptor, art director and graphic designer. He’s designed for Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, the Muppets, The Simpsons, Disney, and Universal Studios. Tim is the author/illustrator of 6 picture books including Shadows On My Wall, The Angry Little Puffin and the highly acclaimed I Hate Picture Books!. His latest, Do Not Open The Box, will be released on January 23rd, 2016. He lives with his family on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Find out more about him and his books at www.creaturesandcharacters.com

CHARACTER DOODLES

by Joan Waites

A fun and simple art project to create with your students is a page of character doodles.

Starting with a blank sheet of paper, randomly draw with a permanent black marker, shapes, swirls and varied lines till the page is almost filled. If desired, leave one larger white space to be used later for writing. To make the project more challenging for older students, have them draw with their non-dominant hand, or with their eyes closed. 

Next, fill in the shapes created on the page using various colors. Use a medium that can be drawn on top of when dry such as watercolor, markers, acrylic paint or colored pencils rather than something waxy like oil pastel or crayons.

Once the shapes are filled in with color, ask students to look closely at the art. Can they see a face or an animal? A funny creature? A building or perhaps a tree? Using black or other colored markers, have students add facial details, designs, and embellishments to the characters and objects that emerge on the page.

To add a writing exercise, have students use the large white space on the page to compose a short story, poem, or character study about one or more of their characters.

Happy doodling!

www.joanwaites.com

Get Out Your Crayons!

by Joan Waites

In my last blog post, I outlined an art and writing activity based on the classic children’s book, Harold And The Purple Crayon.  Instead of using just one purple crayon (as per the exercise and the book), now it’s time to get out the whole pack!

It’s hard miss the relatively new adult coloring book craze when you walk into a book store. Coloring books are displayed at every turn.  From simple scenes to intricate patterns, lush florals, and whimsical animals, there is something for every age and interest.

The new “queen” of coloring books, UK illustrator Johanna Basford, has even topped the recent best-seller lists with the following titles:

Coloring provides a great way to relax and de-stress, while at the same time trains the brain to focus and work on fine motor skills. Using crayons, markers, or colored pencils, a coloring session is not only fun, but therapeutic for adults and kids alike.

To add a writing exercise that can be used with a coloring page, ask your students to create a story based on the illustration they are coloring. Below is a sample of a page I created last year for a coloring book used by patients at Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Print the page on 81/2 X 11 paper and color. 

Created by Joan Waites

Ask your students to imagine the story happening in the picture. Where is the girl going? What are the elephants doing? Who is the bird? The monkey? Where does this story take place?

Enjoy some coloring time, and enjoy these last weeks of summer!

www.joanwaites.com

Writing Connections with Brian Selznick

by Mary Quattlebaum

Brian Selznick is acclaimed for his distinctive, detailed artwork and his innovative books.  I talked with him recently, in conjunction with an interactive exhibit of his work and just before his amazing 2015 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. Click here for the video of the Arbuthnot Lecture, “Love Is a Dangerous Angel: Thoughts on Queerness and Family in Children’s Books” (you can fast forward to minute 38 for Selznick’s opening) and here for the KidsPost/Washington Post article on his books and the exhibit.

Below are a few writing prompts for the classroom or for individual writers ages 8 and up.

Writing About Wonders:  A Cabinet of Wonders figures prominently in Wonderstruck (Scholastic, 2011).

Classroom Discussion: Ask students to bring in a natural wonder (intriguing seashell, fossil, unusual rock, etc.).  Research cabinets of wonders and have class (in entirety or in small groups) work together to create their own “cabinet” or display.

Classroom Writing: (Nonfiction/Captions) Assign one child to each item and have him/her research and write a short nonfiction description of it (to include 3 facts).  (Creative) Youngsters might also be encouraged to find or write a poem about one of the natural wonders in the display.

Sharing:  Mount the display, with captions, and give youngsters a chance to share more information or ask questions of one another.  What was their favorite piece in their cabinet—and why?

Related Projects:  This approach could be adapted to other classroom or family projects.  For example, rather than finding objects, people might assemble photographs of family members and/or pets or take photographs of treasured family objects and then write short captions for a scrapbook.  (This might be something especially enjoyable to do, as an entire family, during the summer.)

www.maryquattlebaum.com

  

Writing in Monet's Garden

by Joan Waites

Early summer has offically arrived, and flowers everywhere are in full bloom. When thinking about art and writing exercises for this time of year,  the life and work of Claude Monet is the perfect inspiration.

Start a lesson or project  by reading one of the many picture books based on the life of Claude Monet. Three books that I recommend are:

Once Upon a Lilly Pad-Froggy Love in Monet’s Garden  by Joan Sweeny, illustrated by Kathleen Fain

Charlotte in Giverny  by Joan MacPhail Knight, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt

For an art exercise, ask children to pick out one specific item to draw or paint from a Monet painting. This can be a single flower or group of flowers, a tree, or even the bridge at Giverny. In the example picture shown here, students were asked to draw one large lily in a pond using light colored oil pastels, (white, yellow, green, pink and light blue) on watercolor paper. Next, students brushed various shades of blue and green watercolor over the oil pastel for a beautiful resist effect.

For a writing exercise, ask students to choose an animal that might live in Monet’s garden at Giverny--a bird, frog, butterfly, fish or even a lady bug. Have that animal or insect describe what they see in the garden, based on their unique perspective. Explain to the students that a bird would have a different observational point of view than a fish in the pond.  Also include the animal’s observations of the painter as he arrives each day to paint his surroundings.

Happy summer!

www.joanwaites.com

BACKYARD JOURNAL

by Joan Waites

Spring has finally arrived after a very long winter, and it’s time to enjoy what nature has to offer. We know from experience that in spring, trees are budding, flowers are bursting from the ground with color, birds are chirping, and insects are buzzing around. But do we really stop and fully experience this most beautiful season?

A fun art and writing activity to help encourage students to slow down and really observe their outdoor surroundings, is to have them keep a field or nature journal.

  

Using a simple handmade book of folded paper, a composition book, or a blank sketch journal, ask your students to record in pictures and words, what they see, smell and hear outside. Children can sketch individual leaves, flowers, grass, bugs, birds, rocks, bark, or anything else that interests them using simple art supplies such as colored pencils, crayons, markers and/or a set of children's watercolors. Observations can be recorded in their own backyard, the school playground, a local park, or even on a city street. Next to each sketch, ask students to write some important sensory information about the object(s) or place they have chosen to draw. A field journal could also work well as a year long project, asking students record what they see in each of the four seasons on a weekly or monthly basis.

Two books that can help introduce teachers and students to field or nature journals and corresponding activities are:

Happy spring!

www.joanwaites.com          

MOCK CALDECOTT IDEAS

by Joan Waites

It’s that time of year when librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators and picture book lovers feel the excitement building for the “Oscars” of the children’s book world; the announcement of the winners of this year’s many prestigious children’s book awards from the American LibraryAssociation:

For the following classroom activity, we’ll focus on the Caldecott medal, awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, although a similar activity could be done for any/all of the medals awarded. The Randolph Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, and awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children.

One way to engage your students in the excitement of book award season is to host a mock Caldecott award contest in the classroom. Depending on time, resources, and the age level of your students, pick 5-20 picture book titles that were released in 2014 to read with the class. Some of the top contenders for the award this year, (but by no means an all-inclusive list):

• The Farmer and the Clown
• Nana in the City
• Mama Built a Little Nest
• Emily's Blue Period
• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
• Iridescence of Birds
• Dance Like Starlight
• The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
• Have You Seen My Dragon?
• Bad Bye, Good Bye

Specific judging criteria used by the ALA committee can be found on the ALA website:

To simplify the judging criteria for students, discuss the illustrations in each of the chosen books focusing on the illustration style, medium used, how the pictures work with the text (or don’t), and the overall reaction to each picture book. What makes the art unique from other picture books? Students can be placed into committees to discuss titles and cast mock votes, or each individual student can cast their own. Pick one winner and two-three honorable mentions. Prior to the announcements, reveal the winner of the class vote. If possible for your time zone and start of the school day, you can then tune in to the official announcement via the ALA website.

The announcement of the 2015 Youth Media Awards will take place at 8:00 a.m. Central time on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition in Chicago.
Join us for a live webcast of the press conference or follow I Love Libraries on Twitter and Facebook to be among the first to know the 2015 winners. The official hashtag for the 2015 Youth Media Awards is  #ALAyma. 


If possible, host a small celebration in the class with refreshments to conclude the award announcements, presenting a handmade Caldecott medal to the group or individual coming closest with their predictions. Who will this year’s winners be? 

www.joanwaites.com

DRAW WHAT YOU SEE

by Joan Waites

I’ve recently become acquainted with the work of sketchbook artist and author Danny Gregory. Inspired by his book Everyday Matters, a Memoir (Hyperion, 2003), I’ve started using some of his drawing and journal techniques with my students.  In his book, he describes teaching himself to draw in a sketchbook/ journal using a “slow, careful gaze” when rendering the objects or scene he is observing. Instead of drawing what you know, draw what you see.

For example, if I place an apple on the table for my young art students to draw in their sketchbooks, most will begin by quickly drawing a circle. While it’s helpful to start drawing using basic geometric shapes, by slowing down and really observing the apple carefully, we can see that it’s most likely not a perfect shape. One half may be larger; it may have bumps, scratches or even a worm hole. All of these details make that one particular apple unique. Along with the sketch, I ask that they write down five unique observations they noted while drawing.  This helps to get them to slow down and really think about what they see.

Using this exercise in the classroom with your students, begin a drawing/writing session with a few ordinary objects from around the classroom--writing instruments, scissors, tape dispensers or more complex objects based on the age of the class. Ask the students to take a full ten minutes to really observe and draw what is placed on the table. Then ask students to note five or more details they observed while looking closely at the object. Take it a step further, and have children write a short story about the object, incorporating those five noted details.

Best wishes to all our readers for a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!

www.joanwaites.com

WRITING FROM PICTURES

 by Jacqueline Jules

Young writers can be inspired by their own illustrations. Many primary writing curriculums instruct students to draw a picture first and then write a story to go along with it.

In my picture book, No English, two girls overcome a language barrier by drawing pictures of their families and labeling them. They learn to talk to each other through pictures after a misunderstanding. 

While I had not originally intended to create a model suitable for writing instruction, No English does provide a fictional example of using pictures to communicate.

A teacher’s guide is available for No English on my website. This graphic will give you an easy template to use after reading the book to your students.

Before using the template, do a little brainstorming with your students. Ask them to draw their family in a group activity such as walking the dog or building a snowman. Make a list of activities families might do together. While a simple picture labeling family members can be an effective prompt for kindergartners, encouraging second and third graders to depict a family scene will produce more interesting stories. Students can be encouraged to add an emotional response to the family activity and other details of the experience. You may also want to ask your students to create a first draft of their picture in pencil and then color it in after their story is completed. Happy Writing!

www.jacquelinejules.com  

Teaching the Elements of Art with Picture Books

by Joan Waites

In my last blog post, I wrote about using picture books in the classroom as a supplemental way to teach art history. Using this same approach, young students can also be introduced to the seven elements of art using the illustrations in a picture book. Each illustrator brings their own unique style and uses these elements in different ways to convey the story in pictures. The seven elements of art are:

Illustration by Joan Waites
www.joanwaites.com

Line

Shape

Color

Value

Form

Texture

Space

Looking at the illustrations in a picture book, ask students to comment on the art using these seven elements, asking the following questions:

Line: Is the line used to draw the objects or setting thin? Thick? Angular or curvy?

Shape: Are the basic shapes large or small? Organic or geometric?

Color: Are the colors used warm or cool? Monochromatic?

Value: Are the colors used darker or lighter in shade?

Form: Are the figures and setting flat or more 3-D looking?

Texture: Do the objects in the picture appear rough? Smooth? Shiny?

Space: Do the objects in the illustrations look like they are closer to the reader? Farther away?

Have students study two picture books and compare and contrast how the illustrator incorporated these seven elements. Next, have students draw an illustration based on their favorite picture book or story. Using the seven elements as a guide, encourage students to incorporate as many of them into their work as possible. Bonus points for those students who incorporate all seven!

www.joanwaites.com

Fables Teach Writing Lessons in Purpose, Clarity

by Mary Quattlebaum

Aesop’s Fables is a classic that should be part of every home and school library, not only for its centuries-long influence upon literature but for its ever-timely, pithy points about life.  When used as writing models, these stories can inspire new versions of old favorites, help writers learn to revise for purpose and clarity, and connect with Common Core standards.

* Have available in classroom or share one or more collections of Aesop’s fables.  What do students notice about the writing and illustrating style of each?  Depending on publication date, some collections will be more overtly didactic than others.  For an especially fine version that eschews the tacked-on “message,” you might share the picture book Aesop’s Fables (minedition, 2013), which includes 13 favorites and quirky, intriguing illustrations by Ayano Imai.

* Share several tales with students and talk about their history, as being credited to an ancient Greek storyteller named Aesop.  Discuss the nature of fables as being stories, often with animal characters, designed to teach a life lesson.  Have students figure out the purpose or point of each tale.  What is the “life lesson” being taught?  How does the author convey that without tacking on the moral or telling the reader what it is? What do the animals do?

* Ask students to find examples of these tales, either as book re-tellings or as used in popular culture (advertisements, decorations on clothing, etc.).  Ask students why they think these tales continue to be re-told or referenced.  Why do they still speak to us?

* Have students write their own short fables, following this process:  (1) write down the life lesson you are trying to teach; (2) choose one or two animals that might help you to show this and jot down their personalities; (3) write a fable in which animals “act out” this life lesson, with action and dialogue; (4) revise, asking yourself if you showed how the animal learned the lesson; (5) share with a peer writer for feedback on word choice, clarity, etc.; (6) revise again; and (7) draw a picture, which can be as funny, surreal, or straightforward as you like.

* Compile the individual fables/pictures into a class booklet or display on bulletin board.

* Teens and adults might enjoy take-offs on the animal-fable form, especially David Sedaris’s hilarious Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (2010).

 www.maryquattlebaum.com

TRY A SKETCHCRAWL THIS SUMMER!

by Joan Waites

I recently became acquainted with the term “SketchCrawl”, and while this type of artist activity has been around for a few years now, its popularity is growing. A SketchCrawl is basically the gathering of a group of artists at a designated location, (museum, zoo, park or another interesting spot ), for the purpose of doing loose, observational drawings in a sketchbook, using simple materials such as pens, pencils and/or a small watercolor set.

From Enrico Casarosa of the SketchCrawl website: (www.sketchcrawl.com)

“The basic idea: to record nonstop everything I could around me with my pencil and watercolors. A drawn journal filled with details ranging from the all the coffee I drank to the different buses I took. After a whole day of drawing and walking around the city the name seemed quite fitting: “SketchCrawl” – a drawing marathon. The crawl was more tiring than I imagined but also more fun and exciting than I had thought. Giving yourself this kind of mandate for a full day changes the way you look around you. It makes you stop and see things just a tad longer, just a bit deeper … needless to say I loved it.”

Children’s book illustrator Lynn Chapman often posts about her experiences doing a SketchCrawl  here: http://www.lynnechapman.co.uk/sketch-thumbs.php?id=220

Using this idea as a fun summer activity for you, your friends, or a group of children, gather together at a designated location for a day-or just a few hours. Spend about 15-30 minutes at each SketchCrawl stop. Pick out one single element (such as a flower, park bench, etc.)… or an entire city block to record in sketch form. The idea is to be quick, loose and not worry about the finished product. With the written word, record other details that you see or hear (or taste!) at your location.

In the photo posted, I’ve organized a simple SketchCrawl kit. An inexpensive drawing pad, pencil, colored pencils and/or markers placed in a small backpack would make a great kit for kids. Regular Crayola markers will dissolve into a watercolor-like paint when brushed over with water. You just need to use a heavier weight paper in your sketchbook.
Happy summer…and happy SketchCrawling!

www.joanwaites.com

What Came Before? What Came After?

by Joan Waites

At a recent conference I attended, an artist representative spoke about consistency of character when illustrating a book, but also when showing work in your portfolio. She suggested including at least three sample illustrations in progression. Starting with one image, the advice was to do another two showing what happened with that character before that image, and what happened after. While good advice for illustrators, I thought this would also make a wonderful drawing and writing exercise to use in the classroom.

Using a picture book, pick out  a single illustration or a two page spread towards the middle of the book, using a book that children are not too familiar with. Cover any text with Post-it notes. 

Ask children to look at the illustrations, and then come up with their own drawings of what might have happened before this illustration, and what might have happened after. 

Depending on the age of the students, a more simple or complex book can be used for the prompt. This can also be used as a writing exercise only, or in combination with the drawings.

After children have completed the assignment, have them share work with their classmates, then reveal the illustrations and/or text from the actual book. How does the student work compare?

www.joanwaites.com

Writing with Wordless Picture Books

by Joan Waites

Having just received my copy of (three time Caldecott winner) David Wiesner's  new book, Mr. Wuffles, I started to think of how I could incorporate wordless picture books into my teaching and school visits. Students of all ages sometimes struggle to come  up with ideas for a story, even if prompts and suggestions are given. A wordless picture book is one way to visually inspire a student to come up with a story based on the illustrations in the book. No two students will interpret the pictures and story in the exact same way.

Using  a wordless picture book as a prompt, have your students write (or tell) about what they see happening in the pictures. Who are the main characters? Where is the story taking place? What challenges do the characters face and how are they eventually overcome? For older students, a vintage photograph, a travel shot, or picture from a garden magazine could be used in the same way to help stimulate story ideas.

Using an already written story (a familiar tale or a student created work) as a prompt, have students draw the story in pictures only. Challenge students to incorporate as many details of the story as they can--not only the physical traits of the characters and the setting, but the mood, emotion, and the interaction between characters based on what is happening. Have students share their wordless picture books with the class and ask other students tell the story as they see it.  How closely does it match the author's vision? Even for older students, this can be a useful exercise to help develop a story before writing it down.

There are many wordless picture books to choose from, but some of my favorites are:

Flotsam,  by David Wiesner

Tuesday, by David Wiesner

The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, by Henry Cole

www.joanwaites.com

WRITING AND COMMON CORE CONNECTIONS WITH SUSAN STOCKDALE

by Mary Quattlebaum

Schools are abuzz with talk of Common Core.  What are the challenges for students, teachers of writing, and those who write for children?  How might the new standards be best implemented to enhance writing as well as reading and information-processing skills?  In exploring these questions, I’m delighted to welcome acclaimed author/illustrator Susan Stockdale to Pencil Tips. When it comes to nonfiction, Susan embraces beauty and accuracy.  Her books on the natural world, including her newest, Stripes (Peachtree 2013), are scrupulously researched and stunningly presented, both in terms of language and image.   Check www.susanstockdale.com  for more information on Susan’s books and activities.

1. Your new book, Stripes, is in the style of your award-winning titles Bring on the Birds and Fabulous Fishes, with back matter that helps the book to grow with the reader. Can you share your greatest joy in writing and illustrating it?

My greatest joy in creating the book was when I determined my approach for writing it. I decided to write rhyming verses for the animals’ habitats and to show each animal in action in its particular home: "Propped on a log,/poised on a leaf./ Scaling a ridge, /and scouting a reef." From a writing standpoint, this gave me the opportunity to highlight where the animals live and use some verbs that might be new to children. From a visual standpoint, I was able to paint some wonderful and diverse environments.

2.  What about your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was deciding which animal to illustrate for each line of text. I had many choices. For example, for my line “poised on a leaf,” I illustrated a zebra swallowtail butterfly, but I considered a Colorado potato beetle, a leafhopper, a red shield bug, a bumblebee, a caterpillar and other creatures. I chose the butterfly because I thought it was the most visually appealing of all my candidates and would be fun to paint  - an important consideration!

Here is the progression of my badger illustration:

Sketch 1: the badger that is "prowling the prairie"  

looks pretty meek here!

 

Sketch 2: now the badger looks more like it's prowling

  

Image 3: final acrylic painting

 

3.  Thank you for sharing the evolution of that particular image!  It’s fascinating to see how you add ever-greater detail to the depiction of the badger and its habitat.  Do you have a writing or drawing prompt that might connect with the book?

As a fun and easy warm-up exercise, I give children a sticky note and ask them to write an adjective describing a photo or painting we are observing. (There’s something about writing just one word on a little piece of paper that takes the intimidation out of writing.) Then I gather up the notes and ask the children to direct me as I arrange and rearrange their words on the wall. The results can be surprising and sometimes beautifully poetic. This prompt demonstrates how changing the order of words changes their meaning, and how a small change can make a big difference.

Thank you, Susan.  I know you’re already hard at work on your next nonfiction book, Spots, and look forward to sharing that one with my students, too.

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