I’ll post two projects inspired by David Wiesner. The second will post later today. Enjoy!
Because there are only 24 hours in a day, and even fewer waking hours, there isn’t an unlimited amount of time for art (obviously). But art, and the opportunity for art, is everywhere. Teachers and homeschoolers may be interested in reading this before completing the following project. I know that if you found my site you think art is important, but sometimes we all need to be reminded.
Supplies Needed:
Paper
Construction Paper
Pencil
Crayons/Colored Pencils/Markers
A short story with no (or very few) pictures
Imagination
David Wiesner is able to tell a story in only pictures. Now it’s your turn to do the same.
Read a story. Fairy tales work especially well for this project. They are short and can be printed from the internet without pictures. As you read, try to picture the characters and the setting in your mind. Try to watch them as they move. Hear them when they speak. These are things that good readers do without thinking.
You may want to read the story a few times so you can clearly picture everything.
Retell the story in pictures. You’ll want to draw and color 1-3 pictures for each scene. Be careful to draw the characters, settings, and actions the way you saw them in your mind as you read.
If several of your friends all illustrate the same story, everyone will draw their pictures a little differently. This is because no two people see exactly the same thing in their minds when they read. And that’s okay.
You might instead each choose one scene to illustrate, put the scenes in order, and make a group picture book.
When you’ve finished illustrating the story, make a construction paper cover and staple your book together. Share your book with your friends and family.
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Showing posts with label illustration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illustration. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
David Wiesner
Remember all the things that a picture book has to be to win a Caldecott Medal or Caldecott Honor? When I read that list, I think of David Wiesner. And I’m not the only one. He is only the second person ever to win three Caldecott Medals. Two more of his books are Caldecott Honor Books. This is extremely impressive but what really matters is how the books make you feel. Do you like his books?
I do!
I especially love the books that do not use words at all to tell the story, like the three I’ll tell you about today.
David Wiesner’s Caldecott Honor Book, Sector 7 is amazing. Using only pictures, Wiesner tells the story of boy who makes friends with a cloud while on a class trip. The cloud takes him to Sector 7 where all the clouds for the eastern coast of the U.S. are formed and sent into the world. There, the boy and the cloud cause some mischief that turns the sky into a giant, under-the-sea-themed art exhibit.
Tuesday, winner of a Caldecott Medal, uses words only to tell us that the story takes place through the night on a Tuesday. Just as you would expect from David Wiesner, the rest of the story is told with pictures. On this particular Tuesday, a collection of frogs rise out of the water and ride their lily pads like magic carpets through the town. I especially love when the frogs get caught up in the drying laundry.
And finally: Flotsam, another Caldecott Medal winner. In this story, again without text, an interesting piece of flotsam washes up on a beach and a boy discovers it. The underwater camera is ancient and filled with unbelievable pictures of sea life. In one picture, a family of octopi relax in their living room while fish swim between the pieces of furniture. In another picture, colonies live in seashells on the backs of turtles. But the best part of the story is the history of the camera. Generations of children have passed the secrets of the sea from one to the next by putting a new roll of film in the camera, taking a picture of themselves, and tossing the camera back into the ocean.
I recommend that you check out Houghton Mifflin’s webpage about David Wiesner if you’re interested in knowing more about this incredibly talented artist.
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I do!
I especially love the books that do not use words at all to tell the story, like the three I’ll tell you about today.
David Wiesner’s Caldecott Honor Book, Sector 7 is amazing. Using only pictures, Wiesner tells the story of boy who makes friends with a cloud while on a class trip. The cloud takes him to Sector 7 where all the clouds for the eastern coast of the U.S. are formed and sent into the world. There, the boy and the cloud cause some mischief that turns the sky into a giant, under-the-sea-themed art exhibit.
Tuesday, winner of a Caldecott Medal, uses words only to tell us that the story takes place through the night on a Tuesday. Just as you would expect from David Wiesner, the rest of the story is told with pictures. On this particular Tuesday, a collection of frogs rise out of the water and ride their lily pads like magic carpets through the town. I especially love when the frogs get caught up in the drying laundry.
And finally: Flotsam, another Caldecott Medal winner. In this story, again without text, an interesting piece of flotsam washes up on a beach and a boy discovers it. The underwater camera is ancient and filled with unbelievable pictures of sea life. In one picture, a family of octopi relax in their living room while fish swim between the pieces of furniture. In another picture, colonies live in seashells on the backs of turtles. But the best part of the story is the history of the camera. Generations of children have passed the secrets of the sea from one to the next by putting a new roll of film in the camera, taking a picture of themselves, and tossing the camera back into the ocean.
I recommend that you check out Houghton Mifflin’s webpage about David Wiesner if you’re interested in knowing more about this incredibly talented artist.
Return to main page.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak was born in New York in 1928. He decided to become an illustrator after watching Disney’s Fantasia when he was twelve years old. I can understand that. It is a pretty inspiring movie.
Before he began writing his own books, he made a name for himself by illustrating children’s books written by others. You may have read some of the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik. Sendak illustrated those books!
He then began writing and illustrating his own books. There were (and are) people who didn’t think his illustrations were appropriate for children and some of his books have been banned or challenged.
Maurice Sendak has also helped design sets for major ballets and operas.
He won several awards, including the Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are.
Which brings us today’s first book review. I hope you have all read Where the Wild Things Are, but if you haven’t, there’s still time! Where the Wild Things Are was published in 1963 but hasn’t lost any of its appeal in the 45 years since. In this tale, Max, dressed in a wolf suit, makes so much trouble that he is sent to bed without supper. But a magical thing happens when his room becomes a forest with an ocean rolling by. Max hops in his private boat and sails away to where the wild things are. He is made the king of the wild things and he has a fantastic time making trouble with the other wild things. Soon, though, he misses his real home.
Next up, Chicken Soup with Rice. This is perhaps the best children’s book for learning the months of the year. Each month gets its own rhyming poem about chicken soup with rice and its own illustration, colored in yellows, blues, grays, and greens. Sounds like a boring book, you say? Not so! During the winter, soup is eaten to celebrate a snowman’s birthday. In the spring, soup helps cure roses that have begun to droop. Who could write twelve fun and whimsical poems about chicken soup with rice but Maurice Sendak?
Sendak has also illustrated several simple nursery rhymes, like We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy, and Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water. His illustrations bring new meaning to these short stories. In the Hector Protector nursery rhyme, all we know about Hector Protector is that he is dressed all in green and when he goes to the queen she doesn’t like him so she sends him home. Sendak shows us that Hector Protector doesn’t want to be dressed in green. He also doesn’t want to go see the queen so he throws the cake he is supposed to take to her in the dirt, hops on the back of a lion, and delivers a snake instead. No wonder the queen sends him home!
And finally, Maurice Sendak recently published a pop-up book called Mommy? which he wrote and illustrated with Arthur Yorinks and Matthew Reinhart. Reinhart is one of the greatest pop-up artists out there and this book is a masterwork. In this fun story, a toddler wanders into a haunted house in search of his mother. He asks the creatures, Frankenstein, an Egyptian mummy, and others, if they are his mommy. When they try to scare him, he pulls pranks on them. The toddler pulls the pins out of Frankenstein’s neck, for instance. This book is so much fun. Kids could certainly destroy this pop-up with over-use but it is well put together. I highly recommend it.
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Before he began writing his own books, he made a name for himself by illustrating children’s books written by others. You may have read some of the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik. Sendak illustrated those books!
He then began writing and illustrating his own books. There were (and are) people who didn’t think his illustrations were appropriate for children and some of his books have been banned or challenged.
Maurice Sendak has also helped design sets for major ballets and operas.
He won several awards, including the Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are.
Which brings us today’s first book review. I hope you have all read Where the Wild Things Are, but if you haven’t, there’s still time! Where the Wild Things Are was published in 1963 but hasn’t lost any of its appeal in the 45 years since. In this tale, Max, dressed in a wolf suit, makes so much trouble that he is sent to bed without supper. But a magical thing happens when his room becomes a forest with an ocean rolling by. Max hops in his private boat and sails away to where the wild things are. He is made the king of the wild things and he has a fantastic time making trouble with the other wild things. Soon, though, he misses his real home.
Next up, Chicken Soup with Rice. This is perhaps the best children’s book for learning the months of the year. Each month gets its own rhyming poem about chicken soup with rice and its own illustration, colored in yellows, blues, grays, and greens. Sounds like a boring book, you say? Not so! During the winter, soup is eaten to celebrate a snowman’s birthday. In the spring, soup helps cure roses that have begun to droop. Who could write twelve fun and whimsical poems about chicken soup with rice but Maurice Sendak?
Sendak has also illustrated several simple nursery rhymes, like We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy, and Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water. His illustrations bring new meaning to these short stories. In the Hector Protector nursery rhyme, all we know about Hector Protector is that he is dressed all in green and when he goes to the queen she doesn’t like him so she sends him home. Sendak shows us that Hector Protector doesn’t want to be dressed in green. He also doesn’t want to go see the queen so he throws the cake he is supposed to take to her in the dirt, hops on the back of a lion, and delivers a snake instead. No wonder the queen sends him home!
And finally, Maurice Sendak recently published a pop-up book called Mommy? which he wrote and illustrated with Arthur Yorinks and Matthew Reinhart. Reinhart is one of the greatest pop-up artists out there and this book is a masterwork. In this fun story, a toddler wanders into a haunted house in search of his mother. He asks the creatures, Frankenstein, an Egyptian mummy, and others, if they are his mommy. When they try to scare him, he pulls pranks on them. The toddler pulls the pins out of Frankenstein’s neck, for instance. This book is so much fun. Kids could certainly destroy this pop-up with over-use but it is well put together. I highly recommend it.
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Randolph Caldecott and the Caldecott Medal
In the upcoming weeks I will be posting about several winners of the Caldecott Medal, as well as a few runners-up, also known as Caldecott Honor books. In many libraries you’ll see Caldecott Medal winners displayed along the tops of the shelves or in their own table displays. They each carry a medal on their covers. But what exactly does it mean to be a Caldecott Medal winner or Caldecott Honor book? Who decides which books should receive the award? And how did this all start, anyway?
Well, it all started with an illustrator named Randolph Caldecott. Throughout his life, he created artwork for magazines. He illustrated novels and drew cartoons. He sculpted and painted. He even illustrated his letters, drawing pictures around the edges of the pages.
In 1887, Caldecott was asked to illustrate two children’s books which were to be published for Christmas. The books were huge hits. Caldecott illustrated two picture books each year for Christmas for the next eight years (until his death). He wrote some of these books himself, but he always added something with his illustrations. The pictures in Caldecott’s books help to tell some of the story that the words do not. Below is one of his illustrations. It is from The Diverting History of John Gilpin. It should remind you of the picture on the Caldecott Medal pictured above.
In 1938, the Association for Library Service to Children awarded the first Caldecott Medal. The award was named in honor of Randolph Caldecott and the winner had to contribute to children’s literature the way Caldecott had. The illustrations had to be original artwork and they had to help tell the story.
Recently, there have been winners of the Caldecott Medal that do not include words at all. David Wiesner, who I’ll post about soon, has won three Caldecott Medals and two Caldecott Honors. He tells his stories all in pictures. He has definitely continued Randolph Caldecott’s tradition!
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Well, it all started with an illustrator named Randolph Caldecott. Throughout his life, he created artwork for magazines. He illustrated novels and drew cartoons. He sculpted and painted. He even illustrated his letters, drawing pictures around the edges of the pages.In 1887, Caldecott was asked to illustrate two children’s books which were to be published for Christmas. The books were huge hits. Caldecott illustrated two picture books each year for Christmas for the next eight years (until his death). He wrote some of these books himself, but he always added something with his illustrations. The pictures in Caldecott’s books help to tell some of the story that the words do not. Below is one of his illustrations. It is from The Diverting History of John Gilpin. It should remind you of the picture on the Caldecott Medal pictured above.
In 1938, the Association for Library Service to Children awarded the first Caldecott Medal. The award was named in honor of Randolph Caldecott and the winner had to contribute to children’s literature the way Caldecott had. The illustrations had to be original artwork and they had to help tell the story.Recently, there have been winners of the Caldecott Medal that do not include words at all. David Wiesner, who I’ll post about soon, has won three Caldecott Medals and two Caldecott Honors. He tells his stories all in pictures. He has definitely continued Randolph Caldecott’s tradition!
Return to main page.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Create Your Own Lois Ehlert Bird
Yesterday you read about some of Lois Ehlert’s picture books. Today, make your own illustration in the style of Lois Ehlert. This project came out so well that I couldn’t wait until Friday to share it with you. So this will be a full week all about illustrators!
Supplies Needed:
Construction Paper/ Textured Paper
Cardboard
White Glue
Glue Stick
Scissors
Pencil
Hole Punch (optional)
Paint
I’m going to walk you through the steps to create this bird, but keep in mind that you can make any animal like this. If you have been studying butterflies for example, you might want to make a butterfly.
Cover your workspace and gather your supplies.
Begin by cutting out the shapes for your bird. Look at the shapes shown below and try and draw, then cut out, similar shapes. I cut little triangles out of the tops of the wings to show the separate feathers. Lois Ehlert folds her wings like accordions instead. You choose which you’d rather. Don’t forget to make the eyes. I used a hole punch to create the black part of the eye but you can use scissors to make the eye if you want.
Next, prepare the cardboard. This will become your tree. Peel the back off of the cardboard so you’re left will ridges. Squeeze some brown paint onto a palette or plastic lid. Cut another small strip of cardboard and dip the edge in the paint. Dab off some of the paint and then stamp the edge onto the large piece of cardboard several times. You’re just trying to make the cardboard look more like a tree. Work until you’re happy with the look of your tree, then set it aside to dry. It will dry quickly.
If you chose to show the separate feathers with cuts instead of folds, you’ll want to add some paint to your wings and tail, too. Squeeze some black paint onto your palette. Cut a new strip of cardboard, dip it into the black paint, and pull it across the wing. You’ll want lines that begin at the bottom of each triangle you cut. Then fill in the rest until you are pleased with the look. Do the same to the tail. Let everything dry.
Now, cut some simple leaves from green construction paper. You will need about ten leaves. Cut a third strip of cardboard and use it to paint green lines on your leaves.
Tear some short green strips for grass.
Your bird should be pretty much dry by now. Use your glue stick to glue it together.
Finally, cut off a strip of your painted cardboard to use as branches.
You have now prepared everything you need to make your illustration. Begin arranging your pieces on a sheet of colored paper. I chose to use blue for the sky.
Glue down your tree first. Use white glue anytime you work with cardboard. It needs a stronger hold than a glue stick gives. Cut off any cardboard that hangs over the edges of the paper.
Next, glue down the leaves and grass. Use white glue when gluing to cardboard (because of the ridges) and a glue stick when gluing to the background page.
Finally, glue your bird to the tree.
Remember to sign your name somewhere on your masterpiece!
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Supplies Needed:Construction Paper/ Textured Paper
Cardboard
White Glue
Glue Stick
Scissors
Pencil
Hole Punch (optional)
Paint
I’m going to walk you through the steps to create this bird, but keep in mind that you can make any animal like this. If you have been studying butterflies for example, you might want to make a butterfly.Cover your workspace and gather your supplies.
Begin by cutting out the shapes for your bird. Look at the shapes shown below and try and draw, then cut out, similar shapes. I cut little triangles out of the tops of the wings to show the separate feathers. Lois Ehlert folds her wings like accordions instead. You choose which you’d rather. Don’t forget to make the eyes. I used a hole punch to create the black part of the eye but you can use scissors to make the eye if you want.
Next, prepare the cardboard. This will become your tree. Peel the back off of the cardboard so you’re left will ridges. Squeeze some brown paint onto a palette or plastic lid. Cut another small strip of cardboard and dip the edge in the paint. Dab off some of the paint and then stamp the edge onto the large piece of cardboard several times. You’re just trying to make the cardboard look more like a tree. Work until you’re happy with the look of your tree, then set it aside to dry. It will dry quickly.If you chose to show the separate feathers with cuts instead of folds, you’ll want to add some paint to your wings and tail, too. Squeeze some black paint onto your palette. Cut a new strip of cardboard, dip it into the black paint, and pull it across the wing. You’ll want lines that begin at the bottom of each triangle you cut. Then fill in the rest until you are pleased with the look. Do the same to the tail. Let everything dry.
Now, cut some simple leaves from green construction paper. You will need about ten leaves. Cut a third strip of cardboard and use it to paint green lines on your leaves.
Tear some short green strips for grass.
Your bird should be pretty much dry by now. Use your glue stick to glue it together.
Finally, cut off a strip of your painted cardboard to use as branches.
You have now prepared everything you need to make your illustration. Begin arranging your pieces on a sheet of colored paper. I chose to use blue for the sky.
Glue down your tree first. Use white glue anytime you work with cardboard. It needs a stronger hold than a glue stick gives. Cut off any cardboard that hangs over the edges of the paper.
Next, glue down the leaves and grass. Use white glue when gluing to cardboard (because of the ridges) and a glue stick when gluing to the background page.Finally, glue your bird to the tree.
Remember to sign your name somewhere on your masterpiece!Return to main page.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Lois Ehlert
Lois Ehlert is the author and illustrator of many lovely books for young children. You may remember reading about Leaf Man last fall. Perhaps you even made your own Leaf Man. In that book, Ehlert created the illustrations using different types of fall leaves. In her other books, she uses materials such as textured paper, cardboard, and cotton fluff.
What I really love about Ehlert’s picture books is that they are related to subjects that kindergarteners, 1st graders, and 2nd graders learn about in school. At this age, you are learning about the changing leaves, weather, animals, and the life cycle of butterflies. Ehlert has written books on all of these subjects and more.
Waiting for Wings is the story of a group of caterpillars who disappear into chrysalises and emerge as beautiful butterflies. Ehlert’s simple, rhyming story walks you through the life cycle of the butterfly. Her cut paper illustrations feature colorful flowers and several types of butterflies. At the end of the book there is a guide to the types of flowers and the types of butterflies shown throughout the book.
Pie in the Sky is one of my favorites because it features so many different types of birds. Ehlert’s birds are gorgeous and tomorrow I’ll show you how to make your own. Pie in the Sky is the story of a pie tree. Have you ever seen pies growing on a tree? No? Neither had the speaker in this story. But the child soon finds that the tree grows a cherry feast for all the birds, a raccoon, and eventually for the family. And you’ll learn to make a cherry pie right along with the child in the story.
In honor of the snow day that many of us on the east coast are enjoying, check out Snowballs. The snow people and snow dog in this story are anything but ordinary.
Ehlert has written many more books worth reading. These are just a few of my favorites.
Return to main page.
What I really love about Ehlert’s picture books is that they are related to subjects that kindergarteners, 1st graders, and 2nd graders learn about in school. At this age, you are learning about the changing leaves, weather, animals, and the life cycle of butterflies. Ehlert has written books on all of these subjects and more.
Waiting for Wings is the story of a group of caterpillars who disappear into chrysalises and emerge as beautiful butterflies. Ehlert’s simple, rhyming story walks you through the life cycle of the butterfly. Her cut paper illustrations feature colorful flowers and several types of butterflies. At the end of the book there is a guide to the types of flowers and the types of butterflies shown throughout the book.
Pie in the Sky is one of my favorites because it features so many different types of birds. Ehlert’s birds are gorgeous and tomorrow I’ll show you how to make your own. Pie in the Sky is the story of a pie tree. Have you ever seen pies growing on a tree? No? Neither had the speaker in this story. But the child soon finds that the tree grows a cherry feast for all the birds, a raccoon, and eventually for the family. And you’ll learn to make a cherry pie right along with the child in the story.
In honor of the snow day that many of us on the east coast are enjoying, check out Snowballs. The snow people and snow dog in this story are anything but ordinary.
Ehlert has written many more books worth reading. These are just a few of my favorites.
Return to main page.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Dr. Seuss
Wow. It’s Thursday already, huh? How’d your week go?
In celebration of his upcoming birthday (Monday), this week’s illustrator is Dr. Seuss. I have to assume that you have read some of his books or, at the very least, seen some of the movies made from his stories. So instead of reviewing a bunch of his books, I’m going to tell you a few fun facts about him, and then say a little about two books that will be used for the projects I’ll post tomorrow.
Dr. Seuss wasn’t always Dr. Seuss. He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel. In 1921 he went to Dartmouth College, where he wrote for the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, the College’s humor magazine. He got into some trouble and, as punishment, the school told him that he could no longer work on the magazine. Well, Theodor didn’t like that option. He continued to write for the magazine under a new pen name—Seuss. The “Dr.” was added after he graduated.
In 1954, a study showed that children weren’t learning to read in school because they thought the books they were reading were boring. Dr. Seuss and his editor came up with a list of the most important words for kids to know how to read and Dr. Seuss wrote a rhyming story using only those words. He had written quite a few books that were well-liked and popular before this, but The Cat in the Hat was special. And kids liked it. It was a book they wanted to read again and again.
Interestingly, Dr. Seuss, though one of the most-beloved and well-known children’s book authors, never won a Caldecott Medal. Three of his books—McElligot’s Pool, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, and If I Ran the Zoo—were runners up, what we now call Caldecott Honor books.
_______
Since Monday is Dr. Seuss’ birthday, is there really a better book to read than his Happy Birthday to You!? This is the story of a place called Katroo where people can do as they wish on their birthdays. The Great Birthday Bird swoops into your home and takes you on a full-day birthday adventure. In Katroo, on your birthday, you can do anything you want. You can eat any food, make a mess, take home an exotic pet, and stay up all night at your birthday party where there are fireworks and a boat-sized birthday cake. Sounds like a great birthday to me!
The second project tomorrow will feature The Cat in the Hat. The story begins with two bored children on a rainy day. When the Cat in the Hat strolls into their home, he turns a boring day into a fun-filled adventure. But the cat’s antics create a huge mess that the children worry will never be cleaned up before their mom gets home.
Return to main page.
In celebration of his upcoming birthday (Monday), this week’s illustrator is Dr. Seuss. I have to assume that you have read some of his books or, at the very least, seen some of the movies made from his stories. So instead of reviewing a bunch of his books, I’m going to tell you a few fun facts about him, and then say a little about two books that will be used for the projects I’ll post tomorrow.
Dr. Seuss wasn’t always Dr. Seuss. He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel. In 1921 he went to Dartmouth College, where he wrote for the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, the College’s humor magazine. He got into some trouble and, as punishment, the school told him that he could no longer work on the magazine. Well, Theodor didn’t like that option. He continued to write for the magazine under a new pen name—Seuss. The “Dr.” was added after he graduated.
In 1954, a study showed that children weren’t learning to read in school because they thought the books they were reading were boring. Dr. Seuss and his editor came up with a list of the most important words for kids to know how to read and Dr. Seuss wrote a rhyming story using only those words. He had written quite a few books that were well-liked and popular before this, but The Cat in the Hat was special. And kids liked it. It was a book they wanted to read again and again.
Interestingly, Dr. Seuss, though one of the most-beloved and well-known children’s book authors, never won a Caldecott Medal. Three of his books—McElligot’s Pool, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, and If I Ran the Zoo—were runners up, what we now call Caldecott Honor books.
_______
Since Monday is Dr. Seuss’ birthday, is there really a better book to read than his Happy Birthday to You!? This is the story of a place called Katroo where people can do as they wish on their birthdays. The Great Birthday Bird swoops into your home and takes you on a full-day birthday adventure. In Katroo, on your birthday, you can do anything you want. You can eat any food, make a mess, take home an exotic pet, and stay up all night at your birthday party where there are fireworks and a boat-sized birthday cake. Sounds like a great birthday to me!
The second project tomorrow will feature The Cat in the Hat. The story begins with two bored children on a rainy day. When the Cat in the Hat strolls into their home, he turns a boring day into a fun-filled adventure. But the cat’s antics create a huge mess that the children worry will never be cleaned up before their mom gets home.
Return to main page.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Graeme Base
Graeme Base is one of those illustrators who covers every millimeter of page with color. Every time you read a book by Graeme Base you will discover something new in the illustrations. I have not, unfortunately, had the pleasure of reading every book Graeme Base has ever written, but I have read quite a few. Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorites.
Uno’s Garden tells the story of a man named Uno who moves into the forest and builds a small house. When he arrives, there are all kinds of amazing animals, created and named by Graeme Base. There are Moopaloops, and Lumpybums, Snagglebites and Flipperflaps, and one completely ordinary Snortlepig. But over time, people move into the forest and put up buildings. The plants and animals slowly disappear until there are none left. Eventually the people realize their mistake—they have thrown off the balance between humans and nature. Over generations, they put the forest back in order so the plants and animals can return.
Not only is this a wonderful story with fantastic illustrations, but it teaches about environmental issues as well as natural and manmade resources. Furthermore, in the upper right corner of each page is a tally. Each tally tells, in pictures and numbers, how many of each animal, plant, and building can found in the forest and on the page. The animals increase by one each page, the plants are always the number of animals squared (2 X 2, 3 X 3, etc.), and the buildings double. Would you like a little math with your story book? The tallies turn every page into a seek-and-find. Those are always fun.
The Water Hole also deals with natural resources. In the wilderness there is a large water hole that all the animals want to drink from. First, one rhino drinks from the water hole. He is soon joined by two tigers, then three toucans. Soon, there are hundreds of animals drinking from the water hole. But as the animals drink from the hole, it becomes smaller and smaller (and the dye cut circle in the center of Graeme Base’s genius illustrations becomes smaller and smaller, too).
I especially love the way Graeme Base shows the animals talking. He writes out the noises they make and then translates them in parentheses!
And finally, the very first Graeme Base book I ever read, The Worst Band in the Universe. This book will always hold a special place in my heart. It is much longer than the other two books I talked about today and it is recommended for kids aged 9-12.
On the planet Blipp, no one is allowed to create new music. They can only play ancient music. But Sprocc longs to create and perform new songs.
One day Sprocc plays a new song and the Musical Inquisitor becomes enraged. Sprocc knows that if he cannot create new music on Blipp then it is not the place for him. He leaves his home for a new planet, one where he can play his own music.
On this planet, called Squaag, he finds a contest that seeks the worst band in the universe. He is told that on Squaag it is better to be the worst band than the best, that here the meanings are reversed. As Sprocc soon discovers, though, it’s all a trap.
You’ll have to read the book yourself, though. I don’t want to ruin all the twists of this clever rhyming story. The wacky and aliens and their foreign instruments make the illustrations this book perfectly suited to older children.
There are many more great books by Graeme Base. Among his most beloved are Animalia and Eleventh Hour. Check out any of his books and you will certainly be delighted.
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Uno’s Garden tells the story of a man named Uno who moves into the forest and builds a small house. When he arrives, there are all kinds of amazing animals, created and named by Graeme Base. There are Moopaloops, and Lumpybums, Snagglebites and Flipperflaps, and one completely ordinary Snortlepig. But over time, people move into the forest and put up buildings. The plants and animals slowly disappear until there are none left. Eventually the people realize their mistake—they have thrown off the balance between humans and nature. Over generations, they put the forest back in order so the plants and animals can return.
Not only is this a wonderful story with fantastic illustrations, but it teaches about environmental issues as well as natural and manmade resources. Furthermore, in the upper right corner of each page is a tally. Each tally tells, in pictures and numbers, how many of each animal, plant, and building can found in the forest and on the page. The animals increase by one each page, the plants are always the number of animals squared (2 X 2, 3 X 3, etc.), and the buildings double. Would you like a little math with your story book? The tallies turn every page into a seek-and-find. Those are always fun.
The Water Hole also deals with natural resources. In the wilderness there is a large water hole that all the animals want to drink from. First, one rhino drinks from the water hole. He is soon joined by two tigers, then three toucans. Soon, there are hundreds of animals drinking from the water hole. But as the animals drink from the hole, it becomes smaller and smaller (and the dye cut circle in the center of Graeme Base’s genius illustrations becomes smaller and smaller, too).
I especially love the way Graeme Base shows the animals talking. He writes out the noises they make and then translates them in parentheses!
And finally, the very first Graeme Base book I ever read, The Worst Band in the Universe. This book will always hold a special place in my heart. It is much longer than the other two books I talked about today and it is recommended for kids aged 9-12.
On the planet Blipp, no one is allowed to create new music. They can only play ancient music. But Sprocc longs to create and perform new songs.
One day Sprocc plays a new song and the Musical Inquisitor becomes enraged. Sprocc knows that if he cannot create new music on Blipp then it is not the place for him. He leaves his home for a new planet, one where he can play his own music.
On this planet, called Squaag, he finds a contest that seeks the worst band in the universe. He is told that on Squaag it is better to be the worst band than the best, that here the meanings are reversed. As Sprocc soon discovers, though, it’s all a trap.
You’ll have to read the book yourself, though. I don’t want to ruin all the twists of this clever rhyming story. The wacky and aliens and their foreign instruments make the illustrations this book perfectly suited to older children.
There are many more great books by Graeme Base. Among his most beloved are Animalia and Eleventh Hour. Check out any of his books and you will certainly be delighted.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Great Children's Book Illustrators
There are many great children's book illustrators. Sometimes the artwork in picture books blows me away. So it's about time I started posting about some of this great art.
You've already read about Eric Carle and maybe created your own painted tissue paper Valentines. Awhile back, I reviewed a book called The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss, which you may remember. But that's it. Three posts out of 350 were about children's book illustrators...
So in the coming weeks, beginning tomorrow, I will post Fantastic Fiction Friday on Thursday. On Friday, you'll find a project related to that week's illustrator.
I'm so excited about this.
If you've been looking for projects that relate to a specific book or illustrator, leave me a comment. No guarantees, but I'll do my best to post a project for you.
Up first: Graeme Base.
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You've already read about Eric Carle and maybe created your own painted tissue paper Valentines. Awhile back, I reviewed a book called The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss, which you may remember. But that's it. Three posts out of 350 were about children's book illustrators...
So in the coming weeks, beginning tomorrow, I will post Fantastic Fiction Friday on Thursday. On Friday, you'll find a project related to that week's illustrator.
I'm so excited about this.
If you've been looking for projects that relate to a specific book or illustrator, leave me a comment. No guarantees, but I'll do my best to post a project for you.
Up first: Graeme Base.
Return to main page.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Dr. Seuss
I need a break from color field painters. Dr. Seuss is just the thing, don’t you think?
I’m sure you’ve heard of Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator of more than 40 picture books including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Lorax (my favorite). You’ve probably read at least a few of his books. But did you know that he created works of art that were never meant to be used in his books?
At night, when he wasn’t working on his books, Dr. Seuss loved to paint and sculpt. He created this art only for himself. He didn’t mean for others to see it, though he probably knew that eventually people would. I love Dr. Seuss’ illustrations and I was thrilled to find that there were more pictures to look at.
The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is a collection of Dr. Seuss’ artwork. Some of you may be interested to read the introduction which was written by Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is full of the wacky characters you’d expect from Dr. Seuss. There are lots of cats, of course, and many creatures not found in nature. I think my favorite piece in the book is the Impractical Marshmallow-Toasting Device. You’ll have to check out the book for yourself to see what that device looks like!
I hope you enjoy this discovery as much as I did. Have a great weekend!
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I’m sure you’ve heard of Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator of more than 40 picture books including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Lorax (my favorite). You’ve probably read at least a few of his books. But did you know that he created works of art that were never meant to be used in his books?
At night, when he wasn’t working on his books, Dr. Seuss loved to paint and sculpt. He created this art only for himself. He didn’t mean for others to see it, though he probably knew that eventually people would. I love Dr. Seuss’ illustrations and I was thrilled to find that there were more pictures to look at.
The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is a collection of Dr. Seuss’ artwork. Some of you may be interested to read the introduction which was written by Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is full of the wacky characters you’d expect from Dr. Seuss. There are lots of cats, of course, and many creatures not found in nature. I think my favorite piece in the book is the Impractical Marshmallow-Toasting Device. You’ll have to check out the book for yourself to see what that device looks like!
I hope you enjoy this discovery as much as I did. Have a great weekend!
Return to main page.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Aubrey Beardsley
Yesterday you read about illustrator and stained-glass artist, Harry Clarke. Today’s post is about the illustrator Clarke was most often compared to, Aubrey Beardsley.
A note to parents: This post is completely kid-friendly but be aware that other articles you’ll find about Beardsley probably will not be.
Aubrey Beardsley was born in England in 1872. His artistic talent was obvious even when he was a young boy. He was mostly self-taught, though he did study art at the Westminster School of Art.
In 1892, Beardsley illustrated his first book, Morte D’arthur by Thomas Malory. This included 300 illustrations and decorations such as the ones shown below.
A note to parents: This post is completely kid-friendly but be aware that other articles you’ll find about Beardsley probably will not be.
Aubrey Beardsley was born in England in 1872. His artistic talent was obvious even when he was a young boy. He was mostly self-taught, though he did study art at the Westminster School of Art.
In 1892, Beardsley illustrated his first book, Morte D’arthur by Thomas Malory. This included 300 illustrations and decorations such as the ones shown below.
The next year an article was published about Beardsley in the journal, The Studio. The article included some of his illustrations and because of this he was hired to illustrate Oscar Wilde’s Salome. Beardsley became friends with Wilde and the two were linked in people’s minds from then on. 
Beardsley became the art editor of a periodical, The Yellow Book. It was very successful but did not share the values and beliefs of society in 1890s England. When Oscar Wilde was arrested and sent to jail, Beardsley was fired from The Yellow Book and it was forever changed.
Beardsley briefly worked for another, smaller publication before illustrating more books including Theophile Gautier’s Mademoiselle de Maupin and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata.In 1898, at only 25 years old, Beardsley died of tuberculosis. He had always been sick and weak and his body had finally had enough.
As I mentioned earlier, many compare Harry Clarke to Beardsley but I think they are very different. Clarke’s illustrations are creepy. Beardsley’s are certainly strange, but I wouldn’t call them creepy. I think the pictures have different feelings. What do you think?
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Monday, March 17, 2008
Harry Clarke
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, I thought I’d post on an Irish artist, Harry Clarke. Sorry, no potatoes or four-leaf clovers here.
Clarke was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1889. His father was a craftsman who worked in design and stained glass, and his brother would also become an artist. Clarke’s passion was in stained glass but he also worked as an illustrator. I’ll be honest, it was the illustrations that first caught my attention, though his stained glass is extraordinary.
Clarke began his art studies in his father’s studio but was influenced by many artists and styles. He was influenced by Rosetti and Edmund J. Sullivan, and his illustrations were often compared to Aubrey Beardsley, who I'll post about later in the week. Clarke traveled in Europe during the height of the art nouveau moment and was inspired by the style. Also on these travels, Clarke visited many of the great cathedrals with their varied stained glass windows.
Clarke designed and created more than 130 stained-glass windows in his life. What strikes me about his windows is that the scenes have depth. The thick black lines of most stained glass windows makes it very difficult to create foreground and background. I think Clarke uses black differently than most stained glass artists, though. There’s a lot of black but it isn’t overwhelming. Click for examples of Clarke's stained-glass and check out the images below. What do you think?
Clarke was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1889. His father was a craftsman who worked in design and stained glass, and his brother would also become an artist. Clarke’s passion was in stained glass but he also worked as an illustrator. I’ll be honest, it was the illustrations that first caught my attention, though his stained glass is extraordinary.
Clarke began his art studies in his father’s studio but was influenced by many artists and styles. He was influenced by Rosetti and Edmund J. Sullivan, and his illustrations were often compared to Aubrey Beardsley, who I'll post about later in the week. Clarke traveled in Europe during the height of the art nouveau moment and was inspired by the style. Also on these travels, Clarke visited many of the great cathedrals with their varied stained glass windows.
Clarke designed and created more than 130 stained-glass windows in his life. What strikes me about his windows is that the scenes have depth. The thick black lines of most stained glass windows makes it very difficult to create foreground and background. I think Clarke uses black differently than most stained glass artists, though. There’s a lot of black but it isn’t overwhelming. Click for examples of Clarke's stained-glass and check out the images below. What do you think?
As I mentioned earlier, Clarke also illustrated books. His first illustrations were for Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The illustrations were destroyed in an uprising and were never published but that didn’t stop Clarke from accepting another assignment. He next illustrated Hans Christen Andersen’s Fairy Tales, followed by Edgar Allen Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Charles Perrault’s Fairy Tales of Perrault, Goethe’s Faust, and Selected Poems of Algernon Charles Swinburne. I know that kids may not have heard of many of these books but they are all well known, even today.
Click here to see his fairy tale illustrations. When you get to the page, click on the thumbnail images because there are several pictures from each story.
Clarke died in 1931 when he was only 41 years old.
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Click here to see his fairy tale illustrations. When you get to the page, click on the thumbnail images because there are several pictures from each story.
Clarke died in 1931 when he was only 41 years old.
Return to main page.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Ukiyo-e Japanese Woodblock Prints
Ukiyo-e are Japanese woodblock prints. If you haven’t yet done the project from yesterday, consider doing a Japanese-inspired woodcut print. The most popular subjects for ukiyo-e were landscapes, like the ocean scene shown below, and performers from “the floating world,” such as geisha (the picture shown here is by Utamaro) and sumo wrestlers.
Ukiyo-e became popular in Japan in the 1620s when a lot of people were settling in cities. A class of artisans came into being and they were looking for a way to produce many copies of the same image as easily, quickly, and inexpensively as they could. This was particularly useful when it came to illustrating books. At this time, the ukiyo-e were not in color.
Prints grew in popularity, especially among people who were not wealthy enough to afford original paintings. The ukiyo-e were also used to advertise for kabuki theater.
Beginning in the 1860s, ukiyo-e could be produced in color. This involved creating several woodblock carvings (one for each color) for every picture and printing one color on top of the next. Below is an example of one of these color ukiyo-e that you have probably seen before. It is called The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai.
Towards the end of the 1800s, ukiyo-e fell out of popularity in Japan but they served as huge sources of inspiration for artists especially in Paris, such as Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas. This is something I did not mention when I first talked about these artists but now that you know all about ukiyo-e, expect it to come up much more often!
Just a warning, I’m afraid I may be coming down with the flu. It’s been going around and I feel the start of a cold. If it develops into the flu this may by my last post until Monday. But I certainly hope it doesn’t happen.
Return to main page.
Ukiyo-e became popular in Japan in the 1620s when a lot of people were settling in cities. A class of artisans came into being and they were looking for a way to produce many copies of the same image as easily, quickly, and inexpensively as they could. This was particularly useful when it came to illustrating books. At this time, the ukiyo-e were not in color.Prints grew in popularity, especially among people who were not wealthy enough to afford original paintings. The ukiyo-e were also used to advertise for kabuki theater.
Beginning in the 1860s, ukiyo-e could be produced in color. This involved creating several woodblock carvings (one for each color) for every picture and printing one color on top of the next. Below is an example of one of these color ukiyo-e that you have probably seen before. It is called The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai.
Towards the end of the 1800s, ukiyo-e fell out of popularity in Japan but they served as huge sources of inspiration for artists especially in Paris, such as Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas. This is something I did not mention when I first talked about these artists but now that you know all about ukiyo-e, expect it to come up much more often!Just a warning, I’m afraid I may be coming down with the flu. It’s been going around and I feel the start of a cold. If it develops into the flu this may by my last post until Monday. But I certainly hope it doesn’t happen.
Return to main page.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
N.C. Wyeth
No, N.C. Wyeth was not a Nabi. I was busy watching Ohio State lose another National Championship (yay) and didn't write an entry on any of those artists. I had already finished this one. So enjoy it and tomorrow I promise to write something on topic.
Born in Massachusetts in 1882, N.C. Wyeth was an American illustrator and painter. He created illustrations for many magazines including Scribner’s and the Saturday Evening Post, and he drew advertisements for companies such as Coca-Cola and Cream of Wheat. He illustrated 112 books in his lifetime.
At age 21, Wyeth sold an illustration to the Saturday Evening Post, beginning his career. Not long after, the Saturday Evening Post asked him to illustrate a western story so he headed west to experience the area first hand. He fell in love with it and drew western-themed illustrations for about five years.
He married Carolyn Bockius in 1908 and began a family which grew to include five children.
He began illustrating classic books in 1911 with Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. He read the book carefully and chose to illustrate scenes that were not described in great detail. This allowed Wyeth to add his own viewpoint of the scenes. He illustrated 111 more books.
Wyeth was also a painter. He used mostly oil paints and liked to make huge pictures. He completed murals for several banks and organizations in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the eastern-border states.
It is his illustration that he is best known for, however. Click here to read the complete Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe, and view Wyeth’s illustrations. http://wyeth.artpassions.net/
Next time you read a book and come across a scene that his not described in great detail, try creating your own illustration, like N.C. Wyeth.
The painting shown above is Wyeth’s The Giant.
Return to main page.
Born in Massachusetts in 1882, N.C. Wyeth was an American illustrator and painter. He created illustrations for many magazines including Scribner’s and the Saturday Evening Post, and he drew advertisements for companies such as Coca-Cola and Cream of Wheat. He illustrated 112 books in his lifetime.
At age 21, Wyeth sold an illustration to the Saturday Evening Post, beginning his career. Not long after, the Saturday Evening Post asked him to illustrate a western story so he headed west to experience the area first hand. He fell in love with it and drew western-themed illustrations for about five years.
He married Carolyn Bockius in 1908 and began a family which grew to include five children.
He began illustrating classic books in 1911 with Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. He read the book carefully and chose to illustrate scenes that were not described in great detail. This allowed Wyeth to add his own viewpoint of the scenes. He illustrated 111 more books.
Wyeth was also a painter. He used mostly oil paints and liked to make huge pictures. He completed murals for several banks and organizations in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the eastern-border states.
It is his illustration that he is best known for, however. Click here to read the complete Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe, and view Wyeth’s illustrations. http://wyeth.artpassions.net/
Next time you read a book and come across a scene that his not described in great detail, try creating your own illustration, like N.C. Wyeth.
The painting shown above is Wyeth’s The Giant.Return to main page.
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