This gallery celebrates the world’s biggest drawing festival – The Big Draw – which runs until 3 November 2014. Illustrator and author Marion Deuchars invites you to take inspiration from the great artists from Andy Warhol to Frida Kahlo in your art
Our guest today is a 30 Days or Less alumna and the author of a charming children's book. As you can imagine, writing a book for children is no easy feat, especially for a first timer. Carrie agreed to tell us about the process that took her from a simple idea she had while working
We are always inspired to do fun crafts and learning activities whenever we read some of our favorite children’s books! Here is a list of activities we’ve come up with inspired by popular children’s books (alphabetized by title). (Book titles are affiliate links.) Be sure to follow our Children’s Book Activities Pinterest board! …
Learn how teaching story plots can help children with their storytelling and story writing. Useful article if you're using 'Talk for Writing'.
STEM Challenges first theme for this year's Storybook Science series. Check out this awesome collection of STEM challenges inspired by children's books.
Before you write your idea for a kid's book, you need to understand these 3 things. This free children's book template outlines everything you need to get started.
The rule of three can help you structure a children's story. Let's look at what it is and how to use it for your children's book!
Before having my third (and FINAL!) child and finding that I no longer have time to brush my hair let alone do anything else, I used to run a 6 week evening course on how to write and illustrate children's books. Being a fan of reuse, recycle and re-hashing old material I thought I might blog the course so that anyone out there who might be interested in taking up this noble profession (which according to my husband amounts to little more than 'colouring in') can glean what they may from my musings. The first three weeks are how to write a picture book, the following three are how to illustrate one. Obviously this is, at best, a brief introduction to the discipline but I hope it might serve as a starting point for a few who may have the talent and inclination but be a little lost on where to begin. I was at that point 14 years ago when I started self-teaching myself by reading just about every article I could lay my hands on and quizzing any professional who didn't take out a restraining order. There will be homework! If you chose to do it, great, if you want to send it to me for my perusal please do and if I get the time to get back to you then we'll both be doing well. Picture Book Writing Course Part 1 What Makes A Good Picture Book It's Tough! True story; Dr Seuss was at a dinner party when he met a Brain surgeon, the brain surgeon said ‘oh, are you that guy who writes those little books for children? I’ve always thought that when I had a free afternoon one Saturday I’d love to write one. Dr Seuss replied, ‘ ‘Ahh yes, and I’ve always thought when I had a free afternoon one Saturday I’d love to do a little brain surgery’ I'm not suggesting that what I do is brain surgery (it's actually more like rocket science;) but there is a misapprehension that it’s easy to write for children and get published. I thought so! Until the harsh realities and rejection letters beat my optimistic spirit violently down. The truth is that writing picture books is a particular artform with it’s own rules and requirements - it’s a craft that takes a long time to master - (and clearly I am in no way near to mastering it yet). It is also an EXTREMELY competitive field. I spoke with a small publisher a few years back who told me they get 100 unsolicited (i.e. not through an agent) manuscripts a week - of which 2 a year might get published. It took me 2 years of hard slog to get illustration work and 8 years of writing picture book manuscripts before one was published - and this is quicker than many. So why do so many people think they can do it? 1) Every parent/grandparent/teacher/aunt with a grain of imagination has made up stories to adoring children and thinks they would be good enough to be published. Unfortunately kids love the attention of anyone making up stories for them whether the stories are any good or not. We all have the ability to make up a story, but this doesn't make us all writers. I can make beans on toast - doesn’t make me a chef! 2) People think their book will change the world! People often get into writing children’s books with projects they are truly passionate about - pets, family anecdotes or memories, or a moral they wish to impart and then take it terribly personally when they hit their first wall and refuse to compromise or take advice. 3) People think it’s easy because unlike a novel, it’s short! But just because there aren’t many words doesn’t mean there isn’t much story. Children's author Mem Fox once compared writing picture books to ‘writing War and Peace in Haiku’. A slight exaggeration, maybe, but one of the most difficult books I've ever written is Zoo Girl - and it's told in only 20 words! But trying to get the story right first, with emotional ups and downs, cliff-hangers, a strong beginning, middle and end, character depth etc. and then condense that down and tell as much as I could in the pictures rather than the words was an immense challenge. It's easier to ramble. As this blog entry is proving. 4) People think it pays well - true if you have a big hit like The Gruffalo but this is exTREMEly unlikely and many books go out of print after their first print run so the writer gets no royalties and may be paid an advance of just £1000 - £3000. Why do most people fail? The fact is that most would-be children’s writers have no idea what they’re doing. They simply haven’t taken the time to learn about writing for children. Let's face it, you wouldn't try to fly a fighter jet without first taking flying lessons. So why do so many people think they can write a children's book without first learning how? (I admit this is a terrible analogy - no one, so far as I know, has ever died a horrible plummeting death from trying to write a picture book without the proper training, but you get my point.) So what’s the secret? Simple - In order to get your picture book published, you MUST find out what publishers are after and then give them EXACTLY what they want. And, the good news is, children's book publishers are desperate for good children's books, because, as I’ve said, most of what they receive is rubbish! Children’s books like anything else are a business (a really fun one, but a business none the less) and as such we need to be creating products which will be appealing to the target audience - not just the children (although they should ALWAYS be at the forefront of our thinking) but the publishers, editors, booksellers that all come before a child even sees it. Hopefully in this course you'll get a strong idea of what publishers want, and how to create it and present it to them. It's also worth saying at this point that if you can overcome the odds, do the research and break into the business - it's one of the most rewarding, enjoyable and fun jobs around! This first session is What Makes a Good Picture Book? - If you don’t know this, how are you going to create your own one? The only way to do this is to research - know your market, love your market, visit libraries and children's departments in book shops, start collecting picture books that catch your eye (charity shops are a great source). If you don’t love children’s books, if you think they're beneath you, if you're scared of being stared at as you spend hours in the children's section of the library, leave now, this profession is not for you. Different kinds of picture books: I regularly get emails from people who have written 'a children's book' and when I ask what kind of children's book and what age it's aimed at they're a bit stumped, or the material in no way goes along with the age they tell me it's aimed at so you need to learn the difference between... mass-market activity books, board and novelty books, Early Readers, picture books, YA novels etc. etc. You'll get to know these by visiting those libraries and bookshops again and seeing what's in each section, holding them, looking at the blurb on the back, etc. In this course it's high-end trade Picture Books we're interested in - these are generally - 32pages, 12-14 full colour spreads, with full-colour, quality illustrations, and original tales told in less than 600 words. But within picture books there are of course different genres, for example; Humourous (eg. Dave, The Monkey With the Bright Blue Bottom, Olivia, Naked Trevor) Action adventure (eg. Gruffalo, Where the wild things are, ) Snuggly bed-time story (eg. Guess How Much I Love you, I love you Daddy, Cub's First Winter) and lots more besides, and many books of course span the whole lot. But it's worth thinking about what kind of book you want to write and which market you'd be aiming at. Characters Your picture book will need a main character and generally these are; Children - the same age or a little older than the target audince (which for a picture book is usually between 3-6 but can be much wider) Animals - usually young animals or an older animal with a child-like outlook Creatures - monsters, fairies, robots etc. Adults - very rarely the main character (Percy the Park keeper is an exception but he looks quite chubby and child-like! There are other notable exceptions but i think best to avoid as your main character) ok to include parents, teachers, doctors etc. - Adults children have come across in their own lives. Inanimate Objects - Again, there are notable exceptions but generally I would avoid writing your picture book about Simon the Stapler or Billy Banana. It's old-fashioned, it's dull, it's of little interest to publishers. The important thing is your picture book needs at least one character the child reader can identify with - so whether it's a robot monkey or bespectacled duck make sure they make choices and deal with emotions like a 5 year old child would. So what makes a book work well? THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE HERE by generally a great picture book must be; Original - publishers are looking for a new hook or concept Well written - we'll go into more detail about this next week but each word must be perfect. Beginning, middle and end - Straight in, exciting progression, pleasing ending Fit nicely into 12/13 spreads with action on each spread Attractive and entertaining to children and adults Children/main character solving their own problems, not adults stepping in to 'save the day' A Simple idea told clearly Engaging characters GREAT ending We will be looking at this list and going through it in more detail next week but for now; Homework! 1. Look at a selection of (fairly recent) picture books and as you read them and study the illustrations ask the following questions; What kind of book is it (funny, adventure etc.) What’s the basic plot? What is the atmosphere of the book and how is that conveyed? Why and how do the images and text work together? Is the book appropriate for its audience? Why? Is there a character the child can relate to? What is the child meant to gain from the book, if anything? Is there an underlying message or moral to the book? How does the narrative work - is there a definite beginning, middle and end? 2. Come up with 3 vague picture book ideas - include a main character and a rough plot line. Next week - How to Write a Picture Book
Today I had a ton of fun making a Books of the Bible Lapbook. Print out all your pieces. Assemble the accordion books. Attach the cover to the front of the lapbook. How it looks when you first open it up. Bible notes on the left hand flap. Bible vocabulary on the right hand flap. The beginning part of the Old Testament books on the first insert. Under the Bible notes tabs. Just a close up of the first set of pockets. The accordion books are folded up. The match book vocabulary can be either written in or pasted in. Turn the first insert page over and here are the remaining pockets etc... for the OT. Then we have a 400 years separation note stuck to the bottom part of the page. Turning to the middle we start the NT pockets. And continue over for the remainder. How it looks when both inserts are open. On the back of the right hand insert. A full listing of the books of the Bible. Yes, so that's it. It is quite a project, and I suggest doing it in small parts as a child learns the Books of the Bible by rote memory. So, if you're interested in this lapbook feel free to download a FREE copy here. Thanks so much for visiting.
Parables are a wonderful way to teach children biblical truths in a story format they will understand. We use them in our everyday teachings with "morals of the story" already, so many children are familiar with the parable concept and format. As I began prepping to teach my children some of the parable stories, I realized I wanted more resources. Today I am sharing with you those I have gathered for a handful of the parables in the Bible.
Discover the joy of children's book illustration with our easy-to-follow guide. Start your journey to creating visual stories that inspire and delight.
You can teach anything with children's picture books: Science. History. Writing. Math. Cooking. And Art. Especially art. Because picture books are an artform. I'll be writing a Five Day Series this week about connecting children's literature to art. Monday through Thursday I will be sharing four art project ideas inspired by children's picture books. On Friday I have …
Fun Coloring Page with info about the Anatomy of the Bible. You can download the PDF file here. Enjoy! POST UPDATE: I had taken this post down because I had a typo in the number of books in the Old and New Testament (numbers were switched) and had not been able to locate the original artwork until now. I've updated the file to now show the correct number of books: 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament Books.
A must-read review of 10 favorite grief counseling resources for children. Perfect for any counselor working with children who have experienced grief or lo
I decided to declare this week messy week at our house and I am going to try some of the goopy, slimely crafts for the kiddos. The first thing we tried was making homemade Oobleck. If you are not familiar with this product it is really the craziest stuff. It looks like spilled paint...Read More »
This giant list of art projects based on children's books will help your students connect art to literature and make some fantastic artwork in the process.
After King Solomon, the nation of Israel fell into a civil war and divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (where Jerusalem was located). Israel (the Northern Kingdom) fell to the Assyrians around 722 B.C. while Judah continued for more than 120 years. The prophets warned Judah, however, that judgment was coming for their sin. Jeremiah was one of those prophets. He spoke for God and told them they would be conquered by the Babylonians and would be in exile for 70 years. “Exile is coming,” He declared! This was not a message the people wanted to hear, but it was true and in 587 B.C. Jerusalem and the temple were finally destroyed by the Babylonians and most of the people were deported to Babylon. This Exile Is Coming! Jigsaw Puzzle will help kids understand the sorrow Jeremiah felt over the coming destruction of the city and temple He loved.
We’re currently studying early humans, from the origins of man to the prehistoric stone ages to the Neolithic revolution of agriculture. Here are a few fiction and non-fiction children’…
If you're looking for something fun and different to decorate your garden, I think I've found it! Now, this is a project for the person that loves to DIY and paint! You don't just have
Award-winning children's book author who speaks in schools and keynotes conferences worldwide.
Do you have a children's book taht you want to get published? Here's everything you need to know in order to publish a children's book with a traditional publisher.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Find FREE Preschool Printables and activities for Earth Day! These coloring pages feature children finding ways to take care of the earth.
How the stomach breaks down food: a hands-on demonstration to understand the two ways in which the stomach breaks down food during digestion.
All About Authors- Julia Donaldson. Biographical information, book list, activities and crafts, along with other resources to support books written by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, Room On The Broom, Stick Man, The Snail On the Whale, and more!
Teach your students about the 7 Continents with these activities, projects & games!
Activities Inspired by Ish by Peter Reynolds
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Coloring books are a fun project for everyone involved, especially if you’re able to monetize off of it! Whether you’re looking to create a children’s col
This week's HSC Featured Post is a compilation of 101 chapter books to read with children before they grow up.
I’m back with another list of 25 more of my favorite art books! Be forewarned, this is a long post. I have given you extra details about the books and some ideas to spark your lesson planning. It is no secret that I love children’s books. Previously, I wrote a list of 25 amazing art books which I like to use in my art classroom. This has been one of my most viewed posts. Since then, I have discovered some … Read more... →
Do you want to write a picture book? Here's how to plot your picture book, plus a free picture book plotting worksheet to help you master your craft!
Download a Free Dyscalculia Toolkit
This Cain and Abel Spot the Differences activity can help children gain a better understanding of the power of sin and the need for a Savior.
Check out these 7 activities to use with the novel Charlotte's Web including spider web synonyms, how to draw a pig, spider web art, and more.
Related Printables: Elisha and Shunammite Woman Craft Elisha and Naaman Craft Elisha and the Shunammite Woman Coloring Page Elisha and Naaman Coloring Page
We are currently doing a short study of the human body. We recently finished up our unit on the Brain and Nerves, and here are some of the activities we did and resources we used.
I am making this post because I couldn't find a tutorial ANYWHERE online. I visited my best friend a few weeks ago and her 3 year old had this book that her pre-school teachers made. Sawyer fell in LOVE with it, so I knew I had to make one for her. It was fairly simple once I had all of the supplies. To make it you will need: CD sleeves (Office Depot) 1" album rings (Hobby Lobby) reinforcement labels (Office Depot) Hole Punch Double Sided Tape Different materials for texture. I used: Silky-silk fabric Leathery-leather scraps in the jewelry making section at hobby lobby Bumpy-snakeskin scrapbook paper Crinkly-plastic that I removed from the CD sleeves Furry-fur in the craft section Foamy-foam sheets Scratchy-glittery foam sheet Rough-cardboard scrapbooking sheet I first (very carefully) removed the plastic from the CD sleeves. This was tedious because the paper rips easily. Once I had the plastic removed, I made three holes on the side of all the sleeves. I then put reinforcement stickers over the holes. Next I cut each texture to the size I needed to fit into the sleeve. I then put pieces of double sided tape on the back of the material and slid it into the sleeve. Then I taped the flap shut with clear packing tape. After I had all of the sleeves finished, I put them together with the album rings. I printed a label to go in the front sleeve, and that was it! I went through and wrote in sharpie each texture. I wanted to print cute ones, but the space is pretty small so I just wrote them. It's a HUGE hit! She has been playing with it for a few days now, and it's holding up well. I have gone back and reinforced some spots with more clear packing tape, but so far she's being pretty gentle with it! I hope this helps anyone who wants to make one of these for their little one!
A lyrical, gorgeously illustrated look at the majesty of trees—and what humans can learn from them.Stand tall.Stretch your branches to the sun.Be a tree!In this gorgeous and poetic celebration of one of nature’s greatest creations, acclaimed author Maria Gianferrari and illustrator Felicita Sala both compare us to the beauty and majesty of trees—and gently share the ways in which trees can inspire us to be better people.Abrams Appleseed Be A Tree! Book Details:Pages Count: 40Format: HardcoverAuthor: Maria GianferrariIllustrator: Felicita SalaSize: 8 1⁄2 x 11 1⁄3 inches
Today’s post is about different ways to make tunnel books. They are similar to star/carousel books in that they are based on accordions. In the case of tunnel books, two accordions hold the p…
