BOOK TO ART: Star Stuff

In Star Stuff, written and illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson, we zoom in from the Milky Way galaxy, to our sun, our earth, to Brooklyn, NY and into a small apartment where we meet a boy named Carl. Carl was curious about everything, especially the stars.

So Carl headed, of course, to the library, and started to find answers. Carl set out to learn more, and became Dr. Carl Sagan. He spread the message that “the earth and every living thing are made of star stuff.” He helped send a spacecraft on a grand tour of our solar system with a friendly greeting on board in the form of a golden record with sounds and messages from Earth. Carl remained curious all his life. He knew that he was part of a very big place. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Inspired by the star scenes in Star Stuff, we created bookmarks to remind us of our place in the universe. We always feel awe when looking up at the millions of stars in the night sky, and thinking about how much we’ve learned and how much is yet to be discovered.

Wild

In Wild, written and illustrated by Emily Hughes, we meet a little girl that has grown up in the woods, alongside the animals, and is happily wild. One day, some strange new animals she’s never encountered before find her and try to tame her. It doesn’t go well.

Hughes’s painterly illustrations are filled to the brim with wild splendor. The cover alone will stop you in your tracks.

I have always had an affinity for Emily Hughes’s Wild character. I had an unwilding moment of my own. When I was 3 years old I crossed the Atlantic Ocean, from the woods in Spain, to visit my Grandparents in the suburbs of Pennsylvania.

There, my Grandmom spit shined me and put me in patent leather.

I’m sure, like Hughes’s character, I thought they “spoke wrong” (English not Catalan), and “ate wrong” (where’s my garlic?) The overall memory is one of warmth though, from a Grandmom’s love to Mister Rogers who taught me how to speak English.

Every child has wildling tendencies, and we can all tap into ours to be happily Wild. (Picture book. 3-7)

BOOK TO ART: Balloons Over Broadway

Balloons Over Broadway is ‘The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade.’ Every Thanksgiving morning for more than 80 years, mammoth-size balloons have risen to the skies to wobble and sway over New York City.

Have you ever wondered who first invented these amazing “upside down marionettes”? In Balloons Over Broadway, written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, you’ll meet Tony Sarg the boy who loved to figure out how to make things move, and who became the puppeteer of Macy’s parade!

Having seen Tong Sarg’s Marionettes perform on Broadway, Macy’s asked Tony to create a “puppet parade” for their holiday windows. They were a huge hit. Macy’s then had an even bigger job in store for Tony, they wanted him to help put on a parade. The first parade was a success, and they decided to have one every year on Thanksgiving Day.

The problem was the crowds got so big, that only the people in the front rows could really see the parade. Tony was going to have to make much larger puppets in order for them to be seen! They would have to be strong enough to hold up in bad weather yet light enough to move up and down the streets!

With a couple of false starts, and some upside down thinking, Tony came up with a solution! It was a parade New Yorkers would never forget! (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Balloons Over Broadway would be wonderful to use in Art lessons. In everything that Tony Sarg did, he conveyed the sense that he was having FUN. His legacy reminds us that “PLAY” may be the most important element in making ART.

PS - If I was putting on a parade it would celebrate all things summer, with flowers and ice cream cones swaying over Broadway. What would your parade celebrate?

BOOK TO ART: The Lion and the Bird

Sometimes, friends have to fly away for awhile. The best ones return to us. The Lion and the Bird, written and illustrated by Marianne Dubuc, tells the tale of a lion who finds a wounded bird and nurses it back to health. An unlikely friendship ensues.

Dubuc’s illustrations are infused with delicate patterns that change with the cycles of the day, seasons and friendship, and inspired us to create postcards for friends in far-flung places. Just to let them know we’re thinking of them, and hope we’ll meet again. (Picture book. 4-7)

BOOK TO ART: The Mermaid and the Shoe

We all have special skills. Discovering them is part of the treasure hunt. In The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell, Minnow discovers that she is a “daring explorer.” Campbell’s dreamy watercolor illustrations inspired us to create our own mermaid portrait. These little craft scissors are perfect for cutting out flora and fauna, while dreaming of life under the sea. (Picture book. 3-7)