Over the past two weeks, I did three storytimes at libraries in the East Central Region of Minnesota. It was great to meet families and celebrate kids as readers, as (mostly) preschoolers and toddlers swooped like bats, bloomed like flowers, made monkey noises, did toothpaste art, and echo read my books and poems. But a huge highlight was meeting a family of writers who came because they had taken part in an online poetry session I did with Read-Aloud Revival. The three daughters in this home-school family had created tiny picture books, and they brought them to share with me.
One of the girls, Madelyn, had written and illustrated A Horse Can Be…, inspired by my Can Be… books. What a treat! She used such bold and playful language, and her love of horses poured out of every single page. (See lesson plans for creating your own Can Be… book here.)
Even the youngest daughter (age four, I think) had dictated a book and illustrated it, and she proudly read it to me. Hers was inspired by If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Mentor texts are such a great way to get kids writing, and I was so grateful that this family came and shared their creativity with me!
Thank you to the Bartens and also to Cortney Wallbridge, who coordinated my visits!
4 Responses
So nice to learn how you are inspiring young writers and readers!
It totally made the storytime for me:>)
Laure, these are wonderful, such creativity! I’d love to learn about your toothpaste art.
Gena
Well, one of my spring books (In the Middle of the Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House) imagines the nighttime play of your household objects. And the beautiful striped toothpaste makes art in the bathroom sink:>) So I got a posterboard and a tube of Aim and had a volunteer artist come up to “paint” a picture while I read the poem aloud. That’s all:>) Just trying to get kids involved as much as possible!