iRead: My Place

Did you ever draw floor plans or maps as a kid? I loved making my home and neighborhood feel like a place where adventures could happen! My friends and I would use our maps to find pretend treasure or to create neighborhood walks. The book My Place, by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, shares the stories of twenty-one kids over a span of 200 years. Each story shares information about the child, her family, and the neighborhood they live in as well as a map of the neighborhood. (SPOILER ALERT!) By about the third page, you realize each story takes place in the same home and each map is a variation of the neighborhood, tracking the changes from decade to decade.

The story, published in 1988, represents Australian history. My Place is a picture book but filled with a lot of text and information. I think children over 7 would enjoy reading this alone, but I could see myself reading it to kids as young as 4. I learned about it from a recent Kidscreen article. The book was turned into an Australian television program last year; each episode sharing a different child’s story, a different moment in time. They’ve renewed the show for another season, and I'm so curious to see it. You can read more about it here.

Though this is an Australian story, I think there’s something we can all relate to. Regardless of the kind of home we live in, everyone’s neighborhood has seen change and development over the past 200 years. Wouldn’t it be interesting to track the changes and the history of your own home and neighborhood?

I would have loved to use this in my Kindergarten classroom. I would have introduced the story to my students, probably reading it over a course of two days. As a class, we could create a history of our school and school neighborhood. Maybe we'd bring in the school director or parents who attended the school to interview and help us create our map and story. At home, each family could create their own map and brief history to be shared somewhere in the classroom.

My Place is out of print, but I highly recommend you purchasing a used copy here! Do you think this show would succeed in the US?

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iRead: 10-Minute Puppets

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Noel MacNeal earlier this summer. I had heard about his puppetry work and new book from a comedic puppeteer and was excited to see his artistry in action! Meeting him reminded me that I had to check out his book 10-Minute Puppets. The book reads like the perfect guide for a boring, summer day or stuffy snow day. I could picture my mother using it with my sister and me on one of those occasions and helping us build a puppet theater and cast of characters for an after-dinner family performance.

I appreciate that the book opens with a section on which materials are needed. MacNeal repeats this practice for each puppet. It's always helpful for children (and adults) to have a clear idea of what will happen before starting the project. A novice cook would not make a recipe without the ingredients!

The book is organized into six chapters. Chapters 1 through 4 provide specific kinds of puppets (fingers, shadows, etc.), while 5 and 6 provide information on how to build a puppet theater and create your own puppet show. It's truly a one-stop shop! My favorite was Chapter 3: Cutouts and Shadows. Each example in this section could easily be imitated by a child. Overall, I think most of these projects require adult supervision and assistance. The shadow puppets, however, could be done by a child alone or with a friend.

Other favorite parts of the book include: the "Peekaboo Present" puppet (page 69), the large "Dinosaur" puppet (page 58), each project's "If You've Got More Time" section, and the "Puppet Parts and Templates" appendix, which will allow you to either trace, photocopy or color and cut right out of the book and onto your puppet! Brilliant! This book would be oodles of fun for kids of all ages. Under 6 may need adult assistance!

MacNeal is great fun to follow on Twitter @NoelMacNeal. You can buy the book here.

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iRead "My Life as a Furry Red Monster"

Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of catching a screening of the documentary Being Elmo at the Independent Film Festival Boston. The film tells the tale of Kevin Clash, the talented Muppeteer and the man who has made Elmo famous. Fortunately, Clash, Elmo, and the team behind the film were there for a question and answer session after the film. What started as a brief few minutes with Kevin and a few minutes with Elmo, turned into over an hour of interaction between Elmo and the audience. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience! The screening inspired me to read Clash's book My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love, and Laughing Out Loud.

I found the book to be extremely similar to the film. This is refreshing, though. Clash's story and rise to fame are clear and inspiring. My favorite part of both the book and the film is his relationship with puppet-builder Kermit Love. Love mentored Clash, assisting him in refining his puppet-building techniques and his networking within the business.

Moments such as Clash's experience as a substitute puppeteer on the Sesame Street float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade are vivid and detailed. As a reader, you can feel Clash's enthusiasm and youthful awe.

The book is organized by Elmo's well-known, pro-social characteristics: Love, Joy, Creativity, Tolerance, Courage, Friendship, Cooperation, Learning, Optimism. The reader learns how important Elmo and Sesame Street have been in Clash's development and acquisition of these qualities.

The central themes of both the book and the film are to dream big and work hard. Again, the book and film are incredibly similar. If you had to pick one, I would recommend the film. In it are home videos of Clash and his family, footage of his early performances and television programs as well as an exclusive look at an early encounter with Kermit Love.

You can find the book here.

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iRead "The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)"

About two years ago, I saw Caroll Spinney and a slew of other Sesame Street stars as part of a panel discussion to celebrate their 40th season. An audience member asked him to do the voices of both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, the characters he had been playing since the pilot episode of the program. On the spot, he transitioned from one Muppet into the other. It was astounding! I remember being shocked at how different each character voice was, yet you could hear Spinney in both of them.

I finally had a chance to read The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch. In the book, Spinney reflects on both characters and how they have impacted his career and personal life. The book reads like a fast and fun autobiography. Spinney's life truly does run parellel to the program he has been with for so many years. He shares stories about his wife (who he met while working on the "Street"), working with Jim Henson, and the experiences that he has been afforded because of his roles on television.

Each chapter begins with some words of wisdom from either Big Bird or Oscar the Grouch. My favorite was a Big Bird quote, "Don't be afraid to lay an egg." I think that is really about transition and the fear of change when you choose to do or create something. I can't leave Oscar out, though. In his ultimate wisdom, Oscar shares, "Always start the day with a smile-that way you get it over with." Hilarious. I can just hear him saying that. It's a beautiful example of good writing and brilliant character portrayal.

I enjoyed reading about Spinney's puppeteering experience, how he met Jim Henson, his reluctance to join the cast of Sesame Street at first and the ultimate decision to do so, which changed the course of life. It was refreshing to hear about the moments in his career before and during Sesame Street that didn't go so well. The book is a testament to sticking it out and taking the job you love over the job that pays better.

What I found interesting and unique about Spinney is his mostly singular Muppeteer role. He's pretty much a Sesame Street guy, rarely working on other Henson projects. Big Bird's popularity must have made it really difficult to do much other work. What a wonderful burden to have had! Spinney's "About the Author" says it all, "He has traveled the world as Big Bird, won Grammys and Emmys, and has been named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress."

This the perfect short and fun read for creatives and lovers of Sesame Street or The Muppets. The book is no longer in print, but you can snag an inexpensive, used copy here. I got mine for $.01 plus shipping!

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iRead "Kid Made Modern"

Do you remember Todd Oldham? His fashion designs received acclaim in the '90s, leading him to host the MTV show House of Style (when MTV was still airing music videos). I'm not quite sure when I fell in love with him. Perhaps when he began to focus on interior design, particularly his delightful mid-century dorm products for Target! I still have my Todd Oldham for Target (year 2) two-tone mini-coffee table.

During my high school job at American Eagle in a New Jersey mall, I would ring Mr. Oldham up for his polo shirt purchases. I'm pretty sure he had a country home in the area, and I'm pretty sure he knew how much I loved him. I can't help but think about buying some of Oldham's new Charley Harper/Fishs Eddy pieces for my future apartment!

When I saw his latest book Kid Made Modern, I had an inkling it would be filled with fun projects to do with my cousins, my students, and by myself. This book definitely did not disappoint! The cover boasts "52 kid friendly projects inspired by mid-century modern design" and should be a required text for any school art teacher. In addition to the "52 projects," Oldham provides a thorough description of modern design, features several prominent modern designers with projects inspired by their work, and includes two pages of additional resources (more designers to look into, museums to visit, craft stores, and websites).

Before you read about any individual projects, there are four pages of craft supply kit items. I could easily spend two days going through these items with my cousins (ages 7 and 12), purchasing which ones we thought were most important, and developing our very own kits. This is a fantastic idea for rainy or "too hot" summer days. My favorite projects include (but are certainly not limited to): painted, wooden spoon friends (p. 26), plastic crate stool (p. 60), light cubes (p. 110), potato scarf printing (p. 130), paint chip and paper clip screen (p. 144), and a pegboard desk (170). I'm hoping to work on a few of these projects soon and will post on my progress.

The inspiration saver (p. 182) really caught my eye. As a creative child, I was constantly ripping out magazine pictures of clothes, furniture, or images that interested me. It wasn't until I was 18 that I started to collect and organize these images in an accessible way. The inspiration saver is simply a binder and page protectors that allow children (or adults) to collect and reflect on images that spark their imagination and artistry.

There are a few projects in the book that require sewing machines, and some using a sharp utility knife. The sewing projects in particular, though, seem much more difficult and may require more adult supervision and help. I recommend looking through the book before handing it over to a child. Highlight three or four projects that work well with your schedule and level of ability. Move on from there!

I recommend this book for children and modern design lovers ages 6 and up. There is something for everyone! You can find it on Amazon here.

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iRead "Make Art Mistakes: A Creativity Sketchbook"

Before beginning grad school, I worked to manage and grow the Family Workshops program at The New Victory Theater. I was consistently inspired by the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)'s family programs. They offer workshops, talks, and gallery guides for families, which are usually free or heaviliy subsidized.

I particularly enjoyed reading through their gallery guides. The team of arts educators who developed these, used very direct and accessible language. You can only imagine how thrilled I was to find their new art book for kids on a recent museum visit! The MoMA has just published Make Art Mistakes: A Creativity Sketchbook.

The book is filled with motivational quotes from well-known visual artists and provides a scaffolded guide of experimental art activities, including line-drawing, portraiture, and pattern-making. Included on almost every page of the book are those well-written directives that made me love the MoMA family guides. However, there are a few pages distributed throughout the book that provide blank space for a child's (or adult's) own doodles.

I completely fell in love with several sections of the book. So many pages provide graphing squares or dotes to help create shapes. Two pages at the beginning prompt young artists to draw lines that exhibit different emotions. This kind of activity seems fun, simple, and could support positive emotional development in very young children who are acquiring the vocabulary to identify the way they feel. I also loved the "create a color wheel" section, where artists fill in the shades between the primary colors. Lastly, the book provides three spaces "to record the color of the sky at three different times of the day." It might be nice to do some of these activities on large pieces of paper for homemade artwork to hang on the wall.

My only criticism is that the book would value from more descriptions. If I was a young artist, I might wonder, "What is a portrait?" "What is texture?" "How do I create rubbings?" Putting the descriptions right on the page of the directive might be nice. A glossary could easily be overlooked.

I could see this being a great activity book for a rainy summer day! Though I think kids as young as 3 would enjoy working with this book, I recommend it for ages 6 to 12. It requires a lot of reading and would provide a great deal of independent work for this age cohort.

Learn more about the MoMA family programs here. Buy the book from Amazon and check out MoMA's other books for kids here.

"Don't worry about mistakes. Making things out of mistakes, that's creativity." -Peter Max

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