• Where do you suppose the artist got their ideas for these illustrations?

(The topic came from the story. The artist was hired to make pictures for the book. Once the artist had the topic, they turned to resources such as....their imagination, photos of models, books from the library, the internet... their knowledge of the ethnic group portrayed, culture, history...)

• Choose 3 illustrations.
  • For each, consider the purpose the artist had in mind when they chose to portray the scene in that certain way, with those certain colors and shapes, from that certain angle, with those particular people in it...
  • Why did the artist create this picture? What did the artist want the reader to notice, to feel, to think?
  • Would you like to have this picture on the wall in your room? Why or why not?
  • Can you think of place where it would be suitable to have this picture on the wall? Why would it be valuable (purposeful) there?
• How do we know that this isn't the artist’s actual, original piece of art? (It is in a book. There are lots of books. The original would have had the texture of whatever it was made from.)
• What is the word we use that tells us we are looking at a copy of someone's original artwork? (reproduction)
• What is your favorite picture in this whole book?
  • What makes it your favorite? (discuss design strategies, feelings evoked, media used, mood expressed, visual impact, senses engaged)
  • In your opinion, what is the one very best thing on this page? Tell me about it.
• Look at this picture closely.
  • What media was used to make it? (pencil, pen, paint, found objects, paper...)
  • What are the colors and shapes involved?
  • How dark, how light?
  • If I was going to draw that shape in the air, above the picture, how would I move my hand?
  • These are things you can remember when creating pictures of your own.
• Make a 2-D or 3-D image reproduction
  • Make an entire reproduction of your favorite picture ... OR
  • Reproduce a particular element of your favorite picture. (copy a small portion; I liked the way he made the tree. I want to learn to make a bird like that. I want to practice making faces in the same style the illustrator used for this boy. I want to see if I can make a hat like this girl's hat...I want to see if I can make distant hills. They are purple!)
  • Consider whether you want to make your picture bigger, smaller, or the same size as the original.
  • Show your finished picture to someone and tell them why you chose to make it as you did.
  • Tell someone what skills you were "good at" in this piece of art.
• Make an original 2-D or 3-D image
  • Make a picture or model of your own. Use ideas from the artist or create something totally new.
  • Set up your tools and materials carefully and safely.
  • Show your finished picture to someone and tell why you chose to make it as you did.
  • Clean up when you are finished.
  • Take care of your materials in an environmentally safe way.
  • Tell someone what skills you were "good at" in this piece of art.