Pictures & Poetry: Activities for Creating

Beautiful book with excellent examples for linking art and literacy. Clear ideas and methods for utilizing a variety of hands-on techniques. The book is intended for children but is more suited to adults, specifically those who teach children.

This is the book to use if you want to help children see and participate in the creative process. I bought my first copy several years ago, when I was teaching in a one-room school house. It inspired kids from the 1st to the 8th grade. The examples of the artist's work are well-chosen, and the art and page layout is beautiful. The content is presented in comfortable thematic chunks just right for a few days work in the classroom, or an afternoon at home. It is multicultural and thematic. for example --Murals and Ballads - telling a story: Diego Rivera and E.B.WhiteEach poet and artist is given an interesting, child-friendly biography. There is a section called "making the connection," which guides the children through the theme to note the ways different artist/poets chose to express their vision. Last, but not least, each theme has a motivating writing and art project to go with it. In a world where less and less art, and less and less innovation are being supported in the schools, this is an ideal resource. It is a tool a teacher can fit into the day easily. It could provide a terrific substitute for a language handout or homework project.Parents will find this a wonderful gift for their literary and artistic teenagers as well.