Let's Make Some Great Fingerprint Art by Marion Deuchars

-




There is no way I could begin this review without giving a shout out to the stupendous Ed Emberley, the Grand Poobah of drawing books for kids, especially thumbprint art. You may think that there is no room for another book on this subject, but when someone has the background in art, creativity and inspiration that Marion Deuchars does, there is definitely room. In fact, Deuchars really takes the whole idea of a "learning to draw" and "fingerprint art" book to a new level with Let's Make Some Great Fingerprint Art. I might even go so far as to say that Deuchars's work is a kid-friendly version of Keri Smith, creator of the hugely popular WRECK THIS JOURNAL. For a peek inside her books and the chance to try some out some of Deuchars's ideas, visit her fantastic website, Let's Make Some Great Art and check out her other books at the end of this review, which also includes a wonderful book trailer.

Let's Make Some Great Fingerprint Art is both instructive AND interactive. Kids are encouraged to leave their stamp on the pages of the book and practice ideas. Deuchars has ideas for how to use single fingerprints as well as how to pile up fingerprints and make anything from a bunch of balloons to a pyramid. She even has a spread where kids can create their own Day of the Dead decorated skull! And, she explains the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead as well as the other curiosities she mentions in the book. On top of that, there are pages showing how to make prints using rubbish and how to incorporate collage into art work. And so much more! This is a book you (and a child) will want to sit down and read cover to cover before even trying a project, although, believe me, your hands will be itching to get into some ink or paint while you make your way through Let's Make Some Great Fingerprint Art!










Marion Deuchars's other books for kids!





Source: Review Copy



Popular posts from this blog

Fox + Chick: The Sleepover and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

-
Image
Fox + Chick : The Sleepover and Other Stories  by Sergio Ruzzier Review Copy from Chronicle Books Friends. Opposites. Inhabitants of a pastel-hued, water color world that is vaguely surreal, Fox and Chick are back for a third installment of their inviting, if curious, easy-to-read stories. In "The Sleepover," "The Hammer," and "The Surprise," Chick's odd logic is once again upending Fox's life. Happily, Fox responds with patience and even wisdom at times. To these unforgettable characters and luminous illustrations, Ruzzier brings a sublime simplicity that makes this series perfect for emerging readers, adding books with character and intelligence to the often dull world of beginning reader books. If you aren't familiar with this delightful duo, definitely check out my reviews of the first two books (links below) where I put the greatness of Ruzzier's work into historical ( Frog & Toad ) context. Then check out ALL of Ruzzier's p
Read more

Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala

-
Image
Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala Review Copy from Abrams Kids I picture-walked Be a Tree! three times before I actually read the words. Felicita Sala's illustrations for Maria Gianferrari's poetic text are mesmerizingly immersive and richly colorful within a palette of earth tones. Throughout the text, Gianferrari, who shares her inspiration for this book in the author's note ( Peter Wohleben's The Hidden Life of Trees ), gently maintains the human connection to trees and the connections (and communications) trees share with each other.  Be a Tree!  begins exuberantly, inviting the reader to "Be a tree! Stand tall. Stretch your branches to the sun. Let your roots curl, coil in the soil to ground you." From your spine/trunk to your skin/bark and your heart/pith, the words carry you inward and then zoom outward and up to the canopy and ultimately, the forest. "You are one of many trees," and our roots "twine with fung
Read more

Reading Levels: A Quick Guide to Determining if a Book Is Right for Your Reader

-
Image
While I wrote an article titled Reading Levels: How I Assign Reading Levels to Books, How the Publishers Do It and How You Can Help Your Reader Find the Right Book at the Right Time that discusses how reading levels are determined by professionals and amateurs like myself, there is more on this subject to discuss. Determining the reading level of a book from the children's section is never easy, mostly because there are several different standardized methods of determining reading levels. Add to this the fact that knowing their children's reading level is most often the only tool a parent is armed with when exploring the bookstore, library, website, etc, and the job becomes even more difficult. While I think that knowing a child's reading level is a very valuable tool if your child is reading below grade level, I think that it is a secondary consideration when finding books for children reading above, especially well above, grade level because, in most cases, content app
Read more