Boo-Hoo: Final Chapter and Two Free Mini-Posters

I cannot begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed this book study! It has been an eye-opening study and I am coming away with so many great ideas from not only Katie, but also all of you, friends! I have enjoyed all of your insights, encouragement and friendships! Thank you to all of you who made this such a great study. I won't cry because it's over...I'll smile because it happened!

This was probably one of my favorite chapters. I love the predictability of picture books and they bring a certain level of comfort and familiarization to my young readers, as well. I remember quite clearly one of my students stopping me as I began reading a book to ask who the book was dedicated to. Several of her friends nodded in agreement with her question. Yes, they all wanted to know who the book was dedicated to! I paged back to see who it was that the book was dedicated to and read the dedication page aloud as my listeners wondered who that could be. This class was so attune to the  layout and design of books and they taught me about the importance of taking time to notice these important details. Katie says, "Whether they are conscious of it or not, readers respond to the layout and design of texts." Yes! They do! As we study illustration to help young writers we need to make our writers aware of the subtle details illustrators make as they design their pages.


We all do it. Bloggers are visual. We think about how things will look. If I see a blog with lots of text and few pictures, I rarely linger very long unless the subject is of great interest to me or if it is your blog. The way a blogger lays out their page can either draw me in or turn me off. I hope I haven't turned you off, yet! Helping children see possibilities in text/illustration layout strengthens their decision making skills and helps them to keep their pages interesting.
Laurie Keller's books are great illustrations of visually appealing text and illustration.
I had the pleasure of attending one her speaking events, as she lives in the area! She is a wonderful entertainer as well as author and illustrator!
The dedication page is hilarious...

Have your students write dedication pages...It is so heartwarming!

Laurie designs print to convey meaning. (Technique 43!) I love the fonts and colors in the book Do Unto Otters.

Laurie designed a cover that drew me in and highlights all the main characters of the book. I love going back to the cover after reading it to talk about how each character played an important role in this book about manners.

Technique 40:  Designing the Placement of Words and Pictures
Katie recommends that children be taught the vocabulary of page design. This kind of design vocabulary is important for children to understand in many kinds of texts. I have been having so much fun with My Memories software for scrap booking. I have tried using it to make mini-posters and thought that this might be a way to make a visual to teach children these vocabulary words.

Click on either picture to go to Google docs and print your own set! Also available for free for a limited time on TPT!

Thank you everyone for the memories and insights!

Want to see more on this topic? Hop on over to... 
Thanks for hosting, Kindergals!

Wholeness of Text and a Morning Song!

I don't know why, but chapter 9, Wholeness of Text, was harder for me to get through than any other. I'm not sure if it was the subject matter or if it was beautiful weather beckoning me to come outside or the distractions of these cute guys running around in my front yard...

We hired them to mow and fertilize our lawn! They
do great work!  

I caught this one laying down on the job! No more
hostas for him.

Anyway, I did force myself to stay focused and finally found some things that show wholeness of text.  I love Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? Have you ever noticed that Jesse Bear has the same red shirt on for the whole story. He wears all kinds of other things such as rice, dirt and even a chair, but he keeps that red shirt on once he puts it on in the morning and it comes off when he hops in the tub. That's not the last time we see that shirt.  I love that we see that red shirt on the very last page peeking out of the clothes hamper...Do you think he put it there himself?  What a responsible little bear! Bruce Degen keeps static details consistent. "As you point out how illustrators have to be so careful to render a character or object the same way each time they're pictured, help children imagine the work it takes to accomplish this...This process of looking back to make sure new content fits with old is directly parallel to the process a writer uses to keep wholeness of text." page 171 Katie Wood Ray.

I'm going back to a book I've shared before. The Little House stays the same but the city keeps getting closer and closer. The illustrations are connected ins such a way that meaning builds across the details as picture after picture suggests that the city will eventually envelope the house.

In The Napping House the Woods crafts an ending that returns to the lead. Look at the first page of the book.

Now take a look at the last page. It's the the same yard, but what a change has occurred.  The changes could only happen by the way the meaning was crafted in the book.

 The Woods also craft artful repetition on each page as the characters continue to dog-pile onto the bed one at a time. This is a wonderful book to show the passage of time using details of weather.

A favorite book of mine, not just because it's a Lois Ehlert book and not just because it's loaded with wonderful backyard birds, but also because Lois crafts an ending that pulls multiple text elements together. Each of the birds in the book shows up at the end in feather form!

When I started this post I had the end in mind. I knew I would somehow bring those deer back into focus. I'm going to use a suble tecnique when I do it. I have one flower left in my yard. Yes, one! I used to be able to grow thousands, but those cute little deer are hungry. When they are done keeping the bushes trimmed and the lawn tidy, they enjoy the sweetness of flowers for their dessert. So I'm showing you the remaining flower left in my yard for...The End!

Are you just joining the study?  In case you missed it last week, here is a freebie you can use during the year to help you organize the books you use to illustrate each technique.

I was amazed at how many people viewed my post on titled The ABCs of first grade. Many people asked about the tune to the Morning Song that my class sings each most mornings! Thank you. I felt so loved. As promised here is a video featuring my daughter doing the dance moves and my son supplying the tune and me singing! I hope you enjoy, and that it helps you learn the song!!

Thank you, 

for hosting! I'm loving this study.

In Pictures and In Words Precision and Detail

I have a special gift from my daughter. A summer cold. I don't feel good. Sore throat. Stuffy nose. This should only happen during the school year, so I can take a day off. Pity party over time to move on...

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying this study.  Thank you Deedee for being the host for the first two weeks.  It has been a pleasure getting to know you. I've often wondered if people with 1000s of followers still get excited about a new follower, or notice beginners. If you are a person of character, like Deedee, you do. I wish she taught next door to me!

This weeks study made me look at picture books more closely. I could see how authors and illustrators worked together to bring precision and detail into their pictures and words. I chose three books to try and find various techniques highlighted in this chapter.

Do you have these in your collection? Ferdinand by Monro Leaf  illustrated by Robert Lawson
Olivia by Ian Falconer One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies illustrated by Jane Chapman

I'm going to use pictures from the book that I found to show the different techniques from this chapter.  The most important idea I took from chapter 8 is that small illustrations or details leave big and lasting impressions.

Ferdinand just sat on a bee!  Did he like it?  What do you think? Poor Ferdinand. The
"recruiters think he's going to be a prized bull for the bull fights!  I'll use this for technique number 13...Crafting details of expression and gesture.

Olivia shares a special bond with her mom in the arts. Here they
enjoy a Jackson Pollock  I think this reveals character with background but also
an element of surprise. I love Jackson Pollock and so does my son. He got quite excited when I read this
book to him because he recognized the inside joke, if you will.

I love the  rich background of these illustrations, but also the details from nature. Come a little closer...

This crab is even smaller than the tiny turtle!

You can really understand why Ferdinand would enjoy sitting under
a Cork Tree smelling flowers on this very hot day in July! These details from nature are
some of my favorite illustrating techniques. I love the shadow! Look at those corks growing
from the tree. What a hoot!

Ian does a wonderful job showing us just how busy Olivia is.
Olivia reminds me so much of my little Ella. Ella spent one summer dancing
with nothing but a tutu on and was caught in the cupboard applying some
of my bright red lipstick...I'd never have noticed that!

Do you think Olivia sings quietly?  Me either! Again, Ian is able
to give the illusion of sound with a simple illustration.

Here is Olivia's mom once again sharing a special snuggle with her favorite little girl
as she also shares her passion for the arts. Who is Callas you ask? Only one of the most
renowned opera singers of the 20th century!  What a wonderful surprise if you are an
opera lover!  I just love the way Ian ends the book with Olivia's mom showing love. Look
closely at the facial expressions on their faces and the way they snuggle together around the
book. What a great way to end any book, day and post!

As promised, I have finished this handy guide for you to be able to keep track of the books you have or will use to show each technique. I appreciate any editing...REALLY! I'm happy when someone actually reads what I wrote or shared.

Thank you Growing Kinders for hosting this week!  I can't wait to link up!!

In Pictures and In Words: Book Study

I am linking up with Mrs. Wills Kindergarten to study the book .


On the last day of school many of my children brought me gifts.  There was no need for any gifts. Having these precious owlets in my classroom all year has been a gift.  Having the love, trust, and hearts of these children is a gift that only you understand, my blogging friend.  One of the most treasured gifts that was brought in was the writing that a child had done during the year.  She had gift wrapped an informational piece that she had researched and illustrated.  It happened to be a research project we had done about birds, of course!  What really touched me was that she knew that I valued her writing. I knew she was an author.  She knew that this would be a gift to me.  I was touched.

In Pictures and In Words is more than a resource.  It is a treasure chest.  I would like to share some of the thoughts that I have had as I've studied these chapters.


Why does illustration study matter to the development of young writers?  I have always used the illustration part of writing as the carrot.  When you finish writing then you may illustrate.  I have used the right language, but probably not the right way.  This chapter opened my eyes to the idea that illustration adds to the meaning.  One thought that keeps coming back to me is that if we teach children to read by using picture cues, shouldn't we allow them to use picture cues when they are writing?  For young writers, illustrating is part of composing meaning.


How does building stamina for writing support children's work as illustrators?
Sometimes teaching writing is scary.  It is so much easier to give a worksheet.  It is not as satisfying to give worksheets.  Writing is work.  Writing is hard for me.  I've never thought of myself as a writer.  I'm trying.  I started blogging to develop my writing skills.  I have a confession. I don't like writing.  It is hard work.  As I've developed stamina I've found a bit of joy in it.  I do it because I want to know what it's like for my students.  They know about my writing.  They like my writing, so I write for them.  I like my interaction with you so I will keep writing. I use photographs to keep me going.  I see my students illustrations now in a whole new light.  It helps construct meaning and it will help them keep going...Stamina.


Are writing and illustrating a parallel composing process?
I never thought so before, but YES!  Give a child a blank piece of paper and pencil - they'll do something.  They'll take their thoughts and show them in pictures or words, so to speak!  They'll think ahead.  They'll plan.  They'll put their ideas on paper.

How can I teach my students to think like a writer?
Before you can write anything you have to know what writing is.  Writing is thought written down.  Read, read, read thoughts of authors.  I love Ted Kooser's advice, "Before you write one poem, you need to read at least one hundred"  For the first time ever, I have started looking at books as a writer.  Thank you for that gift, Katie.  


How can I support the illustration-writing connection?
One may use words.  One may use pictures.  They may both construct meaning. Notice, question, encourage both the writer and illustrator to bring ideas and meaning to paper.  

The illustrations in this book add so much
meaning to the text.  It is so much fun to get
to the end and find all the characters that
have showed up through out the story.  At the
end they are all depicted a bit differently than they
had been earlier in the story!

How can I more effectively plan and implement my Writing Workshop?
This last chapter may have been my favorite.  Through the first five chapters I felt like I would never get there.  I might never become the teacher I want to be.  Part of being a good teacher is the willingness to learn and grow too. The day I feel I've learned everything there is to be a good teacher, is the day I'll retire.  I want to keep growing and learning with my students.  Guess how old I am...Go ahead.  I'm fifty.  I've been teaching for over twenty-five years.  I still have so much to learn.  I still want to learn about how kids learn, so I can help them learn better.  I want them to learn how to learn. As I study this text I will gather, expect, immerse, study, and write.  I can hardly wait to get into section two.  

The illustrations in this book are superb!
Judy does a great job making you wonder
 about the main characters first day at school.  I
don't want to spoil anything for you!  This
is a great book.  The illustrations make
are great for studying.

A couple of years ago my sister in-law recommended an author to me. Her name is Anne Lamott.  Without reading a description of the book I ordered the one entitled, Bird by Bird.  I ordered the book for its title.  When I picked it up at my local B&N the clerk said that he had read that book when he first started writing.  I had bought a book about writing? Why would this guy buy a bird book if he wanted to be a writer?  I had no intention of writing anything. Ever. I loved the book and since I've read it have seen myself a little differently in terms of having a story to tell.  I have something to say and I can say it in pictures and in words!  Photos and blogs, anyway!

A great read for any writer!

Thank you, Deedee for hosting such a meaningful study.


Hugs, Handshakes, and High-fives,