A high school that I once went to had a wall full of wanted posters with pictures of their teachers holding their favorite books on it. I found this site where you can create a wanted poster like the one pictured to the left. All you do is download the picture and add the text you want on it. Take pictures of teachers and label them "WANTED for reading... (then list their favorite book)"

The site that I created this poster on was http://www.glassgiant.com/wanted/

March is Youth Art & National Craft Month

March is Youth Art Month, and National Craft Month. I am amazed at the detail and crafting put into pop-op books and am presenting a pop-up book this week during library classes to share my amazement. Robert Sabuda, one of the paper crafters that created several pop-up books with Michael Reinhart, celebrates his birthday on March 8th. If you would like to check out a website put together by Sabuda and find instructions for a few simple pop-ups that you can make, go to http://www.robertsabuda.com/popmake/index.asp

"It came from Outer Space", a picture book about an astronaut that crash lands into a school and is considered a monster by the aliens that live there, is the book we are sharing this week. Once the students at the school take the time to discover more about the "monster" they find out how nice he is and are sad when he has to leave. You can make an alien/heart card for valentines day by folding a paper in half and cutting it into the shape of an alien head (pictured to the left, a bulge on the top and pointy on the bottom.) Draw your alien face on the front of the card, then unfold the card and write your valentine message on the inside, which should be a heart shape (pictured on the right.)

A friend sent an email to me with info about an artist that, because of an injury, draws holding the pencil in his mouth. In a question & answer section of his website the artist says...

"Question - How did you learn to draw by mouth? Answer - I'm really just holding the pencil in my teeth. My neck is doing all the work. After the bet with my brother to see who could draw a better picture, I started out just sketching things out of art books and around the house. Then one day we received a Christmas card with a sketchy line drawing of a house on it. I thought I could do something like that, so I copied the style. After awhile my own style developed. I've only taken one art class after my injury and it was figure drawing. Every image I draw is a learning experience, about the animal and how to bring it to life. Because I've found this hidden talent within me, I believe everyone of us has hidden talents that each person can find in themselves."

I challenged students to learn something new this year, maybe discovering a hidden talent, so I have been sharing pictures and info about this artist with students this week.

If you'd like to learn more about the artist go to

http://www.mouthart.com/mouthart/frame_info.html

Cookie Monster goes to the library