Common Ground - Art Smart

Introducing "our very own original idea" 

Colorizing a Caldecott 

Written and illustrated by the very talented Kevin Henkes

Common Ground Art Smart is a program designed to inspire adult and child creativity, side-by-side.   We intentionally use the language and the books from the Common Core State Standards. We feel that the town library shares common ground with our schools and our families in many areas and in this case, we share and support literacy and the arts.

 If you follow Piper Loves The Library you know we've used this book before in Common Ground Art Smart.  It's a favorite!   Mr Henkes might like to know that his book was the #1 most circulated children's book in our little branch in 2013.  Pretty cool, don't you think?

We moved the program from one of our branches to our Main Library children's room this summer.  Nice program room with kid-size and adult-size sinks!   This is the sort of thing that makes my day...details of the sinks!   We invited 4-6 yr olds with an adult.

The program met once a week for three weeks.  Each time we created something colorful from Kitten's First Full Moon.  I had  10 copies of the book.  Following a brief introduction of the story and the author/illustrator's style - each parent/child pairing could browse the book and decide how they wanted to approach their work.  Communication is key.

Week #1  Flowers

Just look - so many different styles!  We all talked about color combinations.  After drawing with sharpies & coloring with oil pastels they cut out their pieces for a new layout, a new and cleaner composition.

Week #2 The Kitten 

(I passed around some of Laurel Birch's designs to inspire COLOR!)

Made with oil pastels and sharpies

Week # 3  The Full Moon

(if you follow our blog you've seen this before - in giant size!)

We created these with sharpie and colored chalk and triple matted! 

 That's it.  I adore doing this program.  Watching parent and child talk about their artwork, think about it, plan the colors and layout, make a sketch - it inspires me.   Introducing oil pastels to a whole room - it's a rush.  Letting everyone discover the sparkle that metallic sharpies bring to their creation  - very very exciting!  I mean it.  Discovery, creativity, collaboration, inspiration - these are my words people.  Amen!

P.S. Piper Script: Lucky for me, someone wanted to draw "puppy's first full moon." Hmmm.  I wonder...maybe we should contact Mr Henkes!

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.

She loves your comments too.  

Not a flannel Firefly

Firefly July

At the beginning  of time of the month I saw fireflies in North Carolina and knew I wanted to create a community art project with fireflies back in my Connecticut library.   I was looking at Kevin Henke's award winning book - Kitten's First Full Moon for a different library program, when  suddenly I knew. Here's the firefly idea!    It's wonderful when the moon aligns with Jupiter and Mars and the idea is just there.  There!  Here!

I started with a large piece of gorgeous blue paper from the fantastic Jerry's Art-orama, the neighborhood art store.  I recycled, (and who doesn't love some free-re-cycle?) a piece of black foam board for the backing.  I had a big fat black sharpie on hand and some great colored chalk pastels.  I drew the moon, the fireflies and some flowers with the black sharpie and placed the piece on display.  

Our patrons, old and young alike, were invited to color one firefly.  And they did.  On the first day we had lots of bright yellow fireflies and a couple of yellow flowers.  We titled the piece "Be a Reading Bug and Light The Night"  In one week's time the mural was done.  Look at all the colors!  And all the fireflies!  It's magical...and our community loved being invited into the artwork.

Are you a reading bug?

P.S.(Piper Script): Enjoy your summer reading...and watch for fireflies!  We'll be looking to the heavens for inspiration for the next community art project.