Scribbles may not make any sense to an adult. They look like a lot of lines, loops, and squiggles. But these marks are very important to a young child. They are a child’s way of writing her thoughts. Drawing and scribbling are the first steps in using the skills children will need later for writing.
Unwrapping...
Authored by Andrew Larsen and Illustrated by Mike Lowery
Ages 4-7
PS - Grade 2
Release date: September 6, 2016
Unwrapping some illustrations to peek at...
About the book...
About the author...
Andrew Larsen lives in a neighborhood in Toronto that has tall trees, old houses and lots of stories. He lives with his wife and two children. Sometimes Andrew goes looking for stories and sometimes stories come looking for him.
About the illustrator...
Mike Lowery is an artist living in Atlanta, Georgia, with a beautiful German lady named Katrin and his incredible genius daughter, Allister. Mike's work has been seen on everything from greeting cards to children's books to gallery walls all over the world, and he is Professor of Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta. He lives in an atomic ranch house surrounded by trees, where he likes to draw little animals in party hats and other silly stuff.
An observant little boy wants to read and write just like his big sister. His problem is that he knows the letters of the alphabet but can't form them into words. His sister gently tells him,
"Every story starts with a single word and every words starts with a single letter." "Why don't you start there, with a letter?"
"Every story starts with a single word and every words starts with a single letter." "Why don't you start there, with a letter?"
Thus begins the boy's journey into Storyland. He choses the easy letter "I", is statisfied with that skinny letter, and he is off. His squiggles have meaning and his mind actives those squiggles into comprehension. He shares his story first with his sister and then at school in front of his classmates. He is unable to find a suitable ending himself so this propels the teacher to ask the class to make suggestions that might just constitute his perfect ending. The little boy although grateful for their input wants to finish the story his way and is encouraged by his sister who says,
"You're the author, you can do whatever you want."
"You're the author, you can do whatever you want."
His imagination serves him well and he is able to complete his story with satisfaction and gusto. He happily discovers that everyone has exactly what they need to compose a perfect personal story within themselves.
The book will inspire writers of all ages to try writing stories on their own. The fun illustrations and inspiring conversations are created on panels with dialogue bubbles, making it great to eavesdrop in on the sibling's conversation which causes you to think... I could write my own story too.
This book promotes self-expression, self-discovery and imagination. It gives a glimpse into the evolving process of a young child beginning to read and write.
I love the aspect that his best mentor by far is his big sister and I love the respect that they have for each other. It is a delightful story that will have your child reaching for his pencil and composing a story from his heart for all to enjoy. I highly recommend this book.
Reviews...
“A positive tale of how a story can emerge organically from an inkling of an idea to an imaginative literary excursion ...”
— Kirkus Reviews - Starred Review, May 2016
About the author...
Andrew was born in Montreal and lived there until he was 12. He has also lived in Halifax, Ottawa and London, England.
As a young boy, Andrew dreamed of being a hockey player. His first job was delivering newspapers to the houses in his neighborhood. He has had many jobs over the years, but once he started a family, Andrew discovered his true calling: he became a stay-at-home dad and started writing stories. He still loves to skate.
Andrew spends his days cooking, cleaning, daydreaming and writing. He often visits schools and libraries, where he encourages children to discover their own stories. Facebook: authorandrewlarsen
Twitter: @larsenesque
Picture Books
A Squiggly Story, 2016
In the Tree House, 2013
The Imaginary Garden, 2009
Bella and the Bunny, 2007
About the illustrator...
Mike Lowery is an artist living in Atlanta, Georgia, with a beautiful German lady named Katrin and his incredible genius daughter, Allister. Mike's work has been seen on everything from greeting cards to children's books to gallery walls all over the world, and he is Professor of Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta. He lives in an atomic ranch house surrounded by trees, where he likes to draw little animals in party hats and other silly stuff.
His illustration clients include: Digitas, Hallmark, Simon & Schuster, Bilingual Readers (Madrid), Random House, Walker Books for Young Readers, Nick Jr. Magazine, Galison/Mudpuppy, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Viking, Macmillan, American Greetings, Disney and Kids Can Press, as well as many graphic design and advertising agencies. He has been featured and interviewed in the Washington Post and the Washington City Paper, and a few years ago he showed 16 of his tiny drawings in a show in Beijing.
Awards
2015 - Blue Spruce, Forest of Reading, Winner
2014 - Best Books of the Year for Children and Young Adults, Bank Street Children's Book Committee, Winner
2013 - Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Picture Books
A Squiggly Story, 2016
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It's a wrap.
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