I added an ongoing book list to the right side of this blog... books that embrace, embody, encourage, inspire a can-do attitude and spirit. Actually, I'll probably have two lists - children's books, and books for adults - though most of the children's books will be for adults too.The first on the list are the children's books The Dot and Ish, written and illustrated by my very good friend, Peter H. Reynolds. Peter and I have collaborated on many projects, and he even created the art for the Can Do! Web site. His books, The Dot and Ish, are about overcoming the "can'ts" - "I can't draw" or "I can't draw well." While both stories focus on creativity and art, they are inspiration for overcoming any type of "can't." They're stories about daring to do it anyway - doing it because you want to, no matter what anyone else thinks, no matter how well (or not well) you can do it, but because it's something you enjoy, and want to do, and can do.
By the way, if you want to add The Dot or Ish (or any of Peter H. Reynolds' books) to your own collection, I'd recommend ordering them from Peter's family's book store, The Blue Bunny. If you order any of Peter's books from The Blue Bunny, they'll arrive signed by Peter! Pretty cool, eh?
2 comments:
Thanks, Maribeth! I appreciate the spotlight on my books. The word "ish" was born in your school. Well, it was the first time that I noticed it in my vocabulary when helping kids draw. I wish I had saved the drawing the boy made which triggered me to say its "tiger-ish." When I retell the story I say he was drawing a tiger, but I don't really remember what it was he was drawing, but it helps to explain the concept.
I think tiger-ish came later that day, or even maybe the next year. The drawing that first triggered everything ishful was a drawing of a boy sot of leaping... one leg stretched out front, and one stretched behind... and a bird sitting on his head The boy was barefoot, and one student commented that it didn't look like he really had toes. You responded, "But, you know it's a foot, right? It's foot-ish!" That put a smile on the kids' faces and they then noticed that the fingers on the hands were implied, but not extremely detailed - making the hands "hand-ish"... and the bird was "bird-ish'... You noticed how ishful thinking was catching on fast with that group of kids, and so it did with every other class you shared the concept. There's something very freeing about ishful thinking... not having to be exact, or perfect. : )
I love talking about your books - so please keep creating them! They really are helping to make the world a better place!
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