Read, Discuss, Bake: Books about bread!

  One of my favorite memories from my childhood was my dad’s baking. He’d often bake a simple white bread, which we would use for sandwiches or snacking. He’d sometimes turn some of it into cinnamon rolls, which came in second only to my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. On special occasions he’d whip up a batch of Orange Cinnamon Swirl, a loaf of mildly orange flavored bread with a swirl of cinnamon and sugar in the center, glazed with an orangey icing. In my mind, there was no better treat. And it wasn’t just the eating of the bread that was enjoyable, but the anticipation. And the smells. Is there any better smell than bread baking in the oven? My dad taught me how to bake bread, and I still have the copy of  Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads  that he gave me nearly 30 years ago. I bake from it often. Bread is a staple all around the world. And bread, like books, can do wonders to foster human connection. So our hope with this list today is that it will inspire...

Twelve Easy Art Projects to Pair with Your Favorite Books

Today we welcome picture book author and illustrator Patricia Keeler for a special Read, Discuss, Do! post featuring twelve ideas for extending story time with art! Patricia Keeler has written and/or illustrated over a dozen books including Scoop the Ice Cream Truck, Sky Pony Press 2018 (which was on this summer’s ice cream-themed book list),  Lizzie and Lou Seal, Sky Pony Press 2017, and Drumbeat in Our Feet, Lee and Low Books 2014. She received the Christopher Medal in 2011 for her illustrations in Would You Love Me If..., written by Wendy LaGuardia, sharing the spotlight with other recipients such as the writers of Toy Story and Laura Hillenbrand. Would You Love Me If... also won the New York Book Festival and the Best Overall Purple Dragonfly Award.


Now enjoy TWELVE EASY ART PROJECTS with Patricia Keeler!  Thank you, Patricia.

 

1. Draw a picture in the air with your finger from your book. An ice cream cone or a balloon works well. Have others guess your 'air' illustration.

 

2. Fill a straw with water. Draw an animal from your book on a piece of paper, using your thumb at the top of the straw to control the flow of the water. 

 

3. Breathe on glass to make fog, then send your main character a disappearing drawing.

 

4. Draw a picture of where the main character in the book lives. Expand it to add special elements like a vegetable garden or a pool.

 

5. Trace your character from the book. Add clothes for your character to go on a hike. Draw what supplies he/she would need.

 

6. Pretend that after you've gone to bed, the character from your book leaves the pages and goes out to meet a friendly animal in the night. Draw a picture of that animal.

 

7. Introduce yourself to the main character in your book. Draw yourself, your pet and your favorite toy. Put the drawing between pages of your book. Leave the book under your bed that night.

 

8. Create a graphic novel page. Pick one page spread from the book. On a piece of paper draw three boxes. In the first box, draw what happened 10 minutes before that page spread. In the second box, draw the page spread. In the third box, draw what happens 10 minutes after the page.

 

9. Your main character is coming for a visit. Draw the horse, train, airplane, car or boat he/she is using for transportation.

 

10. Your main character needs a pet. Is it a big dog or a little dog? Does your character live in a small apartment, and maybe prefer a cat? 

 

11.  Reimagine the story in your book taking place underwater. Your main character is a mermaid or merman. They have their cat or dog with them--a mercat or a merdog.

 

12. Make a map. Include all the places your character went. This may be the park, school, a friend's house or a zoo. Draw your character on your map.


Learn more about Patricia here:

Instagram - @patricia.keeler.books
Twitter - @patriciakeelerbooks

Comments

Mindy Baker said…
Great ideas! Thank you so much!
Rebecca Gomez said…
Mercat or merdog. I love that!