Kidlit Craft: Be A Maker

School is out in just a few days, and ooooh-em-goodness. I’m ready. Things are getting really lax around here. I’m having standoffs with lunch boxes and the contents therein. The backpacks are playing pile-up in the dining room corner. I’m completely (did I say completely?) done with the morning-time tango.

It’s time for a break.

I’m home with my girls full time. So that means in T-minus-four-days, my daughters and I will embark on an endless summer together. By the time late August rolls around, I know I’ll be ready to send them back to school. But as for right now, in this early June moment, I’m counting down the hours to the final school bell, living for every promise of summer.

Every jeep ride. Every backyard sunset. Every last popsicle.

The park, the zoo and the pool will be playtime destinations, to be sure. But our summer days will always begin and end at home. I reserve screen time for when I’m cooking dinner, so we’ll be otherwise unplugged… for many hours at a time. Knowing my girls’ rhythms and routines, our imaginations will most certainly need a jumpstart from time to time.

Alas, what to do in times such as these?

Ever since reading new picture book BE A MAKER by Katey Howes, illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic (Carllrhoda Books, March 2019), I’ve been keeping its brilliant ideas and philosophies in my back pocket for Summer 2019.

The story is driven by a direct and inspiring question: In a world of possibilities, today, what will you make? Turning the page is an acceptance of the book creators’ challenge - a decision to put passive consumption and inpatient expectancy on the shelf and instead invite your hands to do, to transform and, above all, to MAKE.

Readers journey alongside a young girl as she embarks on a series of independent explorations. Through gentle, stylish illustration, we see our main character’s inventiveness in action. She starts by making things indoors - towers, music, a telescope and blueprints. But makers cannot be confined to inside spaces. Soon she grabs supplies and heads outdoors…

BE A MAKER celebrates the freedom of creating in solitude, cozying up and settling into beautiful, quiet, formative moments of discovery. Then, midway through, the book expands to envelop additional characters, depicting a maker mindset that involves friends and community…

The satisfying rhyme moves at a steady clip, encouraging readers to ponder and predict what the characters might make next. Running concurrent to the active, verb-led text is an adorable, detail-filled world that’s complemented beautifully by soft crayon-style gestures in the background. The layered look subtly reiterates that preliminary design is kinetic and experimental.

BE A MAKER explores astronomy, art, engineering, cooking, and service, providing multiple inroads to creating. In fact, it gave me an idea for my kiddos, who are natural makers. (Just moments before this pic was taken, my 4-year-old said: “Mom, give me the garbage. I’m gonna make something new.”)

My girls do well with a loose framework of what the day will bring. So to give us some direction, together we created a “maker chain” - a link of creative projects to take on all summer long. Over bagels and cream cheese, we brainstormed things that we could make.

Inspired by BE A MAKER, we had four categories: Things we could BUILD (blueprint blue), things we could EAT (yummy minty green), things we could CREATE (craft paper brown), and things we could GIVE (heartbeat red) in service to others. We wrote our ideas on long strips, 10 ideas per color…

The BUILD ideas…

The EAT ideas… (We know. Our sweet tooth is showing.)

The CREATE ideas…

And the GIVE ideas…

We linked the strips into a chain, which is now draped across the window in our dining room, where we convene over juice and carbohydrates to discuss what’s in store for the day.

In case you decide to try this at home (and I hope you do!), here’s a little tip: Wrap the links “ideas out,” so Mom and Dad can see what is coming next and make sure the supplies are on hand. The first link in our chain: Make puppets and a show. Note to self: Add brown paper sacks, felt, yarn and googley eyes to the craft store list.

I know that this summer, the girls will make lots of things that aren’t part of this chain. But the 40 ideas colorfully connected ideas are there for us, when we need them. And, if we use them all up, there’s good news! We can add more. That’s another thing to make.

It’s safe to say…

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BE A MAKER is by Katey Howes, the author of GRANDMOTHER THORN (Ripple Grove Press) and MAGNOLIA MUDD AND THE SUPER JUMPTASTIC LAUNCHER DELUXE (Sterling Children’s Books). BE A MAKER’s pictures are by Elizabet Vukovic, illustrator of the JASMINE TOGUCHI books (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and I WANNA BE A COWGIRL (Beach Lane Books).

One lucky reader will win BE A MAKER, signed by Katey Howes! Here's how to enter:

*** Win BE A MAKER ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 6/7/19 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Craft: When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

Our kitchen is presently overrun with pots. That’s because this summer, after years of hemming and hawing, we are finally giving raised vegetable beds a go. And we are kickin’ it old school – from the seeds, up.

Plants are among the summer dreams we’ve gripped tightly in our hearts since last winter’s start, and now growing season is finally here. New sprouts are popping up in our pots and seed starter bin every day - kale, tomatoes, onions, radishes, snap peas. It’s a delight watching my youngest tend to them and cheer when a green friend arrives.

Gardening, as we are learning, is about patience and care. The reward? Shepherding something fruitful into existence, and getting to see the wonders of the natural world up close and personal - a message fitting for the week that holds Earth Day (April 22). This joy is at the heart of the new picture book WHEN GRANDMA GIVES YOU A LEMON TREE by Jamie L. B. Deenihan, illustrated by Lorraine Rocha (Sterling Publishing, 2019).

At the start of this story, a little girl is making a birthday wish list. She asks for a drone, a phone, a remote control car. All technology. ‘Tis the way of the modern world, right? Not in Grandma’s eyes. She goes off script and brings something her granddaughter doesn’t expect…

Upon this page turn, the story launches into a hilarious presentation of what to do and NOT to do when Grandma gives you a lemon tree. Do make an excited face. Don’t drop it off a bridge.  

In time, the girl finds herself quite connected to the tree. While her friends are playing with their tech toys, she dutifully and happily provides what her tree needs: sun, water and attentiveness. The relationship between the girl and the tree yields fruit indeed…

WHEN GRANDMA GIVES YOU A LEMON TREE completely charms, from cover to cover. It’s full of gorgeous color, contagious energy and spirited voice, and it delivers the message that time spent unplugged and close to Mother Nature leads to new discoveries and brings people together.

Anyone who attended our wedding knows my affinity for yellow and lemons. So when my youngest (who happens to share the same name as the tree in this fabulous book!) asked to make fresh-squeezed lemonade, like the characters in the story, no arm twisting was required.

Our recipe:

10 lemons

8 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of sugar (Ouch! But oh so tasty…)

Miss L’s job was rolling the lemons on the table with her palm, to get them ready for juicing. We found ourselves doing addition and subtraction as we removed each lemon from the bowl and added lemon halves to the juicer… impromptu math fun!

It took a lot more muscle (and a lot more time) than my chef companion imagined it might, but we sure were proud to serve it to daddy and sisters as an afternoon treat. Isn’t that the beauty of gardening and growing, in a nutshell?

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WHEN GRANDMA GIVES YOU A LEMON TREE is available at or through your local bookstore, or via the online bookseller of your choice. It is the debut picture book of Jamie L. B. Deenihan (@jlbdeenihan). Pictures are by Lorraine Rocha, illustrator of ZEBRA ON THE GO (Peachtree).

One lucky reader will win WHEN GRANDMA GIVES YOU A LEMON TREE, signed by Jamie L. B. Deenihan! Here's how to enter:

*** Win WHEN GRANDMA GIVES YOU A LEMON TREE ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 4/26/19 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Craft: Dress Like a Girl

When it comes to the iPad and Netflix, we have a rule in our house… No Barbie. My husband and I just don’t love it. I’m sure we’re being a little hard on Barbie. It seems the story lines are predominately about friendship. But there’s also a presentation of perfection in every image, which seems to double down on what it means to be a girl and look like a girl. And I don’t want these impressions to disproportionately shape how my girls see themselves or girls and women.

So what does it mean to DRESS LIKE A GIRL? A new picture book by Patricia Toht, illustrated by Lorian Tu-Dean (HarperCollins, January 2019), takes a fun look at this very idea. Here’s the darling, colorful cover - oooo, I love this palette:

DRESS LIKE A GIRL takes long-standing traditions and ideas about fashion, then gives them a fun flip, showing that the ensembles we wear are so much more than a pretty picture. They offer function, express our personalities and equip us for grand adventures.

The “rules” found on each spread will be familiar to grown-ups: white is worn in summer, black is for evening events, be subtle with patterns. It’s fun to see where Toht takes the reader in each rhyme, knowing that a fashion adage will soon be enlivened with new possibilities.

The slumber party setting of the story is perfect for frequent costume changes. As the colors and rules are presented, we see little girls giving each look a go. The ensembles that they try on aren’t fairy wings or princess dresses, but judge gowns, police uniforms, chef hats, jungle camouflage and doctor whites, showing girls in professions that are often labeled male.

Girls who read this book will see themselves and their friends within the pages. We found ourselves casting the slumber party with the names of my daughters’ pals. I sincerely hope little boys read this book, too. An idea of where a woman fits in the professional world is established quite young. This book’s perspective is one of open doors and open opportunities for women in all career fields. It also shows that girls don’t sit on the sidelines, but instead jump into adventure with both boots.

Our girls were home from school two days last week, due to the Polar Vortex’s negative 50 degree windchill. So our arctic adventure needed to be indoors. We took an idea presented in the book and ran with it: If you don’t find a look that works for you, design something new.

We sketched out an idea…

Finalized the design…

Pieced it together…

And went all in on stripes, our pattern of choice…

We also created a scarf for big sis…

It was a fun way to spend the day - engaging creatively, working within the constraints of material options, and navigating a few design malfunctions. The result was a pretty crunchy and really cute outfit that is awesome because we imagined it and made it together. Indoor arctic adventure: Complete!

DRESS LIKE A GIRL is available at or through your local bookstore, or via the online bookseller of your choice. Patricia Toht (@PatriciaToht) is the author of PICK A PINE TREE and ALL ABOARD THE LONDON BUS. Lorian Tu-Dean (@LorianTuBooks) is the illustrator of STAY THROUGH THE STORM and MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU.

One lucky reader will win DRESS LIKE A GIRL, signed by Patricia Toht! Here's how to enter:

*** Win DRESS LIKE A GIRL ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 2/8/19 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Craft: Made by Maxine

One of my favorite things about parenthood is watching my daughters explore objects in their world. They assign meaning and purpose to things in such imaginative, unpredictable ways.

Where I see pebbles, they see spirit rocks. Where I see empty bowls and tea cups, they see piping hot pumpkin soup and raspberry tea. Where I see paper, glue and string, they see everything they need to construct a super girl cape.

They innovate and create beyond preconceived notions, all the live-long day. This brings them extra close in spirit and practice to Maxine, the main character of new picture book MADE BY MAXINE by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Dial Books for Young Readers, October 2018).

In MADE BY MAXINE, resourceful Maxine takes familiar objects and uses them in new, unexpected ways. She de-constructs and re-constructs. She unscrews and re-glues. Her motto? If I can dream it, I can make it.

Maxine wants more than anything to bring her fish Milton to the school’s pet parade. But involving him (and his sloshy fish bowl) proves difficult. So she commits herself to creating a special tank that celebrates Milton and lets him be part of the fun. Things don’t go as planned. But after many a falter, clatter, and splatter, Maxine lands on a very important realization (one that will stay with me for a long time)…

“She had already discovered a million ways that would not work. Which meant she was getting closer to finding a way that would.”

Inspired by Maxine and her never-give-up attitude, we recently had our own maker play date. We gathered supplies that bent and folded… tied and twisted… hooked and clipped…

Then let our imaginations soar. My nephew made a treadmill for his sister’s stuffed animal…

My middle made a pet shipper… (Don’t tell our fish.)

My youngest made an obstacle course for Cinderella…

My oldest took a nap. (Dreaming of her next creation, perhaps?)

Like Maxine, they hit a few snags. Why-oh-why, Elmer’s glue, why do you dry so slowly?! It is awfully frustrating when the vision in your head doesn’t stick on the maker table. But they tweaked their designs and discovered a new avenue to Ta-Da. While the cousins created, mom learned a valuable lesson: Make sure the hot glue gun is warmed up and at-the-ready!

Piling the contents of the recycling bin onto the dining room table is a lot different from taking the lid off a shrink-wrapped game or craft kit. When up-cycling, there are no instructions, no rules. The field is wide open. The girls are already thinking beyond-the-box about their next maker session, and collecting toilet paper rolls... Thank you, Maxine, for taking us into the textural, boundary-free land of making. We like it here!

MADE BY MAXINE is available at or through your local bookstore, or via the online bookseller of your choice. Ruth Spiro (@RuthSpiro) is the author of the popular BABY LOVES SCIENCE series. Holly Hatam (@hollyhatam) is the illustrator of DEAR GIRL, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, among other children’s book titles.

One lucky reader will win MADE BY MAXINE, signed by Ruth Spiro! Here's how to enter:

*** Win MADE BY MAXINE ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 10/26/18 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Craft: How to Grow Happiness

When I first saw sweet Jerome, the red capped gnome, on the cover of author Kelly DiPucchio's latest picture book, I knew I had to meet him. The summer color and the mere idea of growing happiness simply made me, well... HAPPY! 

In HOW TO GROW HAPPINESS (illustrated with vibrancy and charm by Matt Kaufenberg), Jerome gets a seed of happiness from his birdie buddy, Warble. But Jerome soon discovers that the seed doesn't seem to do much, and it certainly doesn't make him feel happy.

Luckily, Jerome's forest friends in the Garden of Wonder have a few ideas. Each contribution from the crew (a worm, a turtle, a fairy, and an unexpected robot, among others) helps the small black seed evolve from a motionless speck to something thrilling that's meant to be savored and, above all, shared.

DiPucchio's tales always are filled to the brim with heart, and HOW TO GROW HAPPINESS is no exception. In a culture of quick and instant gratification, this picture book illuminates the truth that friendship is a source of happiness, but to flourish, fruitful relationships require a lot of important things - light, nourishment, attention and... love.

Lately, it's been on my heart to grow a little happiness right in my own neighborhood - and for good reason: While working in our yard recently, getting it in ship-shape for Chicagoland's best season, my middle daughter asked: "Who lives there?" in refererence to the home kitty-corner to ours. 

I was embarrassed to say... I didn't know. Since we moved in five years ago, I'd thrown waves to the retired couple living there, but I'd never gone over to introduce our family. I'd never bothered to learn their names. As always, children have a way of putting a spotlight on that which is most fundamental. Don't we all want to be known and called by our name?

Our neighborhood is comprised of essentially two groups - half young families and half empty nesters. Each month, it seems a new family with little kids moves in. I've often wondered how it feels to be in the shoes of the neighborhood's original home owners, watching young families waltz into the place you've lived for 30 years, without bothering to say hello.

So we decided to bring a little of Jerome's lesson to where we live...

We gathered up all the supplies needed to spread a little happiness... 

(While using Elsa's PODD book to grow her vocabulary within the activity...)

Prepped some pots by dropping in stones for drainage...

Enriched the soil with banana peels and egg shells, just like Jerome and friends...

And, after planting some sunny marigolds, tied on a few packaged seeds - a teaser of the revelation that Jerome's adventure brings...

Then we delivered! While we were out and about, we bumped into two other neighbors we didn't know and had the best chats. It was such a memorable afternoon, for the girls and for momma too...

Happiness is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and the first step - the one within our power - is reaching out and showing each other love. Thanks for this great reminder, Kelly and Matt!

HOW TO GROW HAPPINESS: A JEROME THE GNOME ADVENTURE (Rodale Kids) can be purchased in bookstores nationwide, as well as online through the bookseller of your choice. You also can enter to WIN a copy (autographed by Kelly DiPucchio) through my Twitter page and blog!

*** Win HOW TO GROW HAPPINESS ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 6/22/18 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

PS: Click HERE to read my interview with Kelly DiPucchio, which posted to the blog last year. She has tons of wonderful books - check them out!

Kidlit Craft: Claymates

When I saw the book trailer for Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge, I knew it was a story for our crew. How so? The clay, of course. We spend hours each day rolling, squeezing and shaping our own colorful, doughy creations. Here's the adorable whistle-worthy trailer that introduced us to the book...

Claymates is a story about two new friends - a gray lump of clay and a brown one - who are filled with excitement and wonder about how an artist will mold them. Each gets transformed into a perfect little creature but is left feeling underwhelmed. (Where's the fun in being neat, tidy and flawless?) When the artist steps away, the claymates play - testing the limits of their malleability. 

As the claymates shape and reshape, they laugh and role play ("Look! I'm an elephant. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP."). They try new things and collaborate ("Let's think big!"). Petty's quick-moving and spirited dialogue and Eldridge's incredible sculptural work take us on an entertaining, engaging, inspiring ride.

The claymates' choice of adventure over perfection reminds me of my middle daughter's recent choice of gymnastics over ballet. Fancy dresses and exacting poses are beautiful, but it's infinitely more thrilling - particularly for a preschooler - to explore personal strength and flexibility. To streeeeeetch expectations. To get lost in movement.

After reading Claymates, and reflecting on the fun had by the shape shifters, it was our turn to play. Because my girls like to lick and eat their play dough (horrifying to witness), I've begun making ours. Here's the super simple all-natural three-ingredient recipe we use. We store our homemade dough in old Play-Doh containers because the lids are great for color sorting and seal very tightly.

Animals are the most fun to make, so we started with a giraffe...

My eldest, who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, needs support at the wrist to sustain grasp, but with a little help she can get a nice grip and enjoy the texture of the dough...

My youngest prefers to make snakes. Or as she calls them, "shnrakes."

My middle, the gymnast, made something I can't say I've ever seen before...

A diabolical FROG MONSTER!

Not long ago, I was a "Don't mix the colors!!" play dough mom, but over the years I've become a "Seal it up if you're done with it!!" mom, so that we can experience the wonder of creating again and again.

Want to join in on the fun? Claymates can be purchased in bookstores nationwide, as well as online through the bookseller of your choice. As a reader of my blog (winky wink), you also can enter to WIN an autographed copy, along with this fantastic swag from Dev and Lauren!

*** WIN Claymates ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet

GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Craft: The Book of Mistakes

The latest picture book to top our stack at the Schulte house? The Book of Mistakes by debut author and illustrator Corinna Luyken. Wow, what an incredible treat. If you are looking for an imaginative, completely original picture book experience, this is the title for you and your family.

Corinna Luyken (@CorinnaLuyken) has created something so very special here. The Book of Mistakes shows readers how mistakes are inevitable in all that we create and do, but errors aren’t things to be scrubbed, deleted or forgotten. They are powerful and important inevitabilities that can lead to wild, fun, exciting adventures.

Just inside the cover is an inkblot. “Mommy! Look!” said Miss C, age 4, when she saw it. "Somebody did this!" 

Case in point. Luyken places a black blot on the title page for our immediate contemplation. It begs to be reckoned with and forces several thoughts: Should this be here? Why has this been allowed to remain?

The active reading experience continues, as Luyken seemingly creates a book just for us in real time. We see her lines move across the sparse page as a new world is built before our eyes, starting with a young girl. At first blush, the girl seems quite average and sweet. But then there's a mistake (a too-big eye)... and another mistake (an even BIGGER eye)...

Before long, the mistakes begin mounting. Pointy elbows. A too-long neck. They are labeled mistakes, but the page isn't crumpled and tossed in the trash. The girl and her imperfections continue to grow and evolve. She is unusual and thrilling, and we want to see who she will become.

The Book of Mistakes continues in this fashion, but is anything but predictable. We meet sunny balloons and teal roller skates. We discover a frog-cat-cow thing that becomes a dark, moody bush. Luyken's creations layer and build until we back up and see the most splendid scene.

"Woah!" was the response from my girls to this enchanting spread. Woah, indeed.

I will stop right there. I don't want to ruin the book for you. I'll simply say that the reading experience leaves you eager to write your own story and fill your own blank page - mistakes and all.

To keep the fun going, our crew did a Mistakes-inspired craft, which I'd love to share with you! Like in Luyken's tale, our mural started with but a few simple black lines...

Then came the color...

And some mistakes...

And some tender collaborations...

Until... tada. A wild, fun, exciting masterpiece.

The fun doesn't have to stop here. If you'd like to WIN your very own copy of The Book of Mistakes, visit my Twitter page (@AnitraSchulte) for book giveaway contest details. The event starts NOW and runs through Friday, Aug. 11.

Check out the contest rules in my pinned tweet, and GOOD LUCK!

* * *

To continue learning about Corinna Luyken (Instagram: corinnaluyken) as an artist and creator (she's one to watch!), here are some links to enjoy. The All the Wonders podcast is what introduced me to The Book of Mistakes and is a wonderful listen!

• Corinna Luyken: All the Wonders, Episode 359
• The New York Times: interview and live draw with editor Maria Russo
• Design of the Picture Book
• Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast: a blog about books

Kidlit Craft: The Watermelon Seed

If you kicked off summer over Memorial Day weekend with a slice of watermelon, this craft is for you! (And the kids, of course...)

Inspiration comes from the picture book The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli. My girls LOVE this book. Their reaction to it affirms that: Silly Animal + Silly Food = Silly Fun

You'll Need:

• Paper plates
• Dot stampers
• Tissue paper
• Raisins 
• Scissors
• Glue

STEP #1: Prep the Paper

Start by cutting the paper plates in half. Then cut a few "bites" in the plates. (I did this, but big kids could probably handle it just fine.) While you have the scissors handy, cut the lime green tissue paper into 1- to 2-inch squares.

STEP #2: Get Stamping

Stamp the area inside the half-circle with a pink dot stamper. You could use marker or crayon, but the stamper color is the same brilliant shade as the book, and these special markers are fun to use and easy for kids to control.

Special Accommodations: My 5-year-old daughter, Elsa, has substantial developmental delays, and doesn't have the motor planning to hold or manipulate many things. This makes glueing and stamping pretty tough. But we power through. For this craft, I provided hand-over-hand support throughout, and we also used the tool EazyHold to encourage sustained grasp.

Here's a video of how the EazyHold works. Please forgive the abrupt ending. I was using an amateur videographer...

STEP #3: Add the Rind

This was a favorite step for my kiddos. Using glue, make dots around the plate rim. Then press the green squares into the glue. Tada! Textural rind is in place.

STEP #4: Glue on the Raisins

Raisins work well as a watermelon seed stand ins. And they also make a convenient mid-craft snack! 

Complete! My littlest gal especially loved this activity. When daddy got home from work, the first thing she said was, "Craft Daddy! Craft!" Just the sweetest. Hope you give it a try! Let me know how it goes.