The broad objective of this unit is for students to learn about each other’s unique families and the skills these particular families have shared with us through the picture books we read together. Students will communicate an important aspect of their lives visually by creating art pieces with their own family. They will learn about their classmates’ families through the students’ art and family memory stories. Students will choose a story to illustrate, a story they are familiar with, such as a fairy tale, or a story from their own family. Family members can choose to contribute to the project by collaborating with their child to produce a finished picture book together.
In each illustrator study, students will learn biographical information about each artist through a variety of media and learn their illustrating styles by experiencing their books and other works. The study will cover two to three days, allowing enough time to introduce the book collection and discuss the materials and artistic medium dominant in each illustrator’s career. Students will have any opportunity to explore and practice an illustration form with each author study. Each illustrator study has a suggested text to highlight an art medium. Use the six hats thinking strategy to help students look at the covers and the paintings and drawings in each book. Choice should be based on student and/or class level. The illustrators do not need to be introduced in the order listed below but keep the particular families together to connect their lives and work.
Prepare a chart as follows:
Illustrator(s)
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What books did we read?
Bibliography
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How did they make the illustrations?
Art Media
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Leo and Diane Dillon
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Jerry Pinkney
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Brian Pinkney
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Donald Crews
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Nina Crews
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Complete the chart over the course of teaching the unit. Explain the purpose – to keep track of our learning, to be able to compare, to refer to now and later. Introduce the terms Bibliography and Art Media as tier three vocabulary.
Read the names of the illustrators. Ask, “what do you notice about their names?” The students will recognize that some last names are the same. This is the opportunity to let the students know that they will be learning about family members that create art together and have learned from each other. “This is a unit about families that have amazing artistic skills, and they use them to make books for us! We will learn about how they do that.”
Illustrator Study One: Leo and Diane Dillon
Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears – Caldecott Winner
Art media: pastels, ink
Texts to include in the illustrator study: Brother to the Wind, Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, Who's in Rabbit's House: A Masai Tale, Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles—Think of That, Songs and Stories from Uganda, Jazz on a Saturday Night
Introduce Leo and Diane Dillon to the students through photos on the jacket of one or more of their books. Use this experience as an example to show students that the back of the book or the inside flap of the book jacket is where you can often locate who made the books for us to read and enjoy. Find a variety of images online of the husband-and-wife team and show them at work together and at different stages of their careers. This should begin the discussion about their biographies, the story of their lives and work. At the close of the illustrator study, provide the students with an opportunity to use oil pastels and fine tip markers to explore and learn about how Leo and Diane Dillon created their images.
Illustrator Study Two: Jerry Pinkney
Mirandy and Brother Wind – Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustration Awards
Art Medium: watercolor
Texts to include in the illustrator study: John Henry, Goin’ Someplace Special, Mirandy and Brother Wind
Fable Series: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Little Red Hen, Aesop’s Fables, The Lion and the Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Grasshopper and the Ants
Introduce Jerry Pinkney in the same manner as the first illustrator study. Again, use images to show the artist at work, prompting the discussion of his illustrating style. At the close of the illustrator study, provide the students with an opportunity to use watercolors to explore and learn about how Jerry Pinkney created his images.
Illustrator Study Three: Brian Pinkney
Duke Ellington - Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustration Awards
Art Medium: scratchboard
Texts to include in the illustrator study: Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride, JoJo's Flying Side Kick, Max Found Two Sticks, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Dear Benjamin Banneker, Alvin Ailey, Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy
Continue the introduction approach with images and Brian Pinkney’s biography. Highlight that his inspiration to become an artist came from his family. Show the students his website and share the stories and quotes he has posted. Students will then have the chance to learn how scratchboard illustration works. Scratchboard art is a way to create an image using a special board with a black surface layer and white under layer. You scratch into the black to reveal the white layer below. The resulting image is a series of light lines against a dark background. Scratchboard art is considered a type of engraving. Students will use scratchboards (purchased) to experience how to create a picture by removing the dark top layer with a plastic tool. There are a variety of scratchboards, some with only one color underneath the top layer or some with many colors to expose.
Illustrator Study Four: Donald Crews
Freight Train – Caldecott Honor Book
Art Approach: graphic design
Texts to include in the illustrator study: School Bus, Flying, Sail Away, Big Mama's, Harbor, Night at the Fair, Parade, Shortcut, Freight Train, Truck, Ten Black Dots, Bicycle Race, Carousel
Introduce Donald Crews with his book, Freight Train. Have students notice the bright colors and simple shapes – lots of straight lines and small and large circles. Throughout the illustrator study, point out that a number of his books are about forms of transportation. Students will explore with colorful markers to make geometric shapes using bold colors.
Illustrator Study Five: Nina Crews
A Girl Like Me – New York Library Best Books for Kids 2020, Brow Bookshelf African American Children’s Book Project’s Best Picture Books of 2020
Art Medium: digital photocollage
Texts to include in the illustrator study: The Neighborhood Mother Goose, The Neighborhood Sing-Along and Jack and the Beanstalk, Below, Sky-High Guy, You Are Here, I’ll Catch the Moon, One Hot Summer Day and Snowball.
Introduce Nina Crews and her newest book, A Girl Like Me. Use the example of Six Hats strategy to talk about Crews’ photocollage cover. How did she create this image? How would we use her illustrating style? Use magazines, crayons, markers, and a variety of colored construction paper as supplies for students to create their own photo collage. Encourage students to use “real” people in their collage to follow Nina Crews’ style. How can they create a picture around that person? What is the story of your picture?
Culminating Project: Illustrate a Story
Students will choose a story to illustrate, a story they are familiar with, such as a fairy tale, or a story from their own family. Family members can choose to contribute to the project by collaborating with their child to produce a finished picture book together. Students will use the methods of illustrations they have learned through the study of the families of artists. The unit will end with a publishing party, presenting the completed books at a gathering of students and families.