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bob the artist + artsy beak craft + giveaway!
Bob the Artist by Marion Deuchars (2016).
This picture book is about creativity. About how it can solve problems in unexpected ways. About how—and this is the most important thing—it can solve a problem you’re having with yourself.
Filled with the signature creativity of its creator, this one’s fun and full of flair.
(click image(s) to enlarge)
Bob has long, skinny legs. (They are good for walking.) Bob likes them. But then, others tease him about those legs and his perception begins to change. He tries to alter his legs, to make himself different. (You might guess his attempts don’t work.)
So Bob does what he always does: goes for a walk.
I like that Bob goes for a walk. It seems simple enough, but it does so much. It shows how walking or movement or taking a break—I’m a firm believer in this—is integral to figuring stuff out.
His legs take him to an art museum, and there, he’s inspired (by Matisse! by Jackson Pollock!). Getting out of our own heads and experiencing something new often is inspiring, isn’t it?
Bob brings his attention from his legs to his beak: something he can change. But not because he doesn’t like it. Because his beak can be his canvas.
At the beginning, Bob is a bird with skinny legs. At the end, he is an artist. He discovers himself. And he discovers that a physical attribute others mock doesn’t make a lick of difference when he’s found what makes him really tick. And while that thing may be on the outside, it comes from the inside, from his own creativity.
Big thanks to Laurence King Publishing for images!
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Let’s design our own artsy beaks the way Bob did! They can double as party hats!
Marion Deuchars is all about encouraging kids to make art so that they can be artists—like the great masters, like her, and like Bob, so this craft fits the bill. (haha.)
What you need:
White cardstock
Pencil
Markers/crayons/colored pencils/paint
Tape (double-sided works best)
Scissors
A one hole punch
Elastic cord
Your artistic imagination!
First, cut out a party hat shape in cardstock (I loosely followed this template). After you test that it will wind up like a cone, lay it flat again and get creating. Draw whatever design you like. Then roll up the paper and tape it so the beak/hat sticks together. Then make a hole on each side and thread elastic through the holes. Tie the elastic through each hole and around it, making a knot. (Make sure the length of the elastic is just right to fit you or yours.) And, voila!
I hope you feel inspired like Bob!
Finally, Laurence King is generously giving away three copies of the book + a Bob the Artist tote bag to three lucky winners!
hooray for hat + super festive hat giveaway
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won (2014).
Ever been grumpy? This book will address that. It’s practically the definition of joy.
Each animal character starts out in a grumpy mood, signified by a black scribble above his head. What helps every single one dump the grumps? A hat! From a friend!
click image(s) to enlarge
I love this picture book for its pops of color. For its wild hat(s). For the way it celebrates the true uplift of friendship and kindness. For its perfect design and beautiful type. For the way that original stacked-up-amazing hat appears in a box at elephant’s door without explanation.
It’s not exactly the hat that solves everything (though hats are awesome). It’s the gift part and the giving.
Seriously good, right?! HOORAY FOR HAT!
Thanks to Brian Won for images!
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I was inspired to make a crazy fun whimsical hat to hooray for after reading Hooray For Hat! So with major help from my guy, davishandmade, we did! And we’re giving it away to one reader of This Picture Book Life!
I recently won a fabulous party supply giveaway from Meri Meri through Design Mom, so we invented ways to use those supplies, gathered stuff from around our apartment, and took one quick trip to the 99Cents store.
And …TA DA!
It’s one giant hat. Or three separate hats. With lots of little details hidden around! Come see.
We were inspired by the cup holder sticking out of elephant’s hat and the bird cuckoo-ing from the other side. So we kind of combined them and stuck a straw and bird on ours.
Yup, there’s a bird’s nest hidden inside and you can only see it if you peep through the hole on one side. The nest is raffia and the eggs are felt balls. As this project’s been sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, I’ve peered in on that nest a number of times to peek at those pretty eggs.
And another hat surprise! Say hello to panda underneath the coned shaped hat! She’s queen of that stripes on stripes cap.
The top cone-shaped party hat is straight from Meri Meri, only we added a feather to the top.
We had so much fun with the little details: ribbon, cut paper, washi tape, and twine.
It’s vaguely child-sized; the top hat opening measures about six inches across.
Comment on this post and tell us who you’d give this hat to wear for a chance to win!
A birthday girl or boy? A classroom helper? Do tell!
I’ll contact the randomly chosen winner by email for your mailing address.
(Enter until Monday, August 11 at midnight; open to North American residents only—sorry about that, far flung international readers!)
And if you want to make your own party hats, Brian Won’s got an activity page on his website with hat instructions; the sky’s the limit with what you can round up for supplies! And you must see Brian’s recent book party where incredible replicas of hats from the book were worn by all!
