Eric Carle - Windermere Elementary School PTO · The Very Hungry Caterpillar, ... Eric Carle has two grown-up children, a son and a daughter. With his wife Barbara, he divides his

Eric Carle (Born June 25, 1929)

http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html

Biographical Notes for Eric Carle Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has eaten its way into the hearts of literally millions of children all over the world and has been translated into more than 50 languages and sold over 33 million copies. Since the Caterpillar was published in 1969, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote, and more than 110 million copies of his books have sold around the world. Born in Syracuse, New York, on June 25, 1929, Eric Carle moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old; he was educated there, and graduated from the prestigious art school, theAkademie der bildenden Künste, in Stuttgart. But his dream was always to return to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories. So, in 1952, with a fine portfolio in hand and forty dollars in his pocket, he arrived in New York. Soon he found a job as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New York Times. Later, he was the art director of an advertising agency for many years. One day, respected educator and author, Bill Martin Jr, called to ask Carle to illustrate a story he had written. Martin’s eye had been caught by a striking picture of a red lobster that Carle had created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the result of their collaboration. It is still a favorite with children everywhere. This was the beginning of Eric Carle’s true career. Soon Carle was writing his own stories, too. His first wholly original book was1,2,3 to the Zoo, followed soon afterward by the celebrated classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle’s art is distinctive and instantly recognizable. His art work is created in collage technique, using hand-painted papers, which he cuts and layers to form bright and cheerful images. Many of his books have an added dimension—die-cut pages, twinkling lights as in The Very Lonely Firefly, even the lifelike sound of a cricket’s song as in The Very Quiet Cricket - giving them a playful quality: a toy that can be read, a book that can be touched. Children also enjoy working in collage and many send him pictures they have made themselves, inspired by his illustrations. He receives hundreds of letters each week from his young admirers. The secret of Eric Carle’s books’ appeal lies in his intuitive understanding of and respect for children, who sense in him instinctively someone who shares their most cherished thoughts and emotions.

The themes of his stories are usually drawn from his extensive knowledge and love of nature—an interest shared by most small children. Besides being beautiful and entertaining, his books always offer the child the opportunity to learn something about the world around them. It is his concern for children, for their feelings and their inquisitiveness, for their creativity and their

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intellectual growth that, in addition to his beautiful artwork, makes the reading of his books such a stimulating and lasting experience.

Carle says: “With many of my books I attempt to bridge the gap between the home and school. To me home represents, or should represent; warmth, security, toys, holding hands, being held. School is a strange and new place for a child. Will it be a happy place? There are new people, a teacher, classmates—will they be friendly?

I believe the passage from home to school is the second biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born. Indeed, in both cases we leave a place of warmth and protection for one that is unknown. The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really both fascinating and fun.”

Eric Carle has two grown-up children, a son and a daughter. With his wife Barbara, he divides his time between the Florida Keys and the hills of North Carolina.

Click here for a list of Awards Eric Carle has won for his work (If you are interested in more complete biography of Eric, please refer to the autobiography section of The Art of Eric Carle published by Philomel Books.) Photo credit: Paul Shoul

Official Eric Carle Website: www.eric-carle.com

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr, 1967 Appealing animals in bold colors are seen and named in a rhyming question-and-response text that delights as it invites young readers and listeners to participate actively. Reviews

1, 2, 3 to the Zoo, 1968 Fun and learning add up to a perfect 10 in this eloquent but wordless counting book. Bright pictures tell the story: each car on the train has one more zoo animal than the one before it, and all arrive happily at the zoo in a dramatic foldout finale.

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar, 1969 This all-time favorite not only follows the very hungry caterpillar as it grows from egg to cocoon to beautiful butterfly, but also teaches the days of the week, counting, good nutrition and more. Striking pictures and cleverly die-cut pages offer interactive fun. Reviews

Pancakes, Pancakes!, 1970 Jack wants some pancakes, but first he must gather eggs from the chickens, wheat from the farmer, flour from the miller, milk from the cow, etc. His mother shows him how to cook and flip them, and hungry Jack knows what to do with them next.

The Tiny Seed, 1970 Poetic but simple text and lovely collage pictures dramatize the life cycle of all plants, as one tiny seed grows into an enormous sunflower, which then produces more seeds in its turn. Reviews

Tales of the Nimipoo

by Eleanor B. Hardy, 1970 (out of print) Native American stories, with woodcut illustrations.

The Boastful Fisherman

by William Knowlton, 1970 (out of print) An old Hawaiian tale of boastful fishermen who learn their lesson as they try to prove their fishing prowess. Colorful linoleum block print illustrations.

Feathered Ones and Furry

by Aileen Fisher, 1971 (out of print) Gentle nature poems with woodcut illustrations, on acetate and art paper.

The Scarecrow Clock

by George Mendoza, 1971 (out of print) Full color collages illustrate an amusing fantasy.

Do You Want to Be My Friend?, 1971 In few words but expressive pictures, a little mouse looks for a friend - and happily finds one just in time to save himself from a predator who has been hiding there all the time - unseen, but in plain sight! A simple story on the universal theme of friendship.

Rooster’s Off to See the World, 1972 Rooster and the colorful animals that join him on his journey to see the world, provide an enjoyable introduction to the meaning of numbers and sets.

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The Very Long Tail (Folding Book), 1972 (out of print) The Very Long Train (Folding Book), 1972 (out of print)

These two wordless books (now collectors’ items) are printed on heavy stock, accordion-folded, and come in their own plastic cases. “Read” or looked at in sequence, each tells a story in bright collage pictures. These innovative books can also stand alone, toy like, to form a decorated wall or play area for a child of pre-reading age.

The Secret Birthday Message, 1972 A message in code starts Tim off on an exciting treasure hunt through a dark cave, an underground tunnel, and other strange places until he finds a happy surprise. Die-cut pages demonstrate in a “hands on” way the meanings of place-words like up, below, through, etc.

Walter the Baker, 1972 By order of the Duke, Walter the Baker must invent a tasty roll through which the rising sun can shine three times. A lively and colorful retelling of the legend of the invention of the pretzel.

Do Bears Have Mothers Too?

by Aileen Fisher, 1973 (out of print) Striking, poster-like pictures of a variety of animal mothers with their offspring - cubs, kittens, cygnets, and other charmers - are accompanied by verses by a beloved nature-poet.

Have You Seen My Cat?, 1973 A boy’s beloved pet cat has disappeared and he sets out to find it. In his search he meets many different kinds of cats, both wild and domesticated, before he finally discovers his own cat, who has a happy surprise for him. (Can you guess what it is?)

I See a Song, 1973 As a violinist, shown in black and white, starts to play, colorful semi-abstract images emerge from his music, transmuting magically from one to the next until the end, when the violinist, himself transformed into a many-colored figure, bows and leaves. Wordless, this beautiful book encourages children to develop their own visual and musical imagination and creativity.

My Very First Book of Numbers My Very First Book of Colors My Very First Book of Shapes My Very First Book of Words, 1974 A collection of split-page books in which children can match various familiar objects with numbers, colors, shapes, and words. A gamelike approach to learning, for very young children.

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Why Noah Chose the Dove written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1974 Master story-teller and master illustrator combine their brilliant talents to produce a fresh and lively version of this favorite Old Testament tale of the animals as they vie with one another for a place of honor on Noah’s Ark. For all ages.

All About Arthur, 1974 (out of print)

An Amusing And Articulate Alphabet-ical story for all ages, in well-chosen words and Zany pictures.

The Hole in the Dike written by Norma Green, 1975 The classic tale of the brave little Dutch boy who kept his finger in a leak in the dike all night long, preventing the damage from spreading, and so saved his town from a devastating flood. Inspiring story of a courageous small boy.

The Mixed-Up Chameleon, 1975 Hilarious pictures show what happens when a bored chameleon wishes it could be more like other animals, but is finally convinced it would rather just be itself. An imagination-stretcher for children.

Eric Carle’s Storybook, Seven Tales by the Brothers Grimm, 1976

(out of print) Seven of the most popular tales by the Brothers Grimm, retold by Eric Carle and illustrated in full color.

The Grouchy Ladybug, 1977 A grouchy ladybug who is looking for a fight challenges everyone it meets regardless of their size or strength. How this bumptious bug gets its comeuppance and learns the pleasures to be gained by cheerfulness and good manners is an amusing lesson in social behavior. Die-cut pages add drama and dimension.

Watch Out! A Giant!, 1978 Die-cut pages add to the excitement as two children outwit a scary giant.

Seven Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, 1978 (out of print)

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A companion to Eric Carle’s Storybook (above), this features seven favorite stories retold and illustrated by Eric Carle.

Twelve Tales from Aesop, 1980 (out of print)

Familiar classic fables retold and illustrated by Eric Carle.

The Honeybee and the Robber, 1981 A brave little honeybee saves the day when a big hungry bear attacks the beehive. Ingenious pop-ups and other movable images bring this funny and informative story to vivid life.

Otter Nonsense

by Norton Juster, 1982 (out of print) Very amusing, cartoon-like line drawings illustrate excruciatingly clever puns by noted author Norton Juster. Fun for all ages.

Catch the Ball! Let’s Paint A Rainbow What’s For Lunch?, 1982 This delightful series incorporates movable parts, cutout shapes, and sturdy board pages that have been designed to encourage counting, adding, color naming, object identification, beginning reading, and manual dexterity.

Chip Has Many Brothers written by Hans Baumann, 1983 new title: Thank You, Brother Bear, 1995 An original tale,which skillfully combines elements of both North European and Native American traditions, tells of a little boy, Chip, who must make a long and dangerous journey to get the medicine that will cure his sick sister. Because he is both brave and kind, he is helped by the animals he meets along the way.

The Very Busy Spider, 1984 With the use of raised printing, this innovative book adds the sense of touch to vision and hearing as ways to understand and enjoy the strikingly designed illustrations and the memorable story. Various farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness. Enjoyed by all audiences, this book’s tactile element makes it especially interesting to the visually-impaired.

The Foolish Tortoise written by Richard Buckley, 1985 A witty modern fable tells how a tortoise discovers the need for a shell after several scary encounters.

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The Greedy Python written by Richard Buckley, 1985 A companion book to The Foolish Tortoise (above), this tells of a python who is so excessively greedy that it finally eats itself.

The Mountain that Loved a Bird written by Alice McLerran, 1985 A sensitive, poetic text inspires handsome, semi-abstract college illustrations, in this tale of a little bird that brings a renewal of life and happiness to a lonely, barren mountain.

All Around Us, 1986, (out of print)

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, 1986 Beautiful illustrations are enhanced by dramatic fold-out pages in this moving and imaginative tale of a father’s love for his daughter. Monica’s father fulfills her request by bringing the moon down from the sky after it’s small enough to carry, but it continues to change in size.

My Very First Book of Sounds

My Very First Book of Food My Very First Book of Tools My Very First Book of Touch My Very First Book of Motion My Very First Book of Growth My Very First Book of Homes My Very First Book of Heads, 1986, (all out of print) A group of small-format books with bold, simple images and words, designed, as the titles indicate, for the very young child who is just learning to identify, name, and classify familiar objects.

All in a Day collected by Mitsumasa Anno, 1986 Eric Carle, in collaboration with nine other internationally-acclaimed artists, reveals events in a day in the lives of children in various countries all over the world, showing time, climate, environmental and social differences but emphasizing the commonality of humankind everywhere. Thought-provoking as well as entertaining.

A House for Hermit Crab, 1987 An underwater fantasy based on the true habits of hermit crabs and the flora and fauna of their marine environment, this book offers young readers an interesting first introduction to marine biology as well as an appealing story of Hermit Crab’s search for a house he can really call his home, as he grows throughout one year’s cycle.

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The Lamb and the Butterfly written by Arnold Sundgaard, 1988 A protected lamb and an independent butterfly discuss their very different ways of living in a charmingly simple yet philosophical text on the themes of tolerance and diversity. Lovely full-color illustrations appeal to a wide audience range.

Eric Carle’s Treasury of Classic Stories for Children, 1988 A delightfully illustrated retelling of 22 favorite folktales, fairytales, and fables that every child should know. Retold from the works of Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm.

Animals Animals compiled by Laura Whipple, 1989 A generously illustrated collection of poems by a variety of authors, describing the peculiarities and charms of pets as well as both wild and domestic animals. Eric Carle is noted for his depiction of animals and this colorful anthology contains some of his finest works.

The Very Quiet Cricket, 1990 The surprise ending of this enormously popular book features a chip that perfectly reproduces the real sound of a cricket’s song. In the story, a young cricket longs to make a sound by rubbing his wings together as many other crickets do. How he finally gets his wish is a romantic tale as well as a first look at natural history for the very young.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? written by Bill Martin Jr, 1991 Easy, repetitive question-and-response text draws children into joyful interaction as they imitate the sounds of a variety of zoo animals for the zookeeper. Big, bold animal illustrations and lots of noisy fun.

Dragons Dragons compiled by Laura Whipple, 1991 Fearsome dragons and other fantastic legend creatures abound in this collection of poems, both modern and classic, all gloriously illustrated in full color, that will expand the world of a reader’s imagination.

Draw Me a Star, 1992 The artist’s drawing of a star begins the creation of an entire universe around him as each successive pictured object requests that he draw more. Based on Eric Carle’s recollection of his grandmother’s way of drawing a star (directions included), this seemingly simple story also provides insights into an artist’s private world of creativity. An inspiring book.

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Today Is Monday, 1993 Based on the well-known children’s song, funny, full-color pictures show the foods featured for each day of the week. In a thoughtful new ending to the familiar text, all the world’s children are invited on Sunday to come and eat it up.

Eric Carle: Picture Writer, 1993 This video contains an inspiring interview with Eric Carle; a hands-on demonstration of tissue paper painting followed by the making of collage illustration. Eric Carle no longer makes school visits, and although this video may not capture the excitement of actually meeting the author/illustrator, it provides insight into his creative process. Produced by Searchlight Films, Director: Rawn Fulton

My Apron, 1994 A little boy longs to help his uncle, a mason, plaster the chimney. He feels very grown-up when he gets a work-apron of his own and the chance to do his own small share in real “grown-up” work. A touching story with a valuable message, illustrated in a striking technique using a strong black outline over bright color. A usable, child-size work-apron is included with the book for the reader who can’t wait to get started on his or her own work project.

The Very Lonely Firefly, 1995 Young readers empathize with the lonely firefly who makes many errors as he looks for the group where he will really “belong.” In his search for compatible companions, he meets many other night creatures, but none is quite right—until the happy surprise at the very end when the illustration of a swarm of friendly fireflies literally shines and twinkles a welcome in the night. Heartwarming.

Little Cloud, 1996 Every child loves to see fanciful shapes in the clouds. But what are clouds really for? Here a little cloud slips away from its parent clouds and turns itself into a series of wonderful forms - a sheep, an airplane, a hat, a clown - before rejoining the other clouds as they perform their real function: making rain.

The Art of Eric Carle, 1996 This handsomely-designed volume explores many facets of Eric Carle’s life and work. It includes an autobiography, illustrated with many photographs, telling of his early years in the United States, describing the roots of his inspiration, his art education in Germany, his career as a commercial artist on his return to the land of his birth, and his almost accidental discovery of his real vocation—creating beautiful picturebooks for young children. Essays and critical appreciations of his works, and color photographs showing how the artist creates his unique collage illustrations add to the interest and usefulness of this book. Fine reproductions of many of his best illustrations and a complete list of his books are included.

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From Head to Toe, 1997 “I can do it!” is the confidence-building message of this book. As young children copy the antics of Eric Carle’s animals, they’ll learn such important skills as careful listening, focusing attention, and following instructions. Just as alphabet books introduce letters and simple words, From Head to Toe introduces the basic body parts and simple body movements - the ABC’s of dancing, gymnastics, and other sports activities.

Flora and Tiger: 19 very short stories from my life, 1997 Every so often, children who have grown up enjoying Eric Carle’s books ask him whether he has written “older” books. Inspired by his questioners, Eric Carle has written this delightful collection of short stories. The events in these stories take place from his earliest childhood to the present. All of the stories are true. But they are set down, not in the order in which they happened, but as they occurred to the author. They come from various places and times of his life and have three things in common: animals or insects, friends or relatives, and Eric Carle.

Hello, Red Fox, 1998 Mama Frog gets a big surprise when the guests arrive for Little Frog’s birthday party: Red Fox looks green to her! Orange Cat looks blue! With the active help of the reader, Little Frog shows Mama Frog how to see the animals in their more familiar colors. In this book, Eric Carle invites readers to discover complementary colors while enjoying the amusing story of Little Frog and his colorful friends

The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, 1999 HEAR the beetle CLICK as it flips through the pages of this book and learns how to land on its feet! Small readers will recognize and empathize with the clumsy little beetle’s eagerness to learn what the older beetle can already do so well. They will understand, too, its frustration when at first it fails. And they will surely rejoice in its eventual spectacular triumph.

Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too?, 2000 Meet the little joey, whose kangaroo mother carries him in her pouch. See the cygnet riding on the back of the mother swan. Eric Carle’s colorful collages of animal babies with their caring and affectionate mothers offer small readers visual delight as well as comforting reassurance.

Dream Snow, 2000 It’s Christmas Eve, and an old farmer settles down for nap, wondering how Christmas can come when it hasn't snowed yet. The farmer falls asleep and in his dream, he imagines snowflakes covering him and his animals. He awakens to discover it really has snowed. A surprise at the end of the book makes this a truly magical Christmas.

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“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth, 2002 Slowly, slowly, slowly... that’s how the sloth lives. He hangs upside-down from the branch of a tree, night and day, in the sun and in the rain, while the other animals of the rain forest rush past him. “Why are you so slow? Why are you so quiet? Why are you so lazy?” the others ask the sloth. And, after a long, long time, the sloth finally tells them!

Where Are You Going? To See My Friend!, 2003 A dog, a cat, a rooster, a goat, a rabbit, and finally a child join together on a journey to see their friends in this unique bilingual collaboration that unites cultures and languages.

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr, 2003 Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? is told from the point of view of endangered creatures, and one dreaming child; each page a tribute to wild animals and their freedom.

Mister Seahorse, 2004 Mister Seahorse and fellow fish fathers who care for their soon-to-be-hatched offspring, share their stories while acetate pages reveal camouflaged creatures who bear witness to the conversation between fathers with fins.

10 Little Rubber Ducks, 2005 10 Little Rubber Ducks fall overboard and land on shores all around the world. Inspired by the true story of these ducks at sea, Eric Carle has imagined their voyage in the wide open waters and the creatures they meet who live in and around the ocean.

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?, 2007 Join Baby Bear as he sets out to look for his beloved Mama Bear, meeting a diverse cast of North American animals along the way. Readers of all ages will enjoy the rich, colorful illustrations and heartfelt story of this last collaboration in a series that has helped millions learn to read.

The Artist who Painted a Blue Horse, 2011

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YOU CAN CREATE A COLLAGE IN THE STYLE OF ERIC CARLE! A printable sheet of instructions Many people make collages. Artists like Picasso and Matisse and Leo Lionni made collages. Many children have done collages at home or in their classrooms. I happen to make my collage illustrations using painted tissue papers. You might want to try it too! — Eric Carle HOW TO PREPARE PAINTED TISSUE PAPERS: 1. Squeeze paint (acrylic, water or poster paint) into a dish, add water and stir 2. Place a single sheet of tissue paper on a clean surface 3. Paint bold strokes onto the tissue paper. (Hint: lift up tissue paper briefly, so it doesn’t stick to the surface.) Let it dry on newspapers while working on other tissue papers. 4. Apply a second color. Perhaps in wavy blue brush strokes. Again: lift tissue paper and let it dry on newspapers. 5. Apply a third color. Yellow dots might look nice. 6. Apply a fourth color. Perhaps black painted onto a piece of carpet which can be used to make textured prints on top of the red, blue, and yellow design. HOW TO MAKE A COLLAGE ILLUSTRATION: 1. Draw a caterpillar (or any creature you like) onto tracing paper or other transparent paper. 2. Place the drawing on top of a red tissue paper and (Scissors/blade?) cut through both tracing and tissue papers. Be careful! 3. Cut out each section at a time: First the face, then each segment of the caterpillar. 4. Turn the face over and apply a thin later of glue or wallpaper paste. 5. Paste it onto a white illustration board or similar material. 6. Cut out the first green segment of the caterpillar’s body. 7. Place the tracing paper, with head and body segment removed, as a guide for pasting down the green segment. 8. Repeat steps 6 & 7, selecting different shades of green for each segment until the body is finished. 9. Carefully cut out the eyes: Moisten the area around the eyes; wait a second, lift a remove the eyes. 10. Cut out yellow, green, and brown parts for eyes, nose, and feet, and glue them into their places. 11. Use crayons or colored pencils for the final touch

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Eric Carle Collage For preschool age and up Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy children’s books, most of which he also wrote. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, probably his most famous book, has sold over 29 million copies. His collage style is unique and easy to recognize. He uses simple shapes and hand painted texture paper layered together to create his illustrations. You can make your own Eric Carle-style collage at home! materials: Paper Scissors Glue (white or tacky glue work best) Markers, Crayons or Paint – depending on how messy you want to get step 1 – Make some texture paper. Create wild and crazy patterns that can be made into spotted animal fur, stripy green grass and other textures. Be sure to fill the whole paper with color – you’ll cut out shapes later. 3 ways to make your paper: Easy & Clean: Use markers or crayons to scribble textures and patterns. Hands-On Messy: Finger-paint your paper. (Turn ordinary tempera into fingerpaints by mixing equal parts liquid starch and tempera paint. Or try mixing cup tempera with 1/8 cup liquid soap.) Lots o' Tools: Use tools found around the house to stamp, scrape or roll paint onto the paper instead of paintbrushes. Try stamping with tools, like potato mashers, carpet scraps, pencil erasers or cotton balls using paint as your ink. Or use brushes to paint on paper then scrape the wet paint with old combs, forks, toothpicks, or toothbrushes to create texture. step 2 – When your paper is dry, cut it into simple shapes and plan your collage. Try creating your own fantasy insect or creature by gluing down the cut shapes onto a plain sheet of paper. Add a landscape or background to complete your collage.

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Eric Carle Collage

Submitted by: Linda Wood, St. John's Lower School, Houston, Texas Unit: Collage/painting Lesson Plan: Eric Carle Collage Grade Level: 2 thru 4 (these are 2nd grade - See Kindergarten lesson idea) School Web Site: St. John's Lower School Eric Carle for Middle School

Objectives: Students Will

• Gain appreciation for the work of Eric Carle - see book illustration as a career

• Speculate about a work of art, what materials, techniques and skills were used -Study Carle's work to determine how he did it.

• Explore various water color techniques • Create a variety textural effects • Design and create a composition using the techniques of Eric Carle -- demonstrate cutting

and gluing skills

Materials:

White Drawing Paper (12" x 18" / 30.5 x 46 cm), Construction Paper, Watercolor Sets, assorted stamps, texture Brayers, Brushes, water dishes, paint shirts, texture panels, Crayons, Scissors, Glue

Note from Judy: Tissue paper can also be used. I used tissue paper with 2nd grade

Resources:

Official Eric Carle Web site: http://www.eric-carle.com/

Various books by Eric Carle - Dragons Dragons: & Other Creatures That Never Were is a favorite

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Other Books by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Following the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage- until he is really fat and has a stomachache.

You Can Make a Collage: A Very Simple How-To Book- Learn the art of collage from world-famous children's author and artist Eric Carle. Comes with 72 sheets of beautifully printed tissue, each an original design painted by Eric Carle.

The Grouchy Ladybug - Progressing through a series of brilliantly colored die-cut pages, a bad-tempered braggart becomes a nicer, happier, better-behaved bug.

The Mixed-Up Chameleon - Except for catching flies and changing colors occasionally, this chameleon doesn't find life very exciting. When a surprise visit to the zoo makes this wistful lizard realize it can change its shape and size as easily as its color, it ends up wanting to be like all the animals in the zoo at once.

DVD: Eric Carle: Picture Writer Eric Carle Teacher Resource List

Alternate Lesson: Still life Collage a la Matisse by Linda Woods Alternate Lesson: Myth and Folk Tales - Illustrations by Michael Gerrish Alternate Lesson: Collage - Various Artists - fourth grade

Instruction/Motivation:

1. Read a book by Eric Carle to students - study the art work and speculate how it was made (Dragons and Other Animals that Never Were is a good one)

2. Demonstrate various painting techniques to be used by students: wet -in-wet, dry brush, stamp printing, spatter painting, textured brayers, crayon resist rubbings

3. Discuss rhythm and pattern, unity, contrast, harmony, and texture throughout the lesson 4. Demonstrate cutting of collage paper to make a composition - show folding technique to cut

multiple shapes/borders. Review design principles.

Procedures:

Have different stations set up around the room for the various techniques (note from Judy: I had monoprinting with finger paints, too when I did this lesson).

1. Crayon texture rubbings - cover sheet of drawing paper with various textures - brush water color over

2. Wet-in-wet water color - embellish with dry brush water color free style patterns. 3. Wet-in-wet papers stamp printed with various rubber stamps dipped into

concentrated Watercolor Paint. Sponge printing and gadget, too. 4. Patterned brayers with concentrated watercolor rolled over paper 5. Splatter painted watercolor, (always done on the floor in only one area)

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For more variety, they used these processes over colored construction papers. We treated the painting of the papers purely as an abstract painting exercise. As they painted, they put their names in the corners of their paper, and dried them in one area for each table in drying racks and on the floor. As I cleaned up at the end of the day, I just swept the dried work into table folders for each table and let them make their own folders inside of the table folders to keep track of their own paper. Some of the colors and patterns were to fill 18x24 sheets from side to side, top to bottom. On other sheets, they could divide the space in half with two color ideas on each half. That way they had enough of one color or two to make a large animal with accent colors.

Collage:

Students were permitted to create whatever they wanted: animals, people, houses, still lifes (note from Judy: When I did this lesson, we created imaginary animals/beasties)

1. Plan what you want to create. 2. Use contrast of colors. 3. Repeat some colors and textures throughout the collage. 4. Multiple cutting techniques (fold paper)-- as well as cutting strips, then fold paper to cut

pattern for borders on the large background papers. 5. Glue to 12x18 (30.5 x 46 cm) drawing paper - add background with left over pieces of collage

paper, add water color and/or crayon to background. Share some of your papers with neighbors for more variety. Save all left over painted paper in scrap box for collage projects throughout the year.

6. Remember design principles: unity/harmony, rhythm/repetition, and contrast.

Note for Success from Linda Woods:

I did this project with 2nd graders. We used Sax 90 pound paper instead of tissue paper as Eric Carle uses. They saw the video - we looked at books of his. We analyzed colors used, talked about contrast a LOT regarding textures, sizes of things, colors, values, etc. You have to plan for contrast when you are choosing what colors to use in your texture paintings that you make before you ever start to collage. I told them realistic color was not important, just paint colors that you like and then think what colors would look good with those colors and keep building a folder of your own papers that will show contrast, but also repeat colors a bit by changing the value or use those colors in a new combination with different colors to add unity through repetition. The other issue with young kids is keeping all of their papers organized. Each of my kids painted 2 or 3 18x24 sized papers. One big sheet for the background and another for the animal. Emphasize contrast here so the animal will show up on the background. I have a couple of kids that despite MANY reminders to make the two pages DIFFERENT (warm/cool, complementary, bright/dull, very textured/little texture, dark/light, etc., they still ended up painting their favorite (same) colors for both. One student loves that it's camouflaged. The first big page was supposed to be intuitively painted with colors that they loved.

We used texture sheets with hard pressed crayons painted over with watercolors. We also used those patterned paint rollers on sponges you see in Sax catalogue. Those were also used with watercolors (Prang 16 color boxes). I also had some gold liquid watercolor. I also told them to be sure to make some black textured paper to use for eyes, nose, etc. Some made black textured animal paper. Some of them used some Sax Ultra plus tempera ...great colors. Mainly when I started running out of watercolors, we broke out the tempera and watered it down. Another wonderful way to paint beautiful papers is to spray water on marker colored coffee filters laying on a white sheet of paper to catch the drips. Spray it pretty heavily and the colors bleed in incredible

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ways onto the sheet behind the coffee filter. We use the coffee filter papers (in radial designs) to make stained glass windows with black construction paper, but we keep the paper that they bleed onto in that same scrap box with the Eric Carle paper. They make gorgeous cut up paper in collages.

The second page of 18x24 was to contrast and look awesome with the first page. Some painted a 3rd big one before they really liked the colors of each page together as it will be in their collage. After that, we painted smaller sheets of colors for details they would make in their collages ....spots on their animal, eye color, flowers, bugs, clouds, sun, grass, water, toenails, etc. I kept reminding them to think ahead for details...try to see the picture you want to make in your mind's eye and pre-paint all of the colors of paper you will need before you collage. The good news is, there is a LOT of scrap very quickly and kids can share each other's scraps. To keep young kids with MANY sheets of paper organized, I had them make table folders and individual folders inside the table folders. Each class period, each table would put their wet paintings in their designated area (by table) in the drying rack. I collected the table folders on a table next to the drying rack and when the pages were dry, I just slid the pages for each table back into their table folders. The kids individually were reminded repeatedly to be responsible about getting their own pages into their individual folders. When they started collaging, I had them put their individual folders around the perimeter of the room so they could access them without tripping over 10,000 sheets of paper. I told them to just bring a couple of sheets of paper to their table at a time and keep going back to their folders when they were ready for more colors of paper. You could also have them put their whole folder on the floor under their tables. The issue is that you want them to stay organized and keep all of their pages together (not strung out all over the room). You don't want it all out at the same time on their desk, but you want it to be easily accessible for them. We spent some of almost every period trying to find someone's page that was missing. I had the kids go from table to table looking in the other kids' folders to try to find their missing pages first. Anyone who had to spend time doing this learned to stay organized after that.

When we looked at Eric Carle's work, we talked about how many pieces he used to make his animals ....separate pieces for arms, legs, wings, tails, ears, nose, etc. I demonstrated how to fold a piece of paper in half to cut a very skinny J that when opened up makes that kind of mouth that rabbits, dogs, cats, lions, tigers, etc. have. I demonstrated multiple cutting of stacked paper to make many flowers at a time, or many spots at a time. With young kids, you really earn your $$ because all of this has to be repeated so many times before they all get it.

I LOVE doing this project each year. Kids love it too. What's not to love about Eric Carle, whimsy, color for color's sake, and having so much fun while you are doing it?

Evaluation:

Linda says "They had so much fun that they would still be painting paper if I hadn't cut them off."

1. Did students analyze the work of Eric Carle? Were they able to see how the works were made?

2. Did students create a variety of textured papers using various methods presented? 3. Were students able to create a collage showing contrast, unity and rhythm? 4. Did students exhibit skills and craftsmanship in executing their collage?

See the Eric Carle art project, Mixed Up Chameleon from Bonsack Elementary. Also see some Eric Carle turtle projects. Some of the thumbnail images are broken but when you click on them, all the

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images are visible.

Easy adaptation for Kindergarten and First Grade - from Marianne Galyk:

I have done something similar with first graders when they were studying Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar in their regular classroom. I cut a variety of colors of construction paper into smaller pieces (6 per 9"x12" sheet). Each student did several pieces. I put one color of tempera on a paper plate and for painting utensils in each color I had pieces of sponge on a clothespin, -tips and plastic forks. (It's nice if you get the one-ended swabs so that they don't stick both ends in the paint.) Every so often I did a 3-2-1 countdown and said "switch" and I would take green from one table (with all that color's utensils put back on the plate) and switch it with yellow from another table (etc.) so that most tables would get to use most colors before our time was up. They could experiment decorating their papers with patterns, dots swirls, etc. I tried to stress letting some of the background color show through.) We didn't put any names on papers (which drives a few of them crazy the next class period because they are searching for "theirs"). I just throw them all into a big box after they are dry. First grade used them to create the caterpillar during the next class. Crayons or markers can be used for drawing. You could use them for any kind a creatures.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Variation from Stephanie Corder, AZ Academy in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

1. We started with exploring the color wheel, and then made our own colors with tissue paper collage.

2. I used the papers we made to cut out caterpillar body shapes (a series of 5 green circles and one red for the face) and had them draw faces and legs on them.

3. Then I used a rectangular strip from the same paper to mimic the ground on the title page of "The Hungry Caterpillar". With a hole punch, I made a series of negative space circles, and had them glue the circles I'd cut out onto the same piece of paper, creating lots of "caterpillar eggs".

4. The end result was great! I'm holding them for our visual arts show, and I'm going to use the leftover papers for us to make a giant butterfly to display them with!

Submitted by: Linda Wood, St. John's Lower School, Houston, Texas Unit: Collage/painting/printmaking Lesson Plan: "Matisse" Still Life Collage Grade Level: Elementary (these are 2nd grade - adaptable through middle school) School Web Site: St. John's Lower School (click on Art stories until you see Linda's picture)

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Lesson Summary:

Students in Grade Two were introduced to still life artworks by many artists. We investigated various themes and subjects painted. Techniques of overlapping were also introduced. Following the introduction of still life painting, we switched gears to creating our own still life collages from imagination. Potato prints and stamps were added for pattern and texture. We used construction paper and tempera paint in the creation of these little masterpieces.

Materials:

Potatoes, knives, Tempera Paint, Construction Paper, Watercolor Sets, Brushes, water dishes, Scissors, Glue

Note: Scratchfoam stamps could be made and purchased stamps could also be used. Teachers: Adapt Linda's Eric Carl lesson plan to fit this lesson

This lesson was an imaginary still life. Linda used Matisse examples, but also other artists (See Artcyclopedia). It was also a collage. They used potato prints and stamps with Sax Ultra Plus paint. Students could paint on anything they wanted to in the still life ...patterned backgrounds, patterns on vases, etc. They could use cut paper patterns (multiple cuttings) or they could paint or stamp patterns.

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▼ Eric Carle For Middle School

T U E S D A Y , 2 1 J U N E 2 0 1 1 Eric Carle Tissue Paper Prints Our first activity for our Eric Carle focused week is beautiful art work made using the exact method that he describes on his own website. He created many of his pictures by simply painting and printing onto tissue paper, then cutting and sticking them to create shapes and pictures.

First of all we watched this wonderful slideshow from the Eric Carle website which shows how he does it. It's fascinating to be able to see the creative process and amazing how simple the technique is. We simplified it even more so that it would be suitable for a 2 year old and 1 year

old, but it can of course be adapted for all ages quite easily. I found some thick, brightly colored sheets of tissue paper. I think the thicker the better as young children have a tendency to over paint and also to move and scrunch the paper, therefore potentially causing it to rip.

They painted the sheets of tissue using a range of thick and thin brushes dipped in bright contrasting colors. Their marks were much simpler than Carle's, of course, but still looked effective.

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Then they added more strokes and marks on top and next to the original ones, using another contrasting colour to make the colours really pop off the page!

Then we found some Duplo bricks and some corrugated card and they added texture to the paintings by dipping them into paint and printing with them over the top. Again, they had to be careful not to over-do it so that the paper didn't tear.

And these were some of the stunning results! Yellow, green and red.

Turquoise, yellow and green.

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Purple, yellow and white.

Pink, blue and green.

Green, red and white.

Orange, blue and red.

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We left them to dry overnight, then I cut out random shapes, some regular, some irregular to begin the makings of our collage.

The girls stuck the shapes randomly onto large pieces of A3 white cartridge (drawing) paper.

I helped with spreading the glue and they loved the sticking part!

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And these are the finished works of art! Absolutely beautiful painted tissue-paper collages in the style of Eric Carle.

By Little Pop, aged 14 months.

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By Cakie, aged 33 months.

By Mummy (aged 32!), Cakie and Pop, a collaborative effort! For older children I would suggest they cut out their own shapes and also plan what to turn them into, choosing and sticking the shapes to create a pre-conceived design. They could make the iconic caterpillar or butterfly from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, one of the beautiful coloured animals from Brown Bear Brown Bear or make up their own idea! I think they would also look stunning if cut to make letters to form a child's name. Perhaps that's what I will do as my next crafty project. This activity is part of the birthday celebration being hosted at An Amazing Child this week!

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