Connecting Paper Cranes to Books - Fun with paper and books.

My friend Tony Pope began creating paper cranes in remembrance of Sandako and the Thousand Paper Crane by Eleanor Coerr (more about that at this Iowa History: Bits and Pieces blog entry at https://bit.ly/papercranes-Iowa).

He sent five of them from Georgia to Iowa.

 But once these cranes arrived in Iowa from Georgia, Tony asked if the one in the lower right reminded me of any book.  Indeed it did: despite the color patches being curved in the shape of a scale I connected it first to Elmer the Patchwork Elephant by David McKee.  You see my husband's given name is a family name going back several generations; and one of our sons named his son Elmer to stay with the tradition.  When that baby was born, I said to my son, "I know the first book I am going to buy for him."  And my son said, "I already bought it."  Me to him, "I didn't know you even knew the book."  And he replied, "Bottom shelf, right hand side, green cover."  Despite him being in California he nailed the location on the Iowa book shelves.  In the current published book, the cover shows Elmer in patchwork; but the first book about Elmer was published with a lime green cloth cover.  However most people would, because of the rounded scales associate the first crane with Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.  So I have included both here.

The others - see what you think - and then give it a try and see what you come up with.  Fold a crane, match a book - take pictures and send them along.

Sunflowers ...

Flamingos ...

Clouds in a blue sky ...

Frida Kahlo and her menagerie of plants and animals...

Okay now create your own crane - and pair it up with a book -- just for fun.
If you don't know to fold a paper crane a quick search on YouTube will lead you to plenty of tutorials.


Cite this website as:
McElmeel, Sharron. (2020, June 18). Connecting paper cranes to books - fun with paper and books.  Author, author, and an illustrator or two.  Retrieved from https://bit.ly/papercranes-books.

Michael Sampson - Author

Today (April 3, 2020) author Michael Sampson visited with a young reader via Zoom.  Michael Sampson is a professional educator, football lover, literacy expert, and author. (Learn more about Sampson and his books at www.michaelsampson.com/ ). During the one-on-one visit (just one of 10 that Sampson contributed to do his part in educating readers in this epic situation) Sampson read this first grade reader three books that he wrote or co-wrote.

Star of the Circus, had a refrain that invited participation and both Sampson and Pryor sung the refrain.  And who is the star of the circus of the eight animals: Cannonball Cat, Zany Zebra, Marvelous Mouse, Crazy Kangaroo, Dazzling Dog, Jazzy Giraffe, Big Bear, or Elegant Elephant?  The answer is in the reading.

When Michael Sampson shared a reading of a sequel to his friend, Bill Martin, Jr's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, a sequel that Sampson helped to write, Sampson shared some additional information about Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? 

Michael Sampson is an author or co-author of many books.  He was a good friend of Bill Martin Jr.  who wrote Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You Hear?  Together the friends wrote many books.

 Sampson wrote a book titled The Football That Won... but also wrote many others with his friend.
A popular book that Sampson wrote with his friend was a book, I pledge allegiance, explaining the vocabulary in the Pledge of Allegiance written by Francis Bellamy in 1852.
Pryor read that book before meeting Michael Sampson.  And he had also read all the books in the Brown Bear series.

 Other books by Sampson include the Little Squeegy Bug Book and several about Kitty Cat.

Pryor enjoyed meeting Michael Sampson, and enjoyed hearing his books.  Pryor was very familiar with Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? but had not associated that title with Michael Sampson.  Sampson also co-wrote Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do You See?  

And what advice did Sampson have for a young scholar - read and start a journal.  What a great experience for a 7-year-old reader!

Cite this article:

McElmeel, Sharron.  (2020, April 3).  Michael Sampson - Author.  Author, Author, and an Illustrator or two.  Retrieved from https://bit.ly/michaelsampson. 

Tomie depaola - A Friend (Sept 15, 1934 - March 30, 2020)

Tomie dePaola

Tomie dePaola, at the age of 85 died from a fall, according to a news post by Roger Sutton, editor at Horn Book Magazine; and Elizabeth Law, dePaola’s long time publisher at Holiday House.

Tomie dePaola is the author/illustrator of many beloved children’s books including: Strega Nona, Helga’s Dowry and more than 250 more.  Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934 in Meriden, Connecticut where he grew up with an older brother and two younger sisters, who appeared with him in his successful biographical series, 26 Fairmount Avenue.  His mother was Irish and father Italian.  His mother loved books and spent many hours reading aloud to her children.   He knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a children’s book illustrator.  He attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and earned a masters of fine arts from California College of Arts and Crafts.  For a time, he taught art at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire.  For many years he lived and worked in a 1830s, 13 room house and barn in Wilmot Flats — a picturesque village down the road from New London.

He studied at Pratt along-side of Arnold and Anita Lobel; and was neighbors with Wally Tripp and Trina Schart Hyman.  All the events of dePaola’s life have had a significant effect on his art and writing.  At one time dePaola joined. Monastery with the intention of becoming a brother.  He left the monastery before taking his final vows but throughout his career he created many works of art for Catholic churches and monasteries in the New England area.  Several of his book have religious themes.  One of his most popular,  Francis, the Poor Man of Assisi(Holiday House, 1992) was recently rereleased as Brother Francis of Assisi (Ignatius Press, 2020).

For many years dePaola’s companion and assistant has been Robert Hechtel who helped him in all aspects of his career.

In a 2017 interview with Maggie Reagan for Booklist Online, dePaola said, “My days are busier than they’ve ever been, and I’m 84. But I’m very pleased that this is true. I’ve had a long career, and I hope it keeps on going for more years, because I love the work that I’m doing now. “ (http://bit.ly/talkingwithtomie).
And all of his readers wish there were more years … but his work will live on, and so will Strega Nona, Helga and the dozens of other characters he created: Charlie, Andy, Bill and Pete.  And as for Tomie - he is off on the wing of a whitebird.  RIP

The obituary from Associated press 

'Strega Nona' author Tomie dePaola is dead at age 85 By KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press Mar 30, 2020 can be found online at in the MuskogeePhoenix News which was first to get the information online.

~~~

For more information about Tomie dePaola visit his website at http://www.tomie.com and search the net for information about YOUR favorite dePaola books - these are some of mine.

For my archival information about Tomie dePaola from my resources, locate my 1988 title An Author a Month (for Pennies) (Libraries Unlimited, o.p.) but available in many libraries.Research material related to Tomie dePaola is part of the Sharron L. McElmeel papers in the University of Iowa special collections.  Identifier: msc0991.  http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc