Shape Dragons: Studying Illustrations - Virtual Book Club for Kids


  

It's virtual book club day which means it's time to share your Tomie dePaola inspired activities!






The Tomie dePaola book we chose was The Knight and the Dragon, an almost wordless picture book about a knight and a dragon who have never fought anyone before.  They both study and practice and decide on a day and time to fight each other.  Turns out neither are really meant for fighting.  A helpful and wise princess offers them books that allow them to find a way to work together.

My daughter requested a project for this book and happily agreed to a shape dragon.  (Which actually shocked me.  I thought we were in for a princess craft.)  We chose our favorite illustration of the dragon and started looking for shapes.  We decided the body of the dragon looked like a half circle, the head looked like a rectangle, there was a heart at the end of the tail, etc.

I cut out the shapes and helped my three year old glue them together.  At first.  Then she did her own thing, which was fine with me.  I almost always do my own project either during, before, or after so that I am not tempted to "fix" my kids' stuff. 

So here's my baby girl's dragon.  In red, of course.

And mine.

This was a great activity for us because not only did we review the names of shapes, but she started thinking about how illustrations start from basic shapes.

Now it's your turn.  Can't wait to see the Tomie dePaola inspired activities you've been getting up to! Please link it up or share it on the Virtual Book Club for Kids facebook page!
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Participating Blogs: Toddler Approved, Rainy Day Mum, Adventures in Reading with Kids, 3 Dinosaurs, Royal Baloo, The Educators' Spin On It, Inspiration Laboratories, Pleasantest Thing, Edventures with Kids, Two Big Two Little, Playing With Words 365, Kitchen Counter Chronicles, Outlaw Mom, Mommy and Me Book Club, Crafty Moms Share, No Twiddle Twaddle, The Good Long Road, Ready. Set. Read 2 Me, Reading Confetti, Mama Smiles, Juggling with Kids, Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas, Creekside Learning, Creative Family Fun, The Usual Mayhem, Teach Preschool, PlayDrMom, CraftoArt, Here Come the Girls, Being a Conscious Parent, Smiling like Sunshine, Crayon Freckles, Train Up a Child


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4 comments:

  1. What a brilliant dragon this is.

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  2. This would be a great activity for Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald too!
    I know what you mean about resisting the desire to 'fix' kids art! I work with famlies and witness the struggle every time!

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  3. I love this so much! I chose this post to be featured on my page this week for The Weekly Kid's Co-Op. :)

    http://www.homelearningjourney.com/kidscoop11-29/

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