Jake the Dinosaur

I had the pleasure of attending Taft High School's annual PASSPORT TO READING event yesterday. Attended by students, teachers, librarians, and young children from surrounding schools, I was able to chat and share my illustrations. During my workshops I shared my process and fun of creating images to go along with words.

To add to that experience, I had some paper up on a drawing board at the front of the room, and asked the kids to give me a word to illustrate. I had already put up a few words and images: an angry alligator eating and apple pie - to demonstrate the angry eyes, furrowed brow, and snarling nose (Something I found the boys love to see me draw)... and it's a quick sketch that I am becoming well practiced at.

The most enjoyable encounters I had were with the very youngest of attendee's.... average age, 7.... 1st and 2nd graders, and one very special young boy named Jake. I immediately fell in love with his bubbly personality, and before I could say the word "Imagination", he was reading our book to me. We had so much fun that he asked for some paper and he starting drawing, and writing his own story. WE worked together and created a large headed Dinosaur. Possibly a Brontosaurus with a head of a T-rex... who stepped onto a sailboat. We chatted as I drew up on the board. The image above is the quick sketch result. We had a lot of fun.

Perhaps Jake the Dinosaur (As I named him at the end of the day)... will become a bigger story.

Stay Tuned