Pick up an Inspirations kit at the Children’s Services Desk! This is a new program where kids of all ages can get inspired and discover diverse authors and artists through hands-on activities.
The first featured author and illustrator is Grace Lin, who has won national awards both for her art and for her writing! Each kit contains:
- A page full of math activities to go with her new series of board books, Storytelling Math. Materials are included in the bag so you can make a windsock (decorated paper, crepe paper strips, yarn for the handle) and bubble wands (pipe cleaners/chenille stems).
- A coloring page based on the book The Ugly Vegetables (also available on hoopla) and a recipe for Ugly Vegetable Soup
- Writing activities inspired by the characters in the award-winning Ling & Ting series for beginning readers (also available on hoopla)
- Color-and-cut Ling & Ting paper dolls
- A cutting and lacing activity (yarn for lacing and for hanging up the cloud are included) based on the book A Big Bed for Little Snow
- A drawing and craft activity (a plastic sandwich bag and scrap paper are included) based on the same book
- A list of more books by Grace Lin (some titles are also available on hoopla and TumbleBooks)
Would you like to explore more? Visit gracelin.com, the Storytelling Math page for the publisher Charlesbridge (the Activity Guide can be downloaded) or Curious City for more activities like the ones in the kit. You could also try:
- Making homemade playdough for the shape-squashing game (both of these books with playdough recipes are also available on hoopla)
- Planting vegetables, flowers or both like the family in The Ugly Vegetables using the tips at My First Garden (also in Spanish) from the University of Illinois Extension or library books like Dig In! 12 Easy Gardening Projects Using Kitchen Scraps
- Learning more about Grace Lin at Something About the Author (don’t get discouraged, this database sometimes moves slowly)
- Finding more great books by Asian American authors at the Literature Awards page of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) or checking out the curated list for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at hoopla
We hope you enjoy and be sure to check back soon for more Inspirations Kits!