Monday, June 28, 2010

Review #75: Oh No


Isaac (age 11):  "Oh No" is illustrated by Dan Santat.
Gracie (age 9):  Dan Sanitizer.
Isaac:  And it is written by...
Gracie:  Chuck Duckerman!
Isaac:  Written by Chuck Duckerman?
Gracie:  HA hee hee heehee!  No - That's what I think the robot's name should be.  Chuck Duckerman.
Dad:  "Oh No" is written by Mac Barnett.
Gracie:  Macaroni Barnett!
Dad:  Great.
Gracie:  Dan Sanitizer and Macaroni Barnett.
Lily (age 7):  This is a weird and wacko book.  But the people that made this book are smartypants, because they could build this story.
Isaac:  They have crazy imaginations.
Gracie:  They are crazy... in a good way.
Isaac:  "Oh No" is about this girl who builds a super hi-tech robot.
Gracie:  Chuck Duckerman.
Isaac:  Robot.  She makes the robot for a science fair.  It wasn't that hard for her to win first place because this is what she was up against -- "Cup of Dirt."  "Just Hamsters."  And a little teeny volcano.  Those were the other entries, so she creamed them.
Gracie:  If I entered a Science Fair, I'd probably do something about aerodynamics.
Dad:  Do you even know what aerodynamics is?
Gracie:  Flying.
Dad:  Wow - you know a big word.  Where'd you learn that big word?
Gracie:  I made it up.
Dad:  You didn't make it up.
Gracie:  Well, then where did I hear it?
Dad:  I don't know - that's what I asked you.
Gracie:  I would make a replica of a model of a plane.
Dad:  So you wouldn't just make a model plane?  You'd make a replica OF a model of a plane?
Isaac:  Ha ha!
Gracie:  Or I could just do a project on cows.
Dad:  Aerodynamics... or cows.
Gracie:  I could teach people how to dissect cows.
Dad:  Wow.  This has nothing to do with the book.  Let's get back on track...
Gracie:  Has Macaroni Barnett ever dissected a cow?
Dad:  What happens to the robot?
Isaac:  It escapes.  It was a science project catastrophe.
Gracie:  The robot has a laser eye and super claw.  The robot's name is Chuck Duckerman.  And Chuck Duckerman starts destroying the world.
Lily:  If kids are afraid of lasers, they shouldn't read this book.
Isaac:  The robot also has hypnotizing-dog-power.  The robot made dogs think they were robots destroying the world -- little teeny chihuahuas dressed up with hats.  If I could control a dog's mind, I would make it Riverdance.
Lily:  So then the girl made a giant frog to defeat the robot, and the giant frog saved the world.
Isaac:  She turned a little frog into a giant monster frog with a machine.  With a Froginizer.  A Grow-inator-inator.  The Biginator.
Gracie:  The giant frog destroys Chuck Duckerman.
Isaac:  But now she has to make another thing to stop the frog.  I don't know what's going to stop it... but I'm going to make it.
Dad:  So, that's the storyline.  What did you think of the illustrations?
Isaac:  The pictures remind me of a movie.  An old scary movie.  It looks like Godzilla!  I bet they were trying to make it resemble an old Godzilla movie.
Dad:  Have you ever seen an old Godzilla movie?
Isaac:  I'm just guessing.
Dad:  How do you even know who Godzilla is?  I suppose it's just part of our cultural make-up.  Everyone knows Godzilla.
Lily:  Yes.  He's a giant monkey.
Dad:  That's King Kong.
Lily:  Oh.

hypnotized puppies dressed as robots, by Lily

a new giant robot to defeat the giant frog, by Isaac


Gracie had a different idea of how to attack the frog:
make a fly grow giant with the Biginator machine...

but...  that might not work...


Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Published, 2010: Hyperion
Like it?  Find it

Monday, June 21, 2010

Interview #7: Laurie Keller



Laurie Keller is the author/illustrator of many beloved, quirky books: "The Scramble States of America," "Open Wide, Tooth School Inside," "Arnie the Doughnut," and "Do Unto Otters" to name a few.  The Z-Kids were very excited about their chance to interview her for Bookie Woogie.

I thought we were heading over to Laurie Keller's abode for a half hour interview.  Instead, she had in store for us an amazing 4 hour playdate!  We had fun with stuffed animals and doodads.  We thumbed through boxes of original art.  She set the kids loose with her large ink/stamp collection.  We watched commercials she made for Nickelodeon back in the day.  We had an advance look and round-table reading of her great next book (coming Sept '10).  Her boyfriend Scott gave Isaac great oil painting advice.  They fed us blackberries, apple slices, chocolate doughnuts, lemonade, and pistachios.  We hiked down to the shore of Lake Michigan where the kids ran, jumped, waded, dug, drew, shell-hunted, and driftwood-collected.  She sent us home with books, games, and DVDs.  Gracie was seriously attempting to weasel her way into a sleepover, and I think Laurie would have let her.

Laurie Keller was incredibly kind.  It was an amazing, unforgettable day. 
Pulling from the 4 hours of fun audio recordings, I am happy to present the following few (very condensed few) highlights for your reading pleasure.  Thanks again to Laurie and Scott for a great day!

(The portrait above of Miss Keller was drawn by Gracie.  Camera duties were given to Isaac, so we have him to thank for the photos below.)


Dad:  Before we share our visit, tell everyone about Laurie Keller's upcoming book...
Gracie (age 9):  "Birdy's Smile Book" has all these different facts about smiling.
Isaac (age 11):  Collections of facts.  Little snippets of things that have to do with smiling.  A girl named Birdy is the "host."  She talks to you throughout the whole thing.
Gracie:  It's funny.  The whole thing is super funny.
Lily (age 7):  Birdy likes to smile.  She says smiling is contagious.  She says if someone smiles at someone who smiles at someone who smiles at someone... it would go all around the world.  And if I got my smile to Timbuktu, it might even go to the mooooooon!
Gracie:  My favorite thing about all of Laurie Keller's books is the little "side guys."  There are all these little jokes she adds on, away from the main story.
Dad:  Funny little characters commenting in the margins.
Gracie:  Add-ons.  Just because.
Isaac:  The end of this book is actually a mirror for practicing your smiling.  And the cool thing about the mirror is that you can bend it into shapes like a funhouse mirror. Then you can make weird smiles.
Dad:  Thanks guys...  And now for our visit with Laurie Keller!



(Laurie Keller first took us to see her working area)
Gracie:  This place rocks!
Laurie Keller:  Thanks!
Lily:  Hey look -- It's doughnuts like in the doughnut book.
Isaac:  Where did you find all these little cool doughnuts?
Laurie Keller:  A friend of mine got those for me for my birthday a few years ago.
Lily:  Which one is Arnie?
Laurie Keller:  There's not one that's exactly like Arnie.
Lily:  Some of them are cream filled.  That's so cool.
Dad:  Those ones are a little drippy.  They look like they might need little diapers on them.
Gracie:  That just sounds disgusting.
Lily:  Hey - it's Arnie!  I found Arnie!
Laurie Keller:  Yes, a couple classrooms made me some different Arnie pictures.
Gracie:  Hey, those drawings are from "Do Unto Otters..."
Laurie Keller:  Yeah, some kids made those for me too.
Gracie:  I found a giant Arnie pillow!
Laurie Keller:  Yeah, isn't that funny?  A teacher made that for me.  And a friend of mine made me that pillow of Michigan... you can pick it up...
Dad:  Lots of gift-goodies here!
Laurie Keller:  That whole chest in the middle of the room is full of artwork and letters that kids have made.  It's crazy!
Dad:  Did you guys see that cool tin man?
Laurie Keller:  Oh, I made that one.  When I worked at Hallmark many years ago.
Gracie:  I love all your little stuffed animals!  You have the cutest stuffed animals ever!
Laurie Keller:  Aren't they cute?  I get them from art fairs and different places.
Dad:  What do you guys think -- would all these Knickknacks and Doodads help encourage creativity?  Or would they be a distraction while Miss Laurie works?
Gracie:  They would be so distracting to me.
Lily:  Oh!  Button snowman!
Gracie:  Do you know what my favorite parts about your books are?  All the little side jokes you make around the edges of the pages.  I love all your little side things.
Laurie Keller:  You might wonder why I put those little things all over the place.  Well, it's because that's how I live.  Right?  There's all sorts of little sideline things going on around me.
Isaac:  That's cool.
Laurie Keller:  Those extra little jokes -- a lot of them aren't in my initial sketches, or even in my original story.  I don't usually have a big plan before I start painting.  I try to plan, but I always change things.  Once I start painting the final artwork, these little ideas pop into my head, and I start adding all those extras.
Lily:  How did you come up with the idea of putting pencil, paint, and stamps all together in your books?
Laurie Keller:  That's called collage.  I think it's fun.  A lot of times I just start adding things in there... stamps or pencils...
Dad:  It grows on its own...
Laurie Keller:  Yeah, and fortunately my editor doesn't mind that I work that way.  Probably a lot of people wouldn't like that, because they'd want to know exactly what it's going to look like.  But if I make a big change, I'll let her know.  I'll email her my sketch, or I'll say, "Hey, is it okay if New Jersey says this?"  It's great that she lets me work that way.
Lily:  That's definitely not like Daddy's publisher.  One day she's like "Oh, I love these ducks!"  And then the next day, "I don't like these ducks. Change them."
Laurie Keller:  Ha ha ha ha!
Dad:  Yep, everybody's different...
Laurie Keller:  If you want me to show you the artwork from any of my books, I can pull it out.
Dad:  Oooo...
Laurie Keller:  We can take it outside and look at it.  Here is some of the art from "Arnie the Doughnut."
Gracie:  Arnie!!!
(we all move outside to the back porch)
Gracie:  How many times did you redraw Arnie?  How many ideas did you have.
Laurie Keller:  Oh my, I redrew him over and over and over again.  Mostly for the art style.  I already had his personality figured out.  That wasn't so hard for him.  He's just a chocolate covered sprinkle doughnut.  Now, here's the art for the cover...
Dad:  Isn't that neat guys?  That's the actual painting.
Gracie:  You can really see the little paint marks!
Laurie Keller:  Yes... and dust... and cat food... and all sorts of stuff.  I don't have the best archival system.
Dad:  Don't rub your fingers over it...
Laurie Keller:  That's okay, they can touch them if they want.  It's just acrylic paint.
Gracie:  I love acrylics.  I have a whole box.  I have either 28 or 52 paints.
Laurie Keller:  52!  Maybe I'm going to borrow some colors from you sometime.
Gracie:  What color pink did you use?
Laurie Keller:  I think I used Cadmium Red Light mixed with White.
Dad:  You were looking at the pinks at the art store the other day...
Gracie:  I found the prettiest pink.  It's called "Permanent Rose."
Laurie Keller:  Is it really pretty?
Gracie:  It's, like, the best pink EV-ER.
Laurie Keller:  I don't use a lot of colors straight out of the tube.  I usually mix different colors together to see what new colors I can come up with.
Lily: (pointing)  Uhhh... there's a spider on your chair...
Laurie Keller:  Oh.  That's Harold.  Where is he?  I don't want to squash him...  I didn't already, did I?  Oh -- hi, Harold.
Gracie:  What.
Laurie Keller:  That's Harold.
Gracie:  Harold?  You name spiders???
Laurie Keller:  Sure, why not?  You don't?
(grabs another batch of illustrations)
Laurie Keller:  Here's the art for "Open Wide, Tooth School Inside."
Lily:  I love that book.
Laurie Keller:  I did the art differently in this book.
Isaac:  This one is like a giant collage.
Laurie Keller:  I used actual photos of teeth and just painted faces on them.  I cut the teeth out of a dental book.  I went through three copies -- and the books were expensive too.  They were ridiculous.
Lily:  Aw!  Toothpicks!
Dad:  Yeah, actual toothpicks are glued onto the art.  Not drawings of toothpicks.
Gracie:  You can feel the cut papers overlapping.  And the toothpicks.
Dad:  And look, all these little pictures here are stamped with ink.
Isaac:  Hmmm... where's the page that has the acorn stamps?
Gracie:  You have such cool stamps.  I like the acorn stamp and the bumblebee stamp in this book.
Laurie Keller:  Should I go get my stamps?  I can show you some.
Lily:  Yeah!!
(comes back with boxes full of stamps and inkpads)
Laurie Keller:  Why don't you start playing with these...
Isaac:  The bumblebee!  The actual bumblebee from "Scrambled States!"
Gracie:  It's not as cool as the acorn.
Isaac:  Here's all her little bug stamps.  Yep - that's the bumblebee.
Gracie:  I want to find that acorn one.
Isaac:  Cool -- a random potato.
Gracie:  Every single stamp is so much nonsense.  Everything is just nonsense.
Laurie Keller:  I like nonsense!
Gracie:  You like stamps.  You have tons of them.  This is so sweet.  Look! A smoking cheese dude!
Isaac:  That's from the book!
Dad:  The cheese wasn't smoking a cigarette in the book, was he?
Laurie Keller:  No... I took the smoking part off the stamp.  I didn't think that would go over very well in a kid's book.
Gracie:  Look!  Awesome!!!  Ha Ha!
Dad:  What is it?  A stamp of skeleton...  drinking something...
Isaac:  Hey, Adam Rex has a picture in his book just like that.
Gracie:  She's a drunk skeleton!
Laurie Keller:  There's nothing worse than a drunk skeleton.  Hey, that's a good idea for a book...  "Drunk Skeleton and Smoking Cheese."  Thanks you guys.  I'm going to email my editor tonight.
Gracie:  "The Drunk Skeleton and the Smoking Cheese."  It could teach you about the dangers of alcohol and smoking.
Dad:  There you go.
Gracie:  Your books always teach something.  Like the tooth book teaches about teeth.  Scrambled States teaches you about the United States.  All of them do, except for Arnie the Doughnut... that one doesn't really teach much.
Laurie Keller:  No, no, no... it does teach you something.  If you are a doughnut and you don't want to be eaten, it teaches you how not to be eaten.  I wrote that one for the doughnuts.  See, they are all educational.
Gracie:  Do you feel really guilty now whenever you eat a doughnut?
Laurie Keller:  Oh, no, no.  I'll tell you why.  Kids always think I don't eat doughnuts anymore.  But all you have to do -- before you eat a doughnut, you hold it in your hand and you ask... "Do you mind if I eat you?"  Then you listen for a second.  And if it doesn't say anything, you go ahead and eat it.  I've never had one of them get mad at me.
Dad:  Lily, you'd better check with that apple you're munching on...
Laurie Keller:  I don't think apples mind so much.  It's usually just doughnuts.
Dad:  He's already chopped into slices anyway.
Laurie Keller:  I think he would have said something earlier.  It's too late for the apple now.
(Perfectly timed, Scott quietly slips out with a plate full of chocolate covered sprinkle doughnuts)
Gracie:  OH-HOHOHOHOHO!
Dad:  Wow -- Here's our chance to get a picture of Laurie Keller actually holding sprinkle doughnuts!
(the doughnuts get passed around)
Lily:  Make sure you ask them!
Isaac: (to the doughnut)  Do you mind if I eat you?
Gracie:  Do you mind if I eat you?
Lily:  Do you mind if I eat you?
Laurie Keller:  Now, just listen...
(silence)
Laurie Keller:  Nothing.  I think you're good...
Lily:  I think I heard him beep.
Laurie Keller:  I'll put the rest of these doughnuts back in the house so they don't run away.
(After doughnut-eating and ink-stamping, we went around the table taking turns reading aloud from an advance copy of Laurie Keller's upcoming book "Birdy's Smile Book")
Lily:  This is hilarious!
Gracie:  I love this book!
Laurie Keller:  Oh, I'm so glad.
Gracie:  That lady's name is Mrs. Flapjack?  And the dog is French Fry!  I love these names!
Laurie Keller:  Maybe I was hungry when I made up the names, huh?
Gracie:  The Smile Book sure got me to smile -- it's hilarious!
Laurie Keller:  Would you guys like to keep it?
Isaac:  Thank you!
Gracie:  Thanks a lot!
Laurie Keller:  And do you have the Scrambled States DVD yet?  Here you go.  And here's this little travel game I worked on...
Lily:  You are giving us everything!
Gracie:  You are like Santa Claus!
Laurie Keller:  Ha ha ha ha...
Gracie:  You give us doughnuts!  You let us use stamps!  You take us to your workroom!
Dad:  And what did you guys bring her?
Isaac:  Uh...
Gracie:  "Interview."
Dad:  You didn't even bring much interview - you guys have been so distracted the whole time!
Laurie Keller:  You brought me all this fun!
Dad:  Do you guys have any questions for Miss Keller?
Isaac:  Are the illustrations in the Smile Book just paint?
Laurie Keller:  Actually, it's mostly all done on the computer.  But I did scan in some paint textures.  I made all the shapes on the computer, and roughed up the edges with an eraser tool.
Lily:  Why was the Smile Book so long?
Dad:  Ha ha... I think that's only because we had 5 people taking turns reading it!
Laurie Keller:  Most of my books are kind of long, aren't they.  I am trying to think of some shorter ideas.  But I'm also trying to write a chapter book.
Isaac:  I'm trying to do that too.
Laurie Keller:  Really?  Mine's not going so good.  I haven't thought of any ideas yet.  The only idea I have so far is a Drunk Skeleton and a Smoking Cheese.  What do you think?
Gracie:  YES!!!

Birdy trying to use her smile as an umbrella, by Lily

Birdy's smile returns, by Gracie

smile! by Isaac


Author/Illustrator: Laurie Keller
"Birdy's Smile Book," coming Sept 2010: Henry Holt
Like it?  Find it

Monday, June 14, 2010

Audio Snippets III

Voices.  Voices.  Our little house, packed with seven people, is always full of voices.  Week to week on Bookie Woogie the kids and I share a few words about our favorite books.  But every now and again, I interrupt our regular programming to share the voices behind those words.

Below are a few choice clips from our digital recordings.  In case you'd like to see the full context of these excerpts, I've also included links to the original book reviews from whence they came.  (And if anyone has trouble with the audio in the post, this alternate version may work better for you)

This is our third batch of Audio Snippets we've shared so far.  After pulling the post together, I noticed the clips are overall very Gracie-heavy this time 'round.  But that's okay... our days tend to be extra full of Gracie as well.  Hope you enjoy these moments!


We'll kick things off with Lily.  When I asked Lily about her thoughts on "The Lion and the Mouse," she burst out with this musical review:


Henry and Holly Hocky tease each other throughout their book.  Does any teasing ever go on in our house?


One time, we found ourselves talking about the very, very scary photos of Shel Silverstein found on the backs of his books.  So how about the mugshots of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paul Schmid, creators of "The Wonder Book"?


In the book "Ignis" a little girl named Cara befriends a traveling dragon.  I asked the kids what they would do if they stumbled upon a dragon...


In my opinion, PJ Lynch is currently the greatest living illustrator.  I have loads of admiration for him and his work.  But can a 9-year old grasp the gravity of a marvel like PJ Lynch?


Isaac figured out a way to keep Gracie's lips zipped -- just sit down with "The Quiet Book."


In addition to reviewing books, we recently started interviewing authors and illustrators as well!  From experience, I know kid questions can be unnerving... there are always a few questions you could never predict.  But the folks we've talked to have handled themselves top notch.  Author Sara Henderson writes about a cute little dog named Howie, and it turns out Howie is a real dog -- her real dog!  He was wandering around around behind her as we talked over the phone.


Still talking about Howie...


What an amazing treat to interview family favorite author/illustrator Adam Rex!  And of course Gracie jumped in with the single most pressing question:


If it wasn't for the fact that I was there, I would like to imagine Adam Rex taped to a chair in the middle of a darkened room while Gracie slowly circles around him...


(Listen for the high squeal Lily gives toward the start of this next clip)


We had such a fun time visiting with author/illustrator Laurie Keller!  We got to see her workspace, her methods, her materials...  Here, she and Gracie start talking "paint"...


I love how the minds of children's book authors work!  Listen to Laurie Keller's response when Lily points out a spider on her chair...


I'm sad there's no visual for this next one.  You may not see the flapping arms, but at least you can hear Tony DiTerlizzi attempt to scream like a little girl...


While talking with Mr. DiTerlizzi, Gracie had a question for Mrs. DiTerlizzi who was close at hand.


I had not read the "Just Grace" series with Gracie, so I wanted to hear about a time when the main character displayed her "empathy powers" in the books.


Lily tells me about the kind of adventures the girls have in the "Cobble Street Cousin" books.


How about the "Cobble Street Cousin" illustrations?


What the cabbage?


Gracie claims she wouldn't toot her own horn.  But Dad thinks he heard something...


"Mathilda" is a sheep with a wonderful imagination, but she lives amongst a flock of poofy old boring sheep.  I was asking the kids if they knew anyone like Mathilda, when Gracie changed the subject...


Thanks to everyone who visits Bookie Woogie week after week! We hope you have as much fun as we do :)

Monday, June 7, 2010

Review #74: Mirror


Gracie (age 9):  Mirror.
Lily (age 7):  Mir- mir- mir- mir- Ror.
Dad:  By Suzy Lee.  Do you remember who Suzy Lee is?
Lily:  Wave!
Gracie:  You can totally tell.
Dad:  Why?  What is similar between "Mirror" and "Wave"?
Gracie:  It has no words.  It is a similar style.  It is all one color.
Lily:  It's a no-word-book.  We like no-word-books.
Isaac (age 11):  You can imagine the words.  You can make little voices.
Dad:  Tell us about "Mirror."
Lily:  It is about this girl who finds a mirror.
Isaac:  I was going to say the girl's name, but it occurred to me she doesn't exactly have one.
Lily:  I'll name her!  I'll name her!  Emma.
Gracie:  I think she's the same girl from "Wave"...
Lily:  Emma.
Gracie: ...only she's wearing yellow this time.
Isaac:  But I don't even know what the girl's name in "Wave" was!
Lily:  Emma.  Her name is Emma.
Dad:  So what happens?
Isaac:  She is sitting on the ground, bored.  She turns her head, and she sees her image in a mirror.
Lily:  She'd never seen it before, so she freaked out.  Agh!
Gracie:  They are making eye contact.
Lily:  She thinks it is a friend.
Isaac:  I think she thinks it's a reflection.
Lily:  Friend.
Dad:  The book is a bit ambiguous about what is going on, eh?
Isaac:  It is kind of clear... then it is not.
Gracie:  She starts making funny faces.  They both start dancing.
Isaac:  Then the weird stuff happens.
Gracie:  They both start freaking out and paint explodes everywhere.
Lily:  It looks like the girl is doing armpit toots.
Gracie:  Ha ha ha haa hah!  That's what an armpit toot noise looks like!  Wow - that's a big armpit toot.
Isaac:  The art looks crazy and splotchy, with swirls and stuff.
Gracie:  Then they go together into one body.
Lily:  They are Siamese twins.
Isaac:  She goes right into the center of the mirror -- into the crack between the pages.  It seems like she goes into the mirror.
Gracie:  Then they start dancing again... only the girl in the mirror is doing it wrong.
Isaac:  It's not symmetrical anymore.  Something weird went wrong with the mirror, and it's not copying her exactly -- not perfectly.  She gets angry at the mirror because it's not doing what she wants.  So she pushes the mirror and it falls and shatters into a million pieces.  So she sits down sad again.
Gracie:  I think they switched spots.  It's kind of weird.  Because at the beginning, the girl starts on the right side.  But at the end, the mirror is the one on the right side.
Isaac:  This doesn't exactly have a happy ending.
Gracie:  But I like it.  It's good.
Dad:  Can you learn anything?
Gracie:  Never push your best friend when she doesn't do exactly the same thing you want her to do.  Or else she might shatter into a million pieces and fade away.
Lily:  If you are bossy and mean to your friends, they are going to go away.
Gracie:  They'll explode.  Your friendship breaks and you are left alone.
Dad:  What is cool about this being a wordless book?
Lily:  You can imagine what's happening.
Gracie:  You can imagine her feelings.
Dad:  There were a lot of emotions in this book, huh?
Gracie:  Sadness.  Happiness.  Anger.
Dad:  Shyness.  Curiosity.
Gracie:  You get this emotional connection to the girl in the mirror.  When the girl gets grumpy, you start feeling a little angry.  And when you see her face when the girl breaks the glass, it's sad for you too.
Dad:  What would you do if your reflection started acting on its own?
Isaac:  I'd probably run for my life!  But then I'd start getting curious about it.
Lily:  I'd freak out.
Dad:  What was your favorite part about this book?
Isaac:  I like the big middle part with all the explosions and stuff.
Dad:  How do you think Suzy Lee made those shapes?
Gracie:  Splotchy paint.
Isaac:  She splotches the paint, and then she folds it together and pulls it out, and then it's symmetrical.  It looks like "Photo Booth."
Dad:  Oh yeah, you can do that on our computer.  The "Photo Booth" program has a setting for split-mirror snapshots...
Isaac:  Hey!  That's how we can do our pictures!
Dad:  Hold your paintings up to the Photo Booth camera?  That would be cool!  Sure, go ahead.
Isaac:  I want to do that!!!

Here are the kids' originals:


Now for the mirrored Photo Booth versions and all the surprising shapes that result!
by Isaac

by Lily

by Gracie

Of course, after that, we had to have more fun with Photo Booth!


Author/Illustrator: Suzy Lee
Published, 2010: Seven Footer Press
Like it?  Find it