Sea Star Splash in So Po

Thanks to Kim Campbell at the lovely South Portland Public Library, my recent book, Ana and the Sea Star, got a sweet splash last Saturday. I brought shells for touching. We, too, found a sea star once, but it had already dried up. It became the model I drew from when illustrating the book.

After I read the story by R. Lynne Roelfs, kids drew sea critters and colored sea stars.

I drew a rather unremarkable mermaid on a big pad, but the kids didn’t care, they wanted to add to it and draw, too!

…like this adorable mermaid…

A vigorous scribble can be really fun.

My Maine College of Art colleague, Michael Connor, gave me his drawing of a sea monster devouring a sea star.

Meanwhile Kirsten Cappy of Curious City had arranged a sea floor to play an Ocean Locomotion game she developed with Jennifer H. Beach, a Certified Professional Environmental Educator and Children’s Programmer at Kenton County Public Library in Erlanger, KY.

With paper stars, yarn, and bits of tape, an ocean came alive with movement.

Feel free to download the Ana and the Sea Star Story Hour Kit HERE.

With sea stars in hand, kids scuttled like crabs and swooped like stingrays.

Then they tucked their star back into a paper sea, making a secret sea star wish!

These two kept drawing and making up stories.

Liz Long, MECA Illustration and Art Education alum, cheerily assisted with book sales.

It takes a team to celebrate picture books. Thank you!

Molly Lad, Jamie Hogan, Kirsten Cappy, and Kim Campbell at the South Portland Public Library’s Children’s Room

Thanks to everyone who came and for all those sea star wishes!