Ellie
by Mike Wu
What's an elephant to do when her zoo is in trouble? Each of her friends has a special talent that they use to help their beloved zoo from closing down. Ellie
Ellie is an endearing picture book by Mike Wu, a Pixar animator who has worked on The Incredibles and Toy Story 3, among others, and who definitely knows the way to capture the imagination of young readers. Ellie shows us that we all have special gifts, and that we can all make a difference, no matter what those gifts are.
In this Issue
Fill in the Frame Painting Activity
Inspired by Ellie's art gallery at the zoo and the friends who come have their portraits painted by the talented elephant, this week's art activity is artwork and a decorative frame all in one.
Instead of the usual order of creating art and then framing it, reverse the process by framing a "canvas" in cardboard, and then painting within the frame. Decorating the frames and filling them with art its a two step activity that challenges the brain to work with multiple art materials. In addition, this reversed order gives young readers a new way to think about the space they use to create their art and inspires young minds to always explore the new or unexpected, an important skill for all lifelong learners!
Fill in the Frame Painting Activity
Supplies
- Cardboard - can be corrugated, from a cereal box, any type of lightweight cardboard
- Paper suitable for painting
- Paint
- Brushes
- Markers
- Tape or glue
- Scissors and/or X-acto knife
- Parent Step: Cut any size rectangle from your cardboard, and a piece of paper to the same size. Set paper aside.
- Parent Step: Draw a 1- to 2-inch border from the outside edge of the cardboard rectangle. Using scissors or an x-acto knife, cut out the inner rectangle to create the frame.
- Have your young reader decorate the frame as desired; this can be with markers, crayons, cut paper, fun foam, or even objects glued to the frame.
- Glue or tape the paper to the back of the frame. Set out paints and invite young readers to create a masterpiece within the frame!
You Might Also Enjoy: Self Portrait Painting, Elephant Nose, Patchwork Elmer
Pinterest Picks: Displaying Young Reader Art
Creating Art with Food
Here's a collection of ideas from our archives for creating edible masterpieces and inspiring yet another way of making art!
A Veggie Painting + Rainbow Slaw
Yogurt Bark Canvas with Homemade Chocolate Syrup Paint
Off the Shelf Shop: Tiny Teru
Ellie's author/illustrator Mike Wu is half of the team behind Tiny Teru, a collection of clothes and gifts for babies and toddlers. Here's a shirt featuring none other than Ellie, plus a few more picks that we were especially drawn to. Enjoy!
More from Off the Shelf
One Year Ago: The Little Engine That Could
Two Years Ago: Mouse Paint
Three Years Ago: A Ball for Daisy
Four Years Ago: The Snowy Day
More Elephants: Elmer by David McKee + Elephant Ear Cookies
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Wayne
Posted by: Wayne | Jan 23, 2016 at 09:21 AM