[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-green-lane-primary-arts-week-so-many-great-ideas":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"I just had the most amazing school visit! Do you remember my \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/501730.html\">\u003Ci>Futures for Comics\u003C/i>\u003C/a> brainstorming blog post about comics festivals in schools? Well, I went to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.greenlane.kingston.sch.uk/\">Green Lane Primary School\u003C/a> in Surrey and they did something similar! For their \u003Cb>Arts Week\u003C/b>, teacher \u003Cb>Lee Christy\u003C/b> chose a writer-illustrator - me! - and each class studied one of my books and created narrative artwork inspired by the books. \\r\n\\r\nWhen kids ask me how to get books published, I always advise them not to wait until they're grown up, or in art college, to start making books, but to start making them now, in effect, self-publishing. So it was brilliant to see the Green Lane kids doing just that! \u003Cfont size=\"3\">\u003Cb>Year 5\u003C/b>\u003C/font> focused on \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/morris-the-mankiest-monster/\">\u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, creating books about their own monsters, also in rhyme, and describing where their monster lives and its personal habits, like writer \u003Ca href=\"http://unitedagents.co.uk/giles-andreae\">Giles Andreae\u003C/a> did with Morris. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_1-b4a72a061f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for LOADS more artwork and ideas under the cut!-->\\r\nThey even included things like endpapers and a back blurb and price, I was impressed. Here's one:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_1a-5b5e9637a4.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_1b-c011063504.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_1c-57f8b1edb2.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_1d-18107f6174.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd \u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"3\">Year 5 and 6\u003C/font>\u003C/b> made comics! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics1-efc2176b01.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThey examined my \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/vern-lettuce-book/\">Vern and Lettuce\u003C/a> book and then created their own: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics2-c83e9ddb7a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics3-c7c616d783.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI got such a kick out of this war comic based on \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i>, called \u003Ci>Major and Ryan\u003C/i>. Here's the cover design:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_theamazon0-cff783c363.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThen the comics inside:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_majorryan1-ea571f24e8.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_majorryan2-b424ad3e34.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_majorryan3-cfca30787b.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_majorryan4-f8ff63832e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nEach class photocopied the comics and put them together into an anthology, as well as having each comic displayed individually:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics8-d55899b2b3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMore comics:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics10-a6d0198664.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"3\">Year 4\u003C/b>\u003C/font> made clay monsters:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_clay_morris1-313f75baec.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_clay_morris2-45cfd79b8f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_clay_morris3-6cc7fb10f6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are some of their  monster drawings. The teachers also did some clever things with printing out pictures of Morris from the book and putting them on a grid, having different kids draw a quarter of Morris, so they'd look more carefully at how he's constructed.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_monsterposters1-0a101c0221.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_monsterposters3-12d11b70fb.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA lot of the monsters looked very striking, as good as anything grown-up illustrators might create! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_monsterposters5-d91395976d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_monsterposters2-ac75fd1a80.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_monsterposters4-09fca888d6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_monsterposters7-72243391e3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother clever idea was to give the kids half of Morris, then have them draw the other half:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_halfmorris2-752415e6ad.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are some fab monsters with dangly legs by \u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"3\">Year 3\u003C/font>\u003C/b>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_halfmorris1-bc3dd2e268.jpg\"> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_danglymonsters2-006f8ec946.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_danglymonsters-f4e954f0a0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"3\">Year 2\u003C/font>\u003C/b>'s book was \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/when-titus-took-the-train/\">\u003Ci>When Titus Took the Train\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, by \u003Ca href=\"http://cottringer.wordpress.com/\">Anne Cottringer\u003C/a> and me. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_titus_table6-dee2f293a3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThey invented new railway journeys and drew them as maps, and created WANTED posters with their own photo in it and a description of their bandit adventure.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_titus_table-1d5bf957ad.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_titus_table2-0834e87a06.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_titus_table3-db0f728fee.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_titus_table4-05ee6631df.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_titus_table5-39de1bd660.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"3\">Year 1\u003C/font>\u003C/b> focused on \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/you-cant-scare-a-princess/\">\u003Ci>You Can't Scare a Princess!\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, with text by \u003Ca href=\"http://gillianrogerson.net/\">Gillian Rogerson\u003C/a>. The story includes a bunch of pirates in a hot air balloon, so they made their own hot air balloons:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_balloons1-df47a83908.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe story text doesn't mention sea creatures, but I've drawn tentacles sticking out from the waves, and the teacher jumped on that detail to have the children create their own sea monsters and compiling them into \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Princess Spaghetti's Book of Sea Monsters\u003C/i>\u003C/b>. How cool is that!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_balloons3-8a0b2be6ed.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome sea monsters:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_seamonsters-9d40afd57f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd Princess Spaghetti with real spaghetti hair!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_spag_hair-c74a896b2e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe teacher even used the characters to help with vocabulary words, written on accordion legs they made:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_legs-be07920910.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLast, but not least, \u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"3\">Reception\u003C/font>\u003C/b> class focused on the aliens in \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/you-cant-eat-a-princess/\">\u003Ci>You Can't Eat a Princess!\u003C/i>\u003C/a> They made awesome looking paint blobs and stuck googly eyes on them to make them come alive.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_paintaliens3-e7ec310cdd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'd quite like to do this, actually. These came out beautifully.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_paintaliens3-e7ec310cdd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_paintaliens2-b3c844b0c4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis group did some writing, too! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_paintaliens5-a1427ababa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was overwhelmed, almost to tears, by how hard the teachers had worked to think up interesting ways to use the books, and walk their kids through the projects step by step; the work showed the great deal of thought and effort that the kids put into them. I think this must be the best school visit I've ever had, the kids knew so much about my books and me before I arrived that I was able to do much more with them than other visits, where the kids haven't been prepped as much. Thank you so much to the teachers and this team who helped me during the day: Deputy Head \u003Cb>Alison Reed\u003C/b>, Literacy Co-ordinator \u003Cb>Rachael Crook\u003C/b> and teacher \u003Cb>Lee Christy\u003C/b>. You people are amazing!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_staff-440a83575f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'll include a few more things the kids created, just because they're so fabulous. Starting with \u003Ci>Reginald the Roodest Monster\u003C/i>. I love that he \"lives in a house made of go-away signs\".\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_5-dcf040b7db.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's \u003Ci>Scrbby the Scaredest Monster\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_4a-5f1e599a3a.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_4b-254c72a107.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_4c-e594330d37.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_4d-0821753836.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_4e-00d4bf4f31.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics9-fa159c7674.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ci>Chili the Cheekiest Monster\u003C/i> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_3a-1f83b33c86.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_3b-c371c8f8c1.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_3c-074873d5cd.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_3d-e4ec8e1615.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics7-5889014193.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ci>Louis the Laziest Monster\u003C/i>\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_2a-a77d64a637.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_2b-bdf09e8f5c.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_2c-1be465e928.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_2d-2285a68aed.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_2e-0d730c5244.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics11-fea6b10916.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics6-270d86e995.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics4-2d32c14cac.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_largecomics5-7be7dae4ff.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_theamazon1-a8eb3cc5a5.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_theamazon2-ecaf0f7897.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_theamazon3-176e6408b6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_2-b23b913ebf.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThanks so much, Green Lane Primary! You guys totally rock.","2013-01-28T23:34:00.000Z","green-lane-primary-arts-week-so-many-great-ideas",[],"green lane primary arts week... so many great ideas!",1776628724709]