How we make stuff

Scott and Sara seeing the total solar eclipse 2017. The most amazing moment of our lives!

How we make stuff

Interview with the authors

Learn how and why Sara and Scott do what they do. An interview with their publisher, Magination Press.

2018-06-15

The most frequent words in "Dream it!" Word cloud.

How we make stuff

As with most aspects of a children’s book, vocabulary — or should we say diction? — or should we say word choice? — can become a complex topic, especially if you want to teach them new concepts, like how to dream. Even the word “dream” has two very different meanings. Let’s dive a little deeper into this topic and have some fun along the way.

2018-06-06

Parker Woods Montessori mural close up. Caterpillar dreaming of becoming a butterfly mini-story.

How we make stuff

Success — More monarch butterflies and more young readers

Below we highlight some more projects that coincided with our Make-A-Book Project. It was a busy year. Many students thought I was an official teacher and some of the teachers thought I was an employee.

2017-09-20

Mirabella the Monarch book, bookmark and cookie

How we make stuff

Butterfly Book Celebration

Finally, the best part of the whole project — the book celebration. We were honored to have hundreds of community members attend and support both the book and the monarch butterfly.

2017-05-31

How we make stuff

Help Save the Butterflies

Like many species on our planet, monarch butterflies face many challenges. The population has shrunk dramatically, and their great migration has nearly collapsed more than once. Here is how you can help.

2017-05-10

Monarch butterfly made of people school photo

How we make stuff

Making of the Monarch Butterfly School Photo

This is another one of my favorite all-time photographs. Unlike the past three photographs where I was standing on the roof of the school, this is photographed using a drone. It took hours of preparation and was called off several times. Read more about how I made this photos.

2017-04-04

How we make stuff

Butterfly Project Updates

There has been a lot of progress happening with the monarch butterfly book and all the related projects. Here are a few highlights, including the mosaic wall and glow show.

2017-03-13

Monarch butterfly garden black light art show after 20170224

How we make stuff

Collateral Projects for the Monarch Butterfly Book

The schedule of classroom activities and upcoming celebration for the Monarch Butterfly Book.

2017-03-01

How we make stuff

Illustrations for Mirabella the Monarch

How I sort illustrations for the book. After working with the elementary students for a week in the classroom (26 classes) as the author-in-residence, I get over 500 drawings to choose from.

2017-01-27