Project: ZEBRA ART with PAPER PLATES

Paper Plate Zebra Mask

On one of my recent school author visits, the room where I was presenting was decorated with charming zebra masks made from paper plates. The project had been inspired by my book A Zebra’s World. I could see that the children had looked carefully at my illustrations to make the zebra’s  markings. They used black construction paper for the nose and mouth and the mane. Stripes on the face were added with black marker. Ears were cut from tan paper and glued to the back of the plate. Googly eyes were added for the final effect. Every zebra was different, just as they are in the wild. This is a fun project to do with younger elementary school students.

A Zebra's World, based on the 2006 book with the same title but now with a shorter text and sturdier pages, brings the story of a zebra's first year to younger readers. Follow the black and white stripes of the young zebra as she grows up in Africa. A readable and lively text provides a close-up look at these black and white animals in this "anything but black and white" book. Cut paper illustrations help tell the tales of these amazing animals and the world in which they live.This picture book follows a baby zebra from birth on the grasslands of Africa through the first year of its life. 

SCRATCH BOARD ART: Perfect for Black and White Animals and Other Subjects Too

Scratch board is the perfect medium for drawing pictures of black and white animals such as zebras and penguins, or for creating dramatic effects with any subject.  Using a sharp instrument to draw on the dark surface, the black layer is removed, revealing white underneath.

On one of my school visits I saw amazing scratch board artwork made by the children after reading my books A Zebra’s World and A Penguin’s World.  They had also done drawings from A Koala's World and A Kangaroo's World. Scratch board is also a great medium for depicting animals that are primarily active at night. You can buy scratch board at an art store, or you can create your own by coloring with crayon on heavy paper and than painting over it with India ink.  Scratch board comes in white or with colors underneath the black.

KINDLE: More of My Books Now Available for Your Kindle

StarWalk Kids has now published nine more of my books on Amazon Kindle, all from my animal series illustrated with photos by Richard Hewett.  With new formatting and updating, these out-of-print books are getting a new life as digital books, perfect for your computer and other digital devices.  I now have a total of 20 titles available for download as Kindle books. The books are also available through the StarWalk Kids subscription program.
Look for these new titles:
HIPPO
KANGAROO
ELEPHANT
ZEBRA
BAT
FLAMINGO
LION
KILLER WHALE
CAMEL