EMET'S BOX

Angel Gantnier, you are the winner of a signed copy of ROCK STAR RECESS!
​
Nelly Nunez, you are the winner of a zoom session with Patrick and Emily!

Congratulations to BOTH of you!  Thanks so much to Patrick and Emily for joining me and sharing about ROCK STAR RECESS!  You both ROCK, too! :-). I'll connect you all and hope you enjoy your awesome prizes!


Starting this week, episodes of PBJamz will air in segments. This episode will begin Thursday, June 9 and will conclude Wednesday, June 22, which means you have 2 weeks to get your comments in and enjoy this episode before a new one airs! Stay tuned next week for tips for elementary teachers, and music teachers, writing prompts, and a yummy PBJ recipe!

Interview with Jeni Chen, author/illustrator of EMET'S BOX

This is a creative conversation you do NOT want to miss!  Not only is Jeni absolutely charming, but she is full of great information and beautiful insights about finding our spark! We talk art, music, writing, teaching, and more.  If you've lost your creative spark, if you're a music teacher, artist, art teacher, if you haven't yet found your "element" (Watch the video to see what I mean), this one is for you!  I'm pretty sure you'll be blessed!  Be sure to leave a comment to be eligible for Jeni's prizes (Yes, plural!  There are two prizes!  Check out the Giveaway section to see what Jeni is offering! :-))

 PB (Picture Book Tasting) EMET'S BOX

What a lovely book!  Jeni helps us see the world through Emet's eyes -- at first full of color, zest, vibrance, and LIFE.  Then, as he loses touch with his artistic creativity, his world changes to grayscale -- literally and figuratively!  When his grandparents give him an art set, he 's reminded of how much he loves art, and rekindles the spark.  Once his world is full of color again, he's equipped to help others regain their own zest for life. It's a wonderful book for kids, but it's also a wonderful book for adults!  Whether your zest/element/passion is art, music, handcrafts, welding, travel, gardening or something totally different, my wish for you is that you find and maintain your connection to your creativity -- whatever that looks like.  This book will inspire you to do just that!

A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
​Spark Your Imagination

A fun little movement song whose lyrics and movements inspire you to be creative and use your imagination.  Check out the YouTube playlist for more songs, activities, music, conversation, and art to light the spark in your classroom, your family, your home, your art studio, your music-making area . . . bring on the creativity, and then let it flow, and don't ever let it go!

Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics

This book is all about creativity, arts, and imagination!
I highly encourage you to watch the TedTalk that Jeni refers to and reflect on your own teaching practice.  I'm definitely looking at changing some things up to foster more creativity in my students in the coming years.

• Integrate the arts 
  • music
  • visual art
  • drama
  • dance
• Offer student choice as much as possible
• Allow open-ended activities and out-of-the box problem-solving
• Excellent article with tips for creativity
• Another helpful article about fostering creativity
• Here's an article for you, as teacher, to foster and develop your own creativity
• There are lots more tips in the Pinterest board and in the YouTube playlist.  Access them in the links section below!

Tips and Topics for Music Teachers

This book presents the perfect time to do an arts mash-up to explore creativity on a whole new level.  In addition to the specific ideas in the YouTube playlist and Pinterest board, consider these ideas for using EMET'S BOX in the music classroom.

• Since the girl in the book plays violin, it's a great time to listen to some beautiful violin music.  You could do a comparison between classical violin and Lindsay Stirling, or just focus on some of your favorite violin music.
• To add another artistic/creative level, give students art supplies and allow them to create based on the music.  There are lots of ways to do this.  One of my favorites is to play a minute or so of music, giving students a black crayon to move it across the page with swirls and flourishes, crossing over, however the music moves them.  Then, continue to play music and allow them to color each section a different color or however the music sounds to them.  Check out the Pinterest board for other ways to blend art and music.
• This book also creates a great space for allowing students to create in many other ways
  • Let them create their own scarf/ribbon/plate routine to a piece of music.  (I did this last year with the same  piece of music over 3 weeks.  You could extend it even longer if you wanted.  The first week, they explored and played around with different moves, but as they got more familiar with the music, their moves matched better and better.  By week 3, lots of them had really nice little scarf routines.
  • You could do the same thing with movement.  For younger kids, you could teach them 3-4 moves, but let them put them together however the music moves them.
  • For older, more advanced kids, they could create a movement sequence.  You could allow them to group themselves or you could group them and give each group a section to choreograph.  This would tie in beautifully with a study of form.
• Another fun way to explore creativity is to sing songs in different ways/voices:
  • like a mermaid
  • like a grumpy old man/woman
  • like a chipmunk
  • etc. . . .
• Composing is a natural expression of creativity.  In lower grades, using shapes, colored stickers, or musical notation if they're ready, allow them to create  their own measure.  Put the measures together to create a rhythmic song, or switch this up a bunch of ways: 4 measures, choose instruments, layer instruments, etc.
• In older grades, with pitched instruments, let them use the note/fingerings they've learned to create their own melody.
• A very simple way to integrate creativity with listening is just to allow them to listen to a piece of music without telling them anything about it and ask them what they visualized or to draw what it made them think about.
• Take music outside if you have Ann area of concrete and use sidewalk chalk for self-expression.
• Play a simple melody and let them create words to go along.
• The idea is to allow students to be creative in ways you don't normally, to think outside the box.

Writing Prompts from Tonnye

• Why did Emet's world turn to gray?
• Why is creativity important?
• What is your favorite color?  Why?
• Would you rather sing or draw?  Why?
• I wish I could _______________.  (what and why?)
• How do you express yourself?
• If you could go anywhere in your imagination, where would you go and why?
• What is your favorite kind of music?  Why?
• One time I built_____________. . . 
• My imagination is _______________.
• How could you mix art, dance, and music?
• Are sports creative?  Why or why not?
• What makes you, you?
• If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?  Why?
• If you had any super-power, what would it be?  How would you use it?
• If you had a different name, what would it be?  Why would it fit you?
• Create an imaginary friend and write about them.
• Listen to a piece of music with no words.  Write a story to match.
• Write a poem about creativity.
• If my imagination had a name, it would be -__________ because _______. . . .
• If you could play any instrument, what instrument would you play and why?

Author/Illustrator Tips from Jeni

Here are my top 3 tips for beginning author + illustrator
1. Learn the craft. 
After I had the idea for Emet’s Box, I took two picture book illustration classes at my local art school. I learned how to make dummy books and how page turns play an important part in the storytelling. Another thing I learned in my classes was the interplay between words and images. For example, the words can mean one thing and the pictures show a totally different thing. 
I also learned a lot about the craft of making picture books and about publishing by joining my local SCBWI. The support and encouragement of the people I met at my local SCBWI were invaluable.
2. Write down your ideas!
I wrote down the first draft of Emet’s Box at dawn, in the dark, on pieces of scrap papers. I didn’t work on the story until 2 years later. If I hadn’t written it down, I would’ve forgotten about it and it wouldn’t exist today as a published picture book. Another thing I learned from writing lots of proposals to artist calls is that people can feel it when your writing is coming from your heart. When it got tough and I almost gave up on Emet’s Box, I went back to my first draft and remembered why I wanted to tell the story in the first place. That initial inspiration helped me persevered and I think people can feel your heart in your story.
 3. Appreciate where you are now in your journey
I sent out a bunch of dummy books to publishers around the time the pandemic hit at the beginning of 2020. I hadn’t heard back for several months so I check the publishers’ websites and all of them said they stopped looking at submissions because of the pandemic. I remembered sitting at home, during lock down and appreciating the time I had to re-read all my favorite books and having my family with me.  It was a genuine feeling of satisfaction that stood out to me. Shortly after, Emet’s Box was picked up by my publisher The Little Press. 

​I believe that our feelings and emotions are energies that let us know if we are on the right track. When I am writing or drawing or just sitting on the sofa and if I feel that energy of love, inspiration, contentment, I know I am onto something.

Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!

I keep adding to Pinterest and YouTube, so feel free to save the boards and playlists or bookmark them to come back to later.

The Pinterest board is full of all sorts of creative activities -- art, music, a blend of the two, and more ways to cultivate and express your creative element. There are options for families, classrooms, music, and more!

The same is true for the YouTube playlist.  Choose whatever works for your situation, and enjoy diving into creativity -- again, or for the first time!

Here is the Ted talk that Jeni referenced in the interview.

PBJamz Snack --

The ultimate creativity foray for PBJ lovers -- make it into a snack board!  Here's one version:  https://thebakermama.com/recipes/pbj-snack-board/
All credit to the Baker mama for this photo and this fabulous idea!  You can check out her other recipes at: thebakermama.com
But, in true creative, imaginative style, you can do this one any way you want to.  Put out a bowl of peanut butter, a few selections of jams/jellies with various breads, crackers, fruits, chocolate, veggies, pretzels, popcorn, etc. and let everyone get as creative as they dare with all the PBJ loveliness!  What creations will you make?  How about your kids?  No holds barred.  Let your creativity run wild and see what amazing combos and creations you love!

Guest Links and Giveaways

Website

Goodreads

​Twitter

​Link to EMET'S BOX on Amazon

Instagram

Facebook

Jeni has graciously offered 2 prizes for this episode (the giveaway will be open for 2 weeks.). To be eligible for one of the prizes, leave a comment below by 11:59 PM on Wed, June 22.  One winner will receive a digital art print that she will send to the winner via email.  Another winner will receive a 30 minute Zoom call with Jeni.  If a teacher, you may wish to have her do a virtual visit with your classroom to share EMET'S BOX and chat with your students . If you are an author and/or illustrator, you may choose to spend the time chatting with Jeni about publishing, writing, and making art.  She is charming and easy to talk to and I know you will enjoy your conversation as much as I did!  So, leave a comment, and let us know what you enjoy creatively!