Online Author/Illustrator Studies: Leveraging E-Books, Author/Illustrator Sites, and Interviews for a Virtual Exploration of the Creative Process

BY ERIKA THULIN DAWES

The children’s literature course that I teach at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA is a survey course titled Literature for Children, Tweens, and Teens in a Diverse Society. Typically, when I introduce the idea of author/illustrator studies to the students in this class, I present groups of students with stacks of books to browse along with a curated collection of weblinks to explore. In the context of this survey course, this activity is framed as a teaching strategy and our class time is organized to introduce the goals and elements of an Author/Illustrator study and to provide a ‘tasting’ of what it is like to experience such a study. I’m careful to note that to experience the work of an author/illustrator in depth would take more time and more intensive study. When I learned I would be teaching this class ‘remotely’ from our Blackboard site, I wondered what the options were to replicate the book browsing element of this in-class activity.

Introducing the Strategy:

The readings below can support an introduction of the purposes and processes of an Author/Illustrator Study. Students can read with the following guiding questions in mind:

• What is an Author/Illustrator Study?
• What are the benefits of doing author/illustrator studies in the classroom?
• How do you carry out an Author/Illustrator study?
  
• What ideas and questions do you have about this teaching strategy?

Suggested Readings:

• Fletcher, R. (2005). The author study: Knowing a writer from the inside out. In S. Frost and F. Sibberson (Eds.), School Talk, 10, 1-3.   (Full text available through ProQuest Central and through NCTE [Link to article - Free to NCTE members])
  
• Reading Rockets: The Author Study Toolkit

Experiencing an Author/Illustrator Study:

Once students have developed a concept of Author/Illustrator studies, ask them to opt into a small group to explore a collection of online resources on a single author/illustrator, simulating the experience. Students will read and view:

1. Examples from the author/illustrator’s body of published work
2. Biographical information
3. Interviews and descriptions of the author/illustrator’s creative processes

When I carry out this activity in class, I focus on picture books authors/illustrators because students working in small groups have time to read several picture books each. In follow up discussion, we note that the same strategies can apply to the reading of novels. In a remote learning context, students are reading eBooks. In the examples below, I make use of Epic! Books to provide access to eBooks. This platform is free to educators. I signed my graduate students up as a Class and submitted their emails, obtaining them free access until June 30, 2020.

Additionally, I use two resources available through my university’s library database:

1. TeachingBooks.Net. This is a curated collection of children’s book resources that is searchable by title, author, and keyword.  
2. Something About the Author. This online database includes entries of bibliographic information for authors.

From the many wonderful author/illustrator study possibilities, I have selected four to share in this blog entry. If you have more names to suggest, for whom eBooks are readily available, please email me at [email protected].

Online Author/Illustrator Study Resources

Yuyi Morales*

• Epic Books: eBooks: Dreamers; Video: Viva Frida, Nino Wrestles the World
  
• Yuyi Morales Author/Illustrator Website
• School Library Journal: “How a Library Raised Yuyi Morales, Award-Winning Illustrator of “Thunder Boy Jr.”

Jacqueline Woodson*

• Epic Books: Audio Only: This is the Rope, Show Way, Each Kindness, The Other Side
  
• Author Website: Jacqueline Woodson
  
• Reading Rockets: A Video Interview with Jacqueline Woodson
  
• The Horn Book: Who Can Tell My Story
  

Christopher Myers*

• Epic Books: eBooks: Looking Like Me, H.O.R.S.E, Jazz
  
• The Horn Book: Young Dreamers
  
• Reading Rockets: A Video Interview with Christopher Myers
  
• Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning: A Conversation with Author and Illustrator Christopher Myers
  

Grace Lin*

• Epic Books: eBooks: The Ugly Vegetables
• Author/Illustrator Website: Grace Lin
• Grace Lin’s YouTube Channel includes read-alouds
• Reading Rockets: A Video Interview with Grace Lin
  

* As mentioned above, I also provide resources from TeachingBooks.Net and Something About the Author  for each of author/illustrator

Process:
As your students read across the available books and learn about their chosen author/illustrator’s life stories and creative processes, ask them to make notes about:

1. Patterns in the author/illustrator’s work: Notice patterns in: theme, writing style (use of language), characterization, plot lines, perspectives, artistic style (media, color, shape, line, perspective), audience for writing
2. Biographical Information
3. The author/illustrator’s influences, commitments, and values
4. Processes: How does this author/illustrator create? What can young writers and illustrators learn from these processes?
5. How has this author/illustrator taken an advocacy role in the “We Need Diverse Books” movement?
   

Sharing Out:

To share their learning with classmates, your students can use online collaboration tools such as Google Slides, Voice Thread, PowerPoint or Book Creator  (some of these require a paid account).

Since this is an abbreviated author/illustrator study (really, it is just an introduction to the body of work), let your students know that they are sharing their initial findings and wonderings. You could provide students with a structure for their presentations or leave it more open ended. In the past, I’ve asked students to share a general overview, their discoveries and connections, and their questions. They conclude with a listing of “Top Three Reasons to Check Out this Author/Illustrator.”