Peter Reynolds Author Study

• Reading
• Age 5

Peter H. Reynolds

Author Study by Maggie Lee

Life

• Peter was born in Canada, but moved to Massachusetts as a toddler. 
• He and his brother  began publishing at age seven, as they produced newspapers and comic books with their father's photocopier. 
• He credits his love of doodling, tea, and comedy to his, "very eccentric British parents". (Walker)

What was Peter's first publication?

1. the dot
2. ish
3. a newspaper from his father's photocopier
4. Our Table

Career

• Peter wrote his first book, Going Places, in collaboration with his twin brother.
• His most notable picture books  have been compiled into the Creatrilogy. Peter is an illustrator as well as an author. 
• Awards: Verizon Literacy Champion, Education Advocacy Award, Visionary Award
• New York Times Bestsellers: Someday, Little Boy, Judy Moody, Stink
• Paul and his twin brother launched the Reynold's Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity (RCTLC) in order to "ensure that all learners develop the vision, confidence, knowledge and skills needed to move their own lives forward, and to use their talents, strengths and energy to move their communities and the world to a better place." (Reynolds)

Inspiration, Genre, and Theme

• Reynolds finds inspiration from a variety of sources. Our Table was written after he saw a family at dinner, all on their cellphones. He decided to write about building community around a table.  
• Within his writing, Reynolds aims to inspire children. In his own words, "The best way to inspire kids to be creative is to show them what it looks like. I am writing these books for all ages. We all need reminders to be braver, more expressive, kinder, and more creative." (Reynolds)
• The works of Peter Reynolds  are fictional. Many of his books revolve around creativity, expression, and being kind, as stated above. His books help children find the good in themselves and those around them. 

Click on the book to reveal the theme!

Anyone can be an artist, as long as you start with a simple idea. 

Interaction creates positive experiences. Being present positively impacts others. 

Your work does not have to be perfect. It is important to appreciate the "ish" in life. 

Being an illustrator as well as an author, Reynolds often incorporates the text into his illustrations. He also uses color (or lack of color) on the pages to create a certain emotion, depending on the book. Grab Our Table and flip through, taking note of the nuances in color. 

Features

Features

Instruction

Visuals

• The whimsical nature of his illustrations combined with striking colors is appealing to children. 

Content Areas

• Reynolds texts can be used mainly in social studies, ELA, and art. His characters teach students how to interact with others, many of his stories center around art and leave room for a visual art extension, and his books are a great tool to teach theme and sequencing in ELA. Watch a portion of the attached video to get a sense of his work. 

Lesson Plan 

Standards:

• Identify and describe the main story elements in a literary text.

a. With prompting and support, retell a text orally, including main character(s), setting, and important events in logical order. (ELA K.27a)

• 6) Share and talk about the art they are creating.

a. Use art vocabulary: line, shape, color, and pattern. (Visual Arts K.6a)

Materials:

• One copy of The Dot by Peter Reynolds
• One set of oil pastels, colored pencils, markers, and watercolors per table. 
• One paintbrush and piece of paper per student and per teacher.

Procedures:

1.  The teacher will introduce The Dot to students, explaining the importance of artistic expression and illustrations in relation to the story. 
2. The teacher will read the book, asking higher order thinking questions throughout, and modeling strategies for remembering elements such as main character, setting, and order of events. This can be accomplished through a visual timeline. 
3. After reading, the teacher will go over the timeline with the students, prompting the students to retell the text orally. 
4. Next, the teacher will show the students this video of Peter Reynolds https://youtu.be/XDqSZXV13dQ. 
5. The students will disperse to their tables to create their own "Dot".
6. Meanwhile, the teacher will create her "Dot", and model sharing her creation to the class along with content vocabulary.
7. The students will share their creations to the class, using vocabulary from teacher explanation. 

Differentiation:

Multiple art mediums will be offered to appease the interests of each student, and to accommodate differing grips. 

A video will be shown for visual learners. 

Finally...

Make your own Dot! Using the strategy in the video of Reynolds from the lesson plan and the provided materials, create your own rendition of "The Dot". Make it as simple and plain or as colorful and hectic as you want! Flip to pages 19 and 20 of the book for some inspiration. 

References

About Lisa Bullard Lisa Bullard is the author of numerous children’s books. (2021, September 28). Peter H. Reynolds on inspiring kids to be creative. Mackin Community. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.mackincommunity.com/2021/09/27/peter-h-reynolds-on-inspiring-kids-to-be-creative/ 

About peter. Peter H. Reynolds. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.peterhreynolds.com/meet 

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds 15th anniversary ... - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGTI06JMJhY 

Ready set draw-ish! Peter H. Reynolds' the dot - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDqSZXV13dQ