Each week, from now through December, we'll be highlighting the artwork of thirteen illustrators who shared with us their interpretation of "Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life." The collection of artwork is part of our new project, The Art of Read Every Day, and each piece is accompanied by free, Common Core-ready resources for classrooms. Last week, we revealed the gorgeous work of Nancy Carpenter and the week before, the beloved Harry Bliss.
This week, I'm excited to share with you the work of children's book illustrator Henry Cole. Cole has written and illustrated over 100 children's books thus far in his career, including the widely acclaimed Unspoken, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book for 2012.
Cole's interpretation of "Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life." made me laugh out loud. In the sketch, a monkey is reading a book about sign language, a cat is learning how to build a better mousetrap, a dog is reading about new tricks, and a mouse about cheese making. It's incredibly detailed—you must zoom in to make sure you're capturing all of the nuances of the piece. Each character in the sketch is really embracing the notion that reading can make you better at what you set out to do (whether it be cheese making or learning new tricks).
There's a plethora of resources for children that can be used in conjunction with the artwork. Visit the site and you'll find:
- Common-core ready writing and art prompts
- a video of Henry Cole reading aloud from Unspoken. (Interestingly enough, this book has no words, yet Cole walks us through the pages, telling the story in his own language.)
- a video interview of Cole, where he discusses how he first became interested in drawing and offers advice for young artists (get a pet!)
We hope you enjoy these resources. Check back here later in the week—we asked Henry Cole five questions about his career and his work, and we'll be sharing them here!
Original artwork by Henry Cole.
