My 10yo has been creating his own comic this week. The eagle eyed amongst you may spot the influence of @neillcameron.bsky.social in his artwork. For this week’s #KidsBooksFriday, what books have you found that can help inspire kids to create their own art/writing? #KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit
Great question! I think Louie Stowell’s Loki books are brilliant for this. I’d also add The Bad Guys & Cat on the Run series by Aaron Blabey x
My after school book club last year became slightly obsessed with Pizazz so I had to find drawalong videos for us to all have a go!
Drawing Pizazz sounds so much fun! 😍
The phoenix is eagerly awaited every week in our house by both 9 and 11yo. There are robobros and bunny vs monkey everywhere too.
My kids literally fight over the Phoenix every week! And if I’m lucky I get a look in too. 😂
Oh that’s so cool!
In our secondary library it’s Manga and this! My pinboard is full of rainy-breaktime Jack Skellingtons!
@markbradley.bsky.social @jacquisydney.bsky.social @gillow.bsky.social @maisiechanwrites.bsky.social @louiestowell.bsky.social @metaphrog.bsky.social @gabliotecaria.bsky.social @fleurhitchcock.bsky.social @slatterymr.bsky.social @sarahwebbwriter.bsky.social @marygtroche.bsky.social
A couple of classes ago, the Dog Man series had a group of my Year 4 boys emptying the scrap paper tray at breaktimes to draw their own Dog Man comic strips. There were some hilarious takes.
Yep! Definitely seen that same. It’s great how Dogman captures kids’ imagination like that.
@hazelmpinner.bsky.social @samcreighton.bsky.social @wabbits.bsky.social @cazapr1.bsky.social @rburrows.bsky.social @lrpearson.bsky.social @gntread24.bsky.social @ljfspinningbooks.bsky.social @vikkivarley.bsky.social @mrskirstbarrett.bsky.social @stephenjdilley.bsky.social @mattobin.bsky.social
@markgoodrich.bsky.social @carrieprimary.bsky.social @hookablebooks.bsky.social @f33lthesun.bsky.social @ljwattswales.bsky.social @j-scot.bsky.social @hfj0108.bsky.social @sophiacollins.bsky.social @eyesshutteacher.bsky.social @richardruddick.bsky.social @melissacreate23.bsky.social
@karlduke8.bsky.social @snarhooked.bsky.social @tobebooks.bsky.social @bookwagonuk.bsky.social @smithsmm.bsky.social @teresacremin.bsky.social @readingbede.bsky.social @nursen2019.bsky.social @thereaderteacher.bsky.social @sallywrites.bsky.social @whatsfsaid.bsky.social
Great question - @jamiesmart.bsky.social comic books certainly inspire lots of self-driven art. Other curriculum books we use often inspire artwork too in addition to what they create in school. #thearrival #hugocabret and #benrothery books are very popular.
All excellent choices!
I could go on. Essentially our whole curriculum uses books to inspire learning.
You are most welcome to add as many as you like, but I know we could be here all week! 😁 Great to hear about everyone’s choices though and discover what kids are finding inspiring.
Hugo Cabret is a great book for inspiring art and writing. Wish I’d remembered it but glad you did! #KidILitUK
Brilliant for shading techniques, perspective and looking closely at human features. Amongst other things. My second favourite book.
Great question for #KidsBooksFriday this week! Mixed by Arree Chung has been inspiring mine but also lots of @jamiesmart.bsky.social @markbradley.bsky.social fans in my new class. Also being inspired by Joe-Todd Stanton through Dungeon Runners (with the incomparable @kieranlarwood.bsky.social)
So glad to hear that Mixed has been inspiring your new class. Likewise I’ve seen so many kids, including my own, inspired by Mark Bradley and Jamie Smart. I love Joe Todd Stanton’s work so much. He just elevates everything he works on to a whole other level.
#KidsBooksFriday Def #Dogman & #Batpig for budding comic artists. Also here is some book art from students celebrating classics #Dahl #Steinbeck #art #KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit
BAtpig was delightful!
In my secondary school library Banksy was popular and Wall and Piece was pored over a lot. Also, Scott McCloud’s books on comics were great for those who wanted to create their own #KidsBooksFriday
I used to get great writing (and art) using The Astounding Broccoli Boy by @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social in Yr 4. Really engaging story which got the children’s imaginations going!
I really need to catch up with the rest of FCB’s books one day. Love his work. This sounds great.
One thing which blew minds in the classroom was that it was written before Covid but features a somewhat similar pandemic!
Be afraid. Be very afraid!!!
Don’t do it one day… do it now. 😉
I’m trying! I promise I am. Other folk, very cheekily, keep writing other books to distract me from my FCB completionist mission!
Haha. It’s a good problem to have isn’t it. So many books coming out in Sep/Oct I want to read.
I’m lucky enough that I’m doing the Scotsman reviews for October so I have a very giant tbr pile and poor Frank ain’t getting a look in at the moment!
That’s easily The Book With No Pictures by B J Novak. Great for primary pupils of all ages ii makes you appreciate how pictures are used in books and shows you how to use fonts to aid reading with expression. I’ve used to inspire when making our own books. It’s also hilarious to read out loud 😆
I really need to read this one. I’ve heard so many folk recommend it.
It's genuinely funny!
Good question! Rob Biddulph’s Draw Alongs are great for giving children some confidence. Especially when they’re creating characters they’ve seen in a book.
Yes! They were invaluable for us during lockdown. He’s done such an amazing job to keep it going and inspire so many kids.
Oh my god. I know I talk about it every 10 seconds, but Donut Squad. Those pages at the end made my hands itch for a pencil. @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social has sooooooo many drawing resources on her website tied to all her and her and @philipreeve.bsky.social's books, it's immense fun.
I am absolutely with you there on both Donut Squad and Sarah McIntyre. 😍😍😍
Thank you! ☺️
Oh and of course Mr @jamiesmart.bsky.social who is a legend and makes comic drawing so easy though somehow I'm *still* incapable of drawing Looshkin convincingly 😂
Very much so. My 10yo adores Bunny vs Monkey and Lookshin. I suspect there’s a bit of their influence in there somewhere too. And I’m sure it’s not a coincidence that he has called his comic ‘Stick Hero’ after a weekend of playing Hero Slam repeatedly. 😁
OH! How is it??? I was hoping someone would explain to me how it plays before I buy it!
A range to be honest- definitely comics and graphic novels. Also books about artists - This book will make you an artist for example!
These 2 always seemed to inspire the artists in my classrooms after we'd discussed them for #CTandBT
They both look beautiful
Manga and graphic novels in general have also influenced my kid's style of drawing and now I can see The Gorillaz (the band) having an influence as well as other music artists.
The Phoenix too, we've only just stopped getting it but it was a big influence.
Well, I used Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths a lot in schools to promote making comics, or drawing hybrid creatures and then coming up with a storyling for them like Danny and Ravi do in the book. I would say stuff like the Treehouse books, Loki and Jen Carney books for line drawings of people.
We were going to say Graphic Novel Builder too, but how about Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner, the father of the graphic novel and maybe the first to write a how-to? A bit more advanced maybe than the other ones mentioned here but still very accessible for enthusiastic kids we think.
I’ve had this in my wishlist for quite a while. I can imagine it would be a brilliant one to have in an art classroom. Good to get another vote for Garphic Novel Builder too. I think it might go on the Christmas list.
Yeah, the latter is perhaps more suitable for kids, while Eisner’s one might be more suitable from teen age. We’d have probably read it age 12-13.
I haven’t read it either but I’ve heard good things about it.
It's really good. Much more comprehensive than I expected and a really engaging format.
