'Caterpillar' ideas change into 'butterfly' stories
Students model own storybooks after author Eric Carle's
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK — Using the style of layering techniques demonstrated in Eric Carle's book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," second-graders at Parsons Elementary School created their own storybooks that they read one by one for their parents on May 14.

Second-grade teacher Mary Walsh has two daughters who attend South Brunswick elementary schools, and she was invited to an Authors Tea night there. She was so impressed by the combination reading-writing painting-designing assignment that she sought permission from North Brunswick administrators to ask South Brunswick to teach her the program. Now, after a successful first run, Walsh plans to train other North Brunswick staff so that this project can continue.

"I have books from my children that I'll have for years to come," she said. "I'm amazed at how different the stories are. They are all so unique. And the pictures are amazing."

Since September, the children spent 10 minutes once a week painting sheets of paper in solid colors, using items such as balloons, sponges and crumbled paper. The students were then directed to write their own creative story, and in March all of the papers were laid out so that the kids could cut out shapes and layer them, using Carlisle's technique, to create picture books.

"We wanted to teach the kids that authors take a whole year to write a book," Walsh said. "It gives every kid the opportunity to succeed. Once they see the words come to print, they add so many details … and they realize they go back and forth between the edits and illustrations, and the stories take on a life of their own."

Hrishit Gupta wrote "The Five Elephants." There were five elephants that wanted to cross the river to pick apples, but the first four who attempted fell into the river. The fifth one tied a rope to each elephant and helped out his friends, so they were all able to have a picnic in the apple orchard. Then, the fifth one took everyone back across the river on his boat.

Hrishit said he began his artwork by cutting out circles for the elephants' trunks and tail and legs, choosing elephants because "I wanted to make something with a problem but make the fifth elephant succeed."

He said it was "a little hard" to write the story, but his favorite part was having the fifth elephant rescue the others.

Pooja Panchal wrote "The Dinosaur I Met at the Beach." There was a girl at the beach who made a huge sand castle that a dinosaur smashed. The girl was upset and left, but the dinosaur started to follow her as she left in a car. She arrived home safely, but then the dinosaur found her house. The girl woke up and realized it was all a dream.

Pooja said she likes to write and draw, and even paint sometimes, but "it was a little too hard" to do everything together.

She said it was fun when "I made the smushed castle and also ending where it was all a dream."

Manasi Reddy wrote "People to Fish." A kingdom had just been finished being built when a huge tornado came, causing all the townspeople to leave. They came to a pond and were granted three wishes by a beautiful fish. They chose to become fish so they could escape the tornado, they asked for the tornado to go away forever and they asked to remain as fish.

"I always wanted to make a story with a tornado in it, but I added the extra details because I like people and fish," she said.

Manasi said it was hard to cut out the pieces of the tornado, and she learned from this project that it takes a long time to make a book.

She also said she has decided to create her own book at home involving her own three wishes.

"I feel very proud," she said of displaying her books for all of the parents.

Another idea was to have a piece of paper with each child's picture on it on tables around the room so that after the presentations, parents could write encouraging words about each book; the paper is to be included as the last page in the books.

"It's wonderful to see so many parents come out and celebrate the work of their child," Parsons Principal Bruce Rothenberg said of the more than 300 adults coming out to support about 100 second-graders.