PAST PROJECTS
St. John Fisher Elementary School
Pointe-Claire, QC
Kindergarten (ages 5-6)
2019
I showed the kids some examples and then gave them each a blank pop-up to illustrate as they wished.
Having given them an idea of how pop-ups work, I demonstrated some techniques and helped them make their own from scratch.
By the end of the hour, they had samples for future classroom or home projects.
The Pleasure of
Popping Up
Workshop: Pop-Up Lab
École Henri-Bachand
Saint-Liboire, QC
Grade 6 (ages 11-12)
2016
Kids and adults of all ages love the opportunity to experiment with paper. In this case, I had shown the class a variety of published pop-up books.
This boy was fascinated with one form in particular and set out to analyze it. With a little bit of guidance, he was able to replicate the form and was thrilled by the result.
Pop-Up Riddles
Workshop: The Pop-Up Folio
Beaconsfield Elementary School, Beaconsfield, QC
Grade 2 (ages 7-8)
2015
The kids each wrote their own riddle and illustrated the answer.
I helped them transform their illustrations into pop-ups.
Halloween Pop-Ups
Workshop: The Pop-Up Folio
Montreal Children’s Library
Richmond Branch
Ages 6 to 11
2015
I prepared the orange suitcases in advance. The kids were shown how to cut the pop-up structures.
They added illustrations and an origami ghost or other spooky creature.
This is my sample.
Animals and Emotions
Workshop: The Pop-Up Book
École Au-Pied-de-la-Montagne
Montreal, QC
Grade 2 (ages 7-8)
2019
In the first session, I introduced the kids to pop-ups, and we practised basic techniques. They cut out the five pop-up structures for their books.
Then, each student decided what animals and emotions they would portray, and with the help of their teachers, they illustrated the pop-ups, made the cover, and wrote the text (in this example, it is hidden in a flap on the bottom left of the page). I returned for a second session to help them assemble everything.
Natural Disasters
Workshop: The Pop-up Book
École Merton Elementary
Côte-Saint-Luc, QC
Grade 4 (ages 9-10)
2019
The students in this French immersion class each created six pop-ups--depicting different types of natural disasters--to display at the school science fair.
They illustrated the pop-ups and added informational texts. Both the French and science teachers were involved.
Bilingual Bug Books
Workshop: The Hardcover Book (small)
École L'Étoile-Filante,
Saint-Onésime-d'Ixworth, QC
Grade 1 (ages 6-7) with translation help from older students
2017
I was delighted to be asked to give workshops at this tiny elementary school in rural Quebec where the total student population was around 45.
The project was a collaboration between the French and English teachers as well a both the younger and older students. The subject: an insect story.
In addition, the ambitious teachers had colour copies of the students' books printed and industrially bound to sell at a regional book fair to raise funds for the school.
Comic Books
Workshop: The Hardcover Book (large)
École primaire Saint-Laurent
Brossard, QC
Grade 5 (ages 10-11)
2009
Sometimes, students create comic books instead of a traditional narrative.
At this school, the teachers organized a series of activities leading up to the bookbinding project and following it. They visited a printing shop, invited a comic artist into their classroom, and researched the history of comics.
After the bookbinding was complete, they held an exhibition to display their work.
Artist Books
Workshop: Artist Books
Pictured: Kids' books and my samples from various workshops
I've guided kids and adults in artist book projects in many contexts: classrooms, after school programs, libraries, birthday parties, and when babysitting.
One definition of artist books describes them as more than just a container to protect the text inside. An artist book is a work of art in itself!