Alyisha and the Yellow Screwdriver
As a child, one of my favorite bedtime stories was Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. The story is about a young boy who “decide[s] to go for a walk in the moonlight” but discovers that it’s not a moonlit night nor is there any path for him to walk on. Luckily, he has his trusty, purple crayon by his side. So, he draws a moon. And a path. And he makes for himself the night he’s imagined. Also, he eats a lot of pie. Like, nine different kinds of pie.
What’s not to love?
I don’t know exactly what it was that drew me into the story so completely (let’s be honest: it was probably the pie) but it’s one that I returned to again and again. I think it played a big part in shaping the kind of reader (and the kind of person) I became. Two of my most quintessential personality traits are my creativity and my propensity to dream. In time, I followed the natural, academic course that these skills outlined and became an English major.
I don’t know exactly what it was that drew me into the story so completely (let’s be honest: it was probably the pie) but it’s one that I returned to again and again. I think it played a big part in shaping the kind of reader (and the kind of person) I became. Two of my most quintessential personality traits are my creativity and my propensity to dream. In time, I followed the natural, academic course that these skills outlined and became an English major.
Some of my favorite classes were Metafiction and Critical Theory, where I fell in love with Postmodernism. All of the books I loved best could be defined as “writing about writing,” and the most prevalent theme was about making your own meaning. Just like Harold.
Now, almost a decade later, as the sun begins to set not just upon another day but upon an entire semester, I find myself returning to Harold yet again. The book captures, so perfectly, two of the most impactful lessons from this semester, and two aspects of Children’s Services that were brand-new to me: the critical evaluation of picture books (and especially of their art), and the true definition of a MakerSpace.
While I’m well-versed in how to read text closely and critically, I learned a whole new vocabulary this semester to use when reading images. I learned about line, value, and composition; I learned about dominance, balance, and gouache paints; I learned about surrealism, nonobjective art, and folk art (Horning, 2010). And when I learned about lines...of course, I couldn't help but think of Harold. As I've said, Harold and the Purple Crayon is like a primer in Postmodernism. It's about the intrinsic chaos of the world, and how to make that chaos into something meaningful and joyful. On the title page of Johnson's work, Harold is shown staring contemplatively at a mess of purple squiggles.
Now, almost a decade later, as the sun begins to set not just upon another day but upon an entire semester, I find myself returning to Harold yet again. The book captures, so perfectly, two of the most impactful lessons from this semester, and two aspects of Children’s Services that were brand-new to me: the critical evaluation of picture books (and especially of their art), and the true definition of a MakerSpace.
While I’m well-versed in how to read text closely and critically, I learned a whole new vocabulary this semester to use when reading images. I learned about line, value, and composition; I learned about dominance, balance, and gouache paints; I learned about surrealism, nonobjective art, and folk art (Horning, 2010). And when I learned about lines...of course, I couldn't help but think of Harold. As I've said, Harold and the Purple Crayon is like a primer in Postmodernism. It's about the intrinsic chaos of the world, and how to make that chaos into something meaningful and joyful. On the title page of Johnson's work, Harold is shown staring contemplatively at a mess of purple squiggles.
Nothing about the squiggles makes sense and yet, by the time the story's reached its second page, Harold has imposed order upon them. He's taken the tangle of purple and has straightened it out. He's put his mind to the task and his crayon to the page, and he's made a straight line. He walks that line bravely. This isn't to say that he doesn't sometimes get overwhelmed or lose sight of his purpose.
It's not to say that he doesn't get scared.
But he always pull himself back up again and returns to his path.
He appreciates the beauty of nature.
He indulges in delicious & decadent food. And he has a generous heart, which he shares with the friends he makes along the way.
In short, he figures out a way to make a home for himself in this crazy place. If that's not a guide to living well, I don't know what is. And Johnson conveys all of this simply by drawing lines.
After learning so much about Makerspaces this semester, something else occurred to me while reading Harold this time around. Johnson's story isn't just about dreaming. It's about something more concrete. It's about doing. Johnson uses the word "make" or "made" eleven times over the course of just thirty-two short pages. Harold's crayon isn't just a crayon; it's a tool that he holds in his hand.
One of the most impactful lessons for me during this course was learning about MakerSpaces. Honestly, I was one of those people who thought you needed "a particular set of tools" (Rendina, 2015) for something to be considered a MakerSpace. I thought MakerSpaces were all about 3D Printers and fancy technology. I didn't know that the true nature of a MakerSpace was more about "a place...a community"; I didn't know that the most important thing was that it be "wonder-driven" (Rendina, 2015). And Wonder? Wonder is my middle name (actually, it's Marie).
On her blog, Renovated Learning, Diana Rendina explains that a MakerSpace can be kickstarted with a little bit of creativity & supplies that you already have -- like " LEGOs, K’nex and cardboard" (Rendina, 2015). Or, in the case of Harold, a purple crayon. She expresses that this is not an excuse to skip investing in more advanced tools down the line, however, and that you should always be trying new things to ensure that you're doing your best to "reach all of your students with their varied learning styles" (Rendina, 2015). But you can start with what you've got.
I think this lesson was so impactful because it is so student/patron/child-focused. The point of a Makerspace is to give children the opportunity to develop their skills. It's about their learning styles. It brought into hyper-focus the fact that I shouldn't avoid certain types of programming because I'm not good at them. I know that I'm more of an idea-person than I am a hands-on kind of person. I think this is largely because of the type of learning and play that was offered to me when I was growing up -- and my gender played a big role in this. In my library, I want to help kids to transcend these false binaries. I want them to know that many of the limits placed upon them are totally constructed and artificial. I want them to know that they can do anything and that they have the power to shape their world. To do that, I need to give kids what I didn't have. And that doesn't just mean providing them with space and tools. It means trying, and failing. It means modeling behavior (including good-natured failure & perseverance).
So, when it came time to create a visual encapsulating what I learned this semester, I decided to try my hand at fiddling with cardboard, spray paint, and some basic tools. I made a giant set of googly-eyes out of a couple of cheap wall clocks, following a tutorial from Amy Johnson's Blog, Maker Mama. I knew that I might fail. I didn't know the first thing about what kind of spray paint to buy, how to hold the can, or how to disassemble a clock. But my idea was that this would at least begin to convey the awe and wonder with which I try to approach our field and the world, and which I try to instill in the children who visit me at the library.
And I didn't fail. I made something.
After learning so much about Makerspaces this semester, something else occurred to me while reading Harold this time around. Johnson's story isn't just about dreaming. It's about something more concrete. It's about doing. Johnson uses the word "make" or "made" eleven times over the course of just thirty-two short pages. Harold's crayon isn't just a crayon; it's a tool that he holds in his hand.
One of the most impactful lessons for me during this course was learning about MakerSpaces. Honestly, I was one of those people who thought you needed "a particular set of tools" (Rendina, 2015) for something to be considered a MakerSpace. I thought MakerSpaces were all about 3D Printers and fancy technology. I didn't know that the true nature of a MakerSpace was more about "a place...a community"; I didn't know that the most important thing was that it be "wonder-driven" (Rendina, 2015). And Wonder? Wonder is my middle name (actually, it's Marie).
On her blog, Renovated Learning, Diana Rendina explains that a MakerSpace can be kickstarted with a little bit of creativity & supplies that you already have -- like " LEGOs, K’nex and cardboard" (Rendina, 2015). Or, in the case of Harold, a purple crayon. She expresses that this is not an excuse to skip investing in more advanced tools down the line, however, and that you should always be trying new things to ensure that you're doing your best to "reach all of your students with their varied learning styles" (Rendina, 2015). But you can start with what you've got.
I think this lesson was so impactful because it is so student/patron/child-focused. The point of a Makerspace is to give children the opportunity to develop their skills. It's about their learning styles. It brought into hyper-focus the fact that I shouldn't avoid certain types of programming because I'm not good at them. I know that I'm more of an idea-person than I am a hands-on kind of person. I think this is largely because of the type of learning and play that was offered to me when I was growing up -- and my gender played a big role in this. In my library, I want to help kids to transcend these false binaries. I want them to know that many of the limits placed upon them are totally constructed and artificial. I want them to know that they can do anything and that they have the power to shape their world. To do that, I need to give kids what I didn't have. And that doesn't just mean providing them with space and tools. It means trying, and failing. It means modeling behavior (including good-natured failure & perseverance).
So, when it came time to create a visual encapsulating what I learned this semester, I decided to try my hand at fiddling with cardboard, spray paint, and some basic tools. I made a giant set of googly-eyes out of a couple of cheap wall clocks, following a tutorial from Amy Johnson's Blog, Maker Mama. I knew that I might fail. I didn't know the first thing about what kind of spray paint to buy, how to hold the can, or how to disassemble a clock. But my idea was that this would at least begin to convey the awe and wonder with which I try to approach our field and the world, and which I try to instill in the children who visit me at the library.
And I didn't fail. I made something.
Unlike Harold, I didn't use a purple crayon to make meaning. But I did use a yellow screwdriver. The yellow screwdriver didn't exactly allow me to create a world for myself...but it did allow me to take things apart and look at their pieces. This is what I've been doing all semester in LSC 530: Children's Materials and Services. I've been looking at the pieces of a picture book: line, color, composition, and style. I've been looking at the pieces of middle-grade fiction: characters, setting, plot, and theme. I've looked at the elements of non-fiction and informational books: accuracy, organization, and design (Vardell, 2019). I've examined the parts of graphic novels: panels, gutters, and balloons (McClanahan, 2019). I've learned about e-books, apps, games, and film, and what makes them work: namely, accessibility and interactivity.
Now, at the end of my journey, as I'm about to bid farewell to the class, put my yellow screwdriver back in the toolkit, climb into bed, and drop off to sleep, I can dream about how best to put all of these pieces back together, and make for myself a successful career: one stuffed full of wonder.
Now, at the end of my journey, as I'm about to bid farewell to the class, put my yellow screwdriver back in the toolkit, climb into bed, and drop off to sleep, I can dream about how best to put all of these pieces back together, and make for myself a successful career: one stuffed full of wonder.
Wonder...and pie.
Resources:
Horning, K.T. (2010). From cover to cover: Evaluating and reviewing children's books (Revised ed.). Collins Publishers.
Johnson, A. (September 25, 2013). DIY giant googly eyes [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.makermama.com/2013/09/diy-giant-googly-eyes.html.
Johnson, C. (1955). Harold and the purple crayon. HarperCollins Publishers.
McClanahan, B.J. & Nottingham, M. (2019). A suite of strategies for navigating graphic novels: a dual coding approach. The Reading Teacher, 73(1). 39-50.
Rendina, D. (2015). Defining makerspaces: What the research says [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.renovatedlearning.com/2015/04/02/defining-makerspaces-part-1/.
Rendina, D. (2016). 3 reasons why you need to have tools in a makerspace [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.renovatedlearning.com/2016/05/16/3-reasons-need-tools-makerspace/.
Vardell, S.M. (2019). Children's literature in action: a librarian's guide (3rd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
Horning, K.T. (2010). From cover to cover: Evaluating and reviewing children's books (Revised ed.). Collins Publishers.
Johnson, A. (September 25, 2013). DIY giant googly eyes [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.makermama.com/2013/09/diy-giant-googly-eyes.html.
Johnson, C. (1955). Harold and the purple crayon. HarperCollins Publishers.
McClanahan, B.J. & Nottingham, M. (2019). A suite of strategies for navigating graphic novels: a dual coding approach. The Reading Teacher, 73(1). 39-50.
Rendina, D. (2015). Defining makerspaces: What the research says [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.renovatedlearning.com/2015/04/02/defining-makerspaces-part-1/.
Rendina, D. (2016). 3 reasons why you need to have tools in a makerspace [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.renovatedlearning.com/2016/05/16/3-reasons-need-tools-makerspace/.
Vardell, S.M. (2019). Children's literature in action: a librarian's guide (3rd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.