“What does love smell like?”
It’s not a typical question. In fact, it would likely cause many people to fumble for words; however, to a child, they may be able to spout something truly special. A child might immediately tell you that love smells like strawberries because his mother makes him strawberry pancakes in the mornings. A child might make sense of this question before an adult could even offer an answer.
Capturing the creativity and sincerity of a child’s mind was the driving purpose for Our World, a book produced by the high school’s Art, Design & Voice class in collaboration with Simmons Elementary’s kindergarten and first grade, English-Language Learner (ELL) class. Since the primary students involved in the collaboration are learning English, the entire process of making the book was carried out in both English and Spanish. This element of the project was very important to the high school students. As Sierra Morgan, illustrator and storyboard arranger, states, “Things in your mother tongue speak to your heart more than a second language.” Students in the Art, Design & Voice class did not want the ELL students to lose the comfort of their native language. This desire truly shows the hearts of the high school students who created Our World.
Maddie Gatewood, publisher and translator, provides an excellent description of the premise of the class and project. She says, “This has been a collaborative project between [the Art, Design & Voice] class and the ELL class at Simmons. We wanted to create a children’s book that was written by children. We went to Simmons, and we read books that we thought would inspire [the kids].” The high school students selected Love by Matt de la Peña and My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss.
After reading the books to the primary students, Maddie explains that they then prompted their young friends with questions such as, “What does love feel like?” and, “What color are you when you’re happy?” Students in Art, Design & Voice with a strong handle on the Spanish language translated the responses to these questions and the conversations that ensued. The class also received help from students in Advanced Placement Spanish. Josie Coyle, translator and editor, notes that Jessica Basanta, Spanish teacher at the high school, lent her talents in translation, as well. Josie says, “She checked everything, every sentence, in order to help us. We would translate [their responses], and [our translations] went straight to her to make it the most accurate it could be.” The high school students are very appreciative of the efforts of everyone who made it possible for this to be a bilingual project.
The next step in the process was to create a found poem. Sierra defines this as poetry created by “piecing together other sources. You use the same words but piece them together to give it a different meaning.” After the high school students visited Simmons to read to the primary students and ask questions, they compiled the responses into a master list. The many statements from the children were reorganized into a found poem. The challenge of this process was to reorder the responses while also honoring the words, thoughts, and sentiments that the children voiced. As Olivia Ridgeway, event coordinator, says, “You stay true to the words themselves...you try to keep it as close to the original form as possible. The whole purpose of the project is to capture the kids’ perspectives. We wanted to keep it as true to that as possible, which is why we called it Our World.”
Illustrating the book came next; the pictures are a beautiful display of teamwork. Sierra Morgan, Nicole Eller, and Emily Tackett served as the illustrators of the book. Sierra drew the outlines for all of the scenes and backgrounds, and Nicole filled them in with beautiful colors and an intricate, cohesive pattern. Their art was scanned into a computer after it was finished. Emily then created the characters on a tablet. She says this about the joint effort, “We all brainstormed the characters together, how they would look and how they would interact with the poetry itself...They sent me a background and told me what they wanted the kid to look like and to be doing. I brought it to life on the page.” Emily concludes with, “The difficult part was meshing together digital and physical art, but I think it worked really well.”
Our World is a compelling collaboration, an imaginative poem, and a true work of art; the words and the illustrations dance across the pages and reveal the creativity of children. Josie Coyle conveys that this book “[is] like our baby. We worked on it. We worked really hard on it.” Students took this project very seriously. They appreciated the fact that their teacher, Laura Benton, set out to create a sense of ownership for the class and the project within her students. Sierra Morgan says, “Ms. Benton let us design this whole project on our own. We decided what books to read to kids, the name of our book, the storyboard...Everything. It helped to make it our own. It was so much more than a school project.” Hannah Brady, a senior in the class, adds, “I feel that Art, Design & Voice is not just a school class; it’s helping the community...I’ve felt more connected to the community through this class than I ever have.”
Maddie Gatewood shares this sentiment with the people of Woodford County, “It’s not supposed to be a regular children's book with a set storyline. Without any background on the book, it may be hard to understand its significance. It’s more than a children's book. It’s an expression of these kids and their thoughts, whether it makes sense or not. It's important to get their thoughts on paper.”
It's clear that this project had an immense impact on the high school students who were involved with it. It's also evident that they desired for the primary students to feel listened to and celebrated by the community. This book is a testament to the outstanding students we have in Woodford County and their desire to make a difference. Thank you, teachers, for nurturing the passions of our students.
Our World can be purchased at Woodford County High School for ten dollars. All proceeds benefit Spark Café, which is the product of another community-minded class at the high school.
