Gerald McDermott and You

Playing on the phrase, the author and you which is a commonly taught reading comprehension strategy that teaches the learner how to look at the words of an author and make inferences about what is being said, this new series will assist the teacher and teacher librarian in understanding the underlying purposes of the author as they prepare learning activities for their students. The series that will focus primarily on books for the elementary age child (K-6) will feature insights into the author’s background, purposes and goals in writing his books. By furnishing an overview of the author’s works, the books in the series will give teachers the big picture. Each book will feature personal information about the author, including insight into why he writes the type of books he does plus lesson plans and/or activities for each of the author’s books featured. These lessons will stress the particular interest of the author and the author and you (the teacher) will build a collaborative instructional relationship using the material provided. Each book will be written by the featured author or in close collaboration with him. The first book in the series features the life and work of Gerald McDermott, Caldecott winning picture book author. It discusses his life and work and the researching, writing, and illustrating of each book. Discussion of children’s reading development, including strategies and visual literacies, and lesson plans and activities for each title provide practical help. This book provides a fascinating window into the life and work of the beloved children’s author and gives insight into Anansi, Arrow to the Sun, Raven, Creation and all of his wonderful tales. Grades K-6.

JON C. STOTT is Professor Emeritus Children’s Literature, University of Alberta, Canada. Dr. Stott is a long-time friend and student of Gerald McDermott’s work.

GERALD MCDERMOTT is a picture book author, winner of the Caldecott award, and a fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation.