The Dot

ISBN#: 978-0-7636-1961-9

Citation:

Reynolds, P.H. (2003). The Dot. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.  

The dot by Peter H. Reynolds is a story about a young girl named Vashti who insisted she cannot draw. The art teacher goes on to encourage her just to make a mark. So Vashti does, she makes a dot. The teacher asks Vashti to sign it, which she does.  The next week Vashti sees her dot on the wall in the class and realizes she can do better. She goes on to create tons of different dots. At the school art show where Vashti’s work is being presented a young boy says to Vashti that he wished he could draw like her. Vashti tells him he can he just needs to make a mark. The little boy does and signs it.

The reason why I would use this book for 3-5 year olds is because I think many of them can relate to it, and have felt that frustration of not being able to draw something.

Illustration: The illustrations are very plain almost all black and white. The only things that are in colour are the dots. They are in the backgrounds of some photos to illustrate how Vashti is feeling (such as red when angry). The dots are all painted in water colours, which make the dots very bright and beautiful colours. To me these images are very thought provoking.  They have very little detail so it’s easy for children to put themselves in the place of Vashti, it’s easy for them to relate. This is why I was drawn to them. Children may also enjoy the cartoon drawings as oppose to realism. 

Provocations: One provocation I would use to entice children would be to put different dots all over the classroom. On the floor, the walls and the ceiling. Another provocation would be if the children were having difficulty drawing because they were doubting themselves, then I would read them this book to show them everyone is an artist.

Presentation of the book:

I wouldn’t chunk this book, because it has a nice flow to it and isn’t very long.

1.     Clothes line presentation.

Materials: Rope, clothes pins, printed off pages of the book. In this case I laminated them with different colours in the background.

 I’m going to tell the story as expressed in the book by placing each picture on the clothes line and talk in order of the book. I just printed off each page in the story as they are very small photos.  

2.     Painting the story

Materials: Paints, brushes, an easel, different props to be each character.

For this I will use large sheets of paper and prop them on top of an easel or just a chair so that all the kids can see properly. I’m going to act out the story as well as paint it. So I’m going to paint what the characters paint in the story and act out the characters. To make it easy for the children to follow along when I play the different characters, I’ll have props such as glasses for the teacher. 

3.     Rock story

Materials: each page from the book printed off, blocks or frames to display the pictures on.

I’ll present this the same way I’ll present the clothes line story just different visuals. I won’t put the pictures on rocks so it isn’t really a rock story. For this I placed them on small canvas’s and painted the background different colours.  

4.     Video

Materials: In the class room I’ll show this on my laptop as I can get the video on a disc. This is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5mGeR4AQdM&list=FLe0pQxC3PXJj0UFpOlcsNMw&index=3&feature=plpp_video

So I can show it in a television or on a projector. I found a video on YouTube that shows the exact illustrations in the book but makes them move. I would play this video on the projector and tell the story on my own as the video plays.

Extensions:

1.     The most obvious extension for this book would be to get the children to draw their own dots. For this I would have many supplies so they can make as many as they want. I would also have large sheets of paper so they could draw very large ones as well. Then I would have them all sign their work and put it on the wall. I wouldn’t just take one class to do this, I’m sure this activity would take several classes.

2.     There are many famous drawing in history where they are made completely out of dots.

 These pictures are examples of pointillism. I thought it would be neat to try this with the kids. To make it easier for them I would let them draw their picture first then fill it in with dots. For supplies I would have many things they could make dots with not just paint brushes.

3.     My last extension would be to have the children draw their own mark. Just like the little boy did at the end of the story. Anything the children want. Then they have to make that same mark they just made as many ways as they can. So it’s more individual than just making dots, this time it is their own.