Esther K. Smith - Making Books with Kids: 25 Paper Projects to Fold, Sew, Paste, Pop, and Draw

25 Paper Projects to fold, sew, paste, pop, and draw

by

ESTHER K SMITH

Illustrations by Jane Sanders
Type-o-graphics by Dikko Faust

2016 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Text, projects, and photography 2016 Esther K Smith

Illustrations 2016 Jane Sanders, www.reddozer.com

Type-o-graphics 2016 Dikko Faust, Purgatory Pie Press

First published in the United States of America in 2016 by

Quarry Books, an imprint of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

100 Cummings Center

Suite 406-L

Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101

Telephone: (978) 282-9590

Fax: (978) 283-2742

QuartoKnows.com

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by the producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

Digital edition published in 2016

Digital edition: 978-1-6278-8842-4

Softcover edition: 978-1-6315-9081-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

Cover and book design: Esther K Smith, Dikko Faust, Amy Sly

Design production: Robin Sherin, Jane Treuhaft

Cover and book photography: Emma Andreetti, Wyatt Counts

Additional photography: Michael Bartalos, Han Ju Chou, Michael Prisco

T o the child in all of usand to all the kids, and to all the grownups when you were kids, and to all the teachers and kids I have taughtincluding Larry when I was 10 and he was 4. And, of course, to little Georgia and little Pollyand Dikko as usual. And to Paul Faust age 96the best father-in-law in the world everwho chuckled when I told him I needed to write something inspiring (which he read on his TTY device for the hard of hearing) and said, Good luck with THAT.

I was filling out forms in a waiting room. A little boy ran around, noisy and wildhe kept bumping me. When I finished the forms, I made him a book from a piece of paper. (I offered to show him how, but he said he was too younghe was a very tall 4 /-year old.) The room got so quiet, I thought he had left. I looked around and he was still theredrawing and drawing. All of that bouncing, bounding energy absorbed in his project. I wish I could show you his beautiful book. I think this book he made with me will stay with him as he grows. He may not remember it, but he spent more than 30 minutes writing his book. I left before he had finished.

When I was a child, my mother and I would cut paper angels when I was home sick from school. My dad and I twisted moebius strips from silver paper package liners. When we cut them one way, they doubled in size. Cut the other direction, they became two interlocking loops. In school wed make paper Kleenex flowers for Mothers Day. And wed trace shapes onto colored papers to cut out and decorate with glitter, and tape to the windows to celebrate the seasons.

I hand make books and limited editions at Purgatory Pie Press with my husband, Dikko Faust. When our younger child was a baby, we moved to our current studio. (I think we got the studio because she was so cutethe elevator man liked her.) We corralled a sunny area with toys and a little chair. But the baby just stood at the fence miserable and crying. So we corralled the printing press and the small metal type and dangerous stuff instead. It was perfect. Dikko could step over it. I worked on the counters and the baby had the floorlike a timeshare only vertical. Whatever she could reach was hers. What she couldnt get into was mine.

Our older child came to the studio after kindergarten and would bring friends. Our paper trimmings were their toys. One day the kids cut scraps of thin rag paper into money and drew their own dollars. I was tempted to print an edition of that. Hmmmmaybe I can find some kid to draw money now.

Our apartment was too smallwe went to the parks to play. But the kids and I would sit at our kitchen table and cut paper and draw. One afternoon, when I opened the mail, I took my scissors and cut up all the envelopes and junk mail into creatures and spiral snakes and flowers and vines. My daughter loved it. She took them to school for Show and Tell.

When we moved to a larger apartment, we found a big yellow vintage table in an antique store on our way to a friends art exhibit. That became our work and play table. We would clear it for mealsor at least push our projects off to the side. We made sock dolls together as well as paper things. One holiday, I opened a gift box to find a dollwith several changes of clothes. My younger daughter had secretly sewn it in her bed at night. From hanging around making things with us, our children had learned so much: how to make things, how to organize their own projects, how to figure things out.

Children do not know they cant do things. This can be tough when they are two-years old. But when you realize its their beginning of independence, you can make sure they are safe and give them control of enough to satisfy them. When they are a little older, making things with them is a great way to encourage self-reliance.

At a concert last summer, I met a woman wearing origami paper earrings that she had folded. She works as a child therapist. Her clients are homeless children and kids in foster care. She said she sometimes teaches them origami formsjust so they can have something. She told me one girl said she wished she owned a book. I taught her a simple book form so she could show them, and they could always have a book.

Back in that same waiting room a few days ago, I showed a father and his eight-year-old son how to make a book. The boys first one was a mess, but right away he made another one that was 100 times betterand then he and his dad each made one more. The father said, It was worth it to come here just for this.

Have fun with your kids.

Esther

MAKE
BOOKS
NOT WAR

T his chapter is like my first class when I teachlots of background and things you need to know before you begin the fun part. Here I am giving you the information you need to make the projects that follow. First the parts of the book, then paper and tools.

I am the kind of person who is raring to go so skips things over and maybe feels bad later. Today I ran out of switchel when my friend Jen was visiting. I pulled out the cider vinegar, ginger, and honey and saidI could look it up or just go for it. Jen said LOOK IT UPshe said, When youve made it a few times, you will remember it. And so truebetter not to waste in haste.