The newly released I Am Golden written by Eva Chen and Illustrated by Sophie Dao is a beautiful story about celebrating the Chinese American identity of a child. Through stunning imagery and meaningful text children will be inspired to be able to manifest their self-love for they are golden.
This is a great book to read during the #LunarNewYear since it shares so many beautiful aspects of the Chinese culture. To extend the literacy experience through the arts creating a mix media collage inspired by the book is a great way to deepen the connection of the story. To set this invitation you will need a recycled cardboard box as the base, lucky money envelopes, pom poms, recycled bottle caps, pipe cleaners, glitter, glue, red/yellow/golden tempera paint, red/yellow/golden/orange tempera paint sticks, paint brushes, chop sticks and cotton balls. Invite the child to create the beautiful colors and symbols of the story.
Experimenting with different medias and varying textures always brings a special spark of interest and engagement because of the open ended process for children. Children who engage in process art learn to think with an open mind, to look at situations creatively, and empower their talents. They develop critical-thinking skills through making self directed decisions about what works and what doesn’t on their own, how to mix colors to create new ones, or how to make certain movements to create designs. By creating freely children gain confidence while acquiring so many skills. It gives them a foundation to look at the world with the confidence that they can accomplish any goal. Visual arts also deeply affect children, for it is one of the most important forms of communication and expression. When children create, they are proud to be unique and take risks, while honoring their innate creative artistic style. Which is a perfect way to connect the story's message!
