Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On € Lois Ehlert, author
A child imagines what she would see if she were a fish, through rhymes,
counting, and bright colors. Count spectacular fish from one to ten as they
swim through pages of deep blue. One fish cleverly predicts the next number
in the counting sequence.
Imitate Lois Ehlert¹s dazzling fluorescent collage style. Cut and paste
bright colored papers into shapes. Embellish the shapes with dots made with
a hole punch.
Count on Cut-Outs
Materials
brightly colored papers (florescent colored papers are perfect for this
project)
choice of drawing tools pencil, marker, pen, or crayon
scissors
glue
paper punch (hole punch) - craft stores sell square squeeze-style punches
with fancy punch shapes
Process
1. Think of a simple bold object to draw, such as a fish, mouse, bird,
flower, bug, or a silvery snowflake! Draw it on the colored paper using no
details other than shape. Cut it out with scissors.
2. With the paper punch, add punched holes or make paper punch dots to
glue on the paper shape. This will embellish the work with color and design.
Here are a few suggestions: two hole punches become a rabbit¹s round eyes,
five hole punches become the seeds in a cut apple, ten hole punches become
the freckles on someone¹s nose.
3. Glue the object on a contrasting fluorescent color paper background.
(The color of the background paper will show through any punched holes.)
4. Continue to create and add more designs and details with cut-outs made
from the colored paper scraps and hole punches.
Variations
To imitate the dazzling look of Ehlert¹s art
€ paint with Liquid Watercolors on white paper
€ draw with bright pastel chalks on deep blue paper
€ draw with marking pens on water dampened glossy paper
