Learn Together

Sharing multicultural stories helps children develop self–esteem and empathy for others and highlights the fact that all children feel the same emotions no matter where they live in the world, what language they speak, or how they look.

Materials

  • Computer, tablet, or phone to watch the video
  • A comfortable seat
  • Paper
  • Markers
  • Water
  • Spray bottle or paintbrush
  • Salt

Make Together

Enjoy a reading of Cherries and Cherry Pits by Vera B. Williams by Sankofa Read Aloud.

  1. Talk about what you notice in the book. Why do all of the Bidemmi’s stories have cherries in them? What happens to the cherry pits everyone spits out? How does Bidemmi feel about her cherry trees? How do her friends, family, and neighbors feel? 

There are two different types of illustrations in this book. Illustrations are paintings, drawings, and images created to tell a story. In this book, Vera Williams shows us two different types of illustrations. There are Bidemmi’s marker illustrations and the watercolor illustrations.

  1. Bidemmi used markers to draw illustrations of stories about herself and the people in her neighborhood. Think of someone in your neighborhood and community or someone in your family.
  2. On a piece of paper, use your markers to draw a portrait of them.
  3. Tell a story about the portrait. Who are they? How old are they? Do they have a name? Who are the people in their family? Where do they live? Is the house in a busy city with a lot of cars and people, or is it deep in a quiet forest?

Now make your art look like the watercolor illustrations!

  1. After you finish your drawing, add water to the paper using a spray bottle or a paintbrush. Watch as the lines blur together to create a watercolor effect like in the book!
  2. You can experiment more by adding salt to the wet marker lines of your drawing. What happens to the colors? What materials do you think the artist used to make the pictures in the book?

Create as many pictures as you like. Maybe you’ll have enough to create your own illustrated book!

Enjoy more stories with Sankofa Read Aloud. Sankofa Read Aloud believes that it is vital that our African American children are able to see themselves within the beautiful stories that they read.