Ideas Are All Around

Teachers of young writers can all relate to hearing, “I don’t know what to write.” Philip Stead’s new book, Ideas Are All Around, gives readers a glimpse into finding the extraordinary details in an ordinary day. Without ideas, the writer becomes the narrator. The narrator’s voice illuminates the happenings while on a walk with Wednesday, a cute, scruffy dog. The illustrations are created with Polaroid photographs, collage, and monoprint techniques. They offer a peek into the world around them with a special emphasis on the animals who share this rural space with Wednesday and his walker. Along the way, they meet up with Barbara, a friendly neighbor who inspired the cover art of the blue horse. Seeing some spilled blue paint on her porch, Barbara says, “How wonderful… A blue horse!” This very horse moves across the pages leading Wednesday back to Barbara after many adventures on his walk. Barbara reminds us all that ideas are all around us. This book is sure to inspire writers of all ages to look and listen in closely to their world as a way to find inspiration and ideas.

Mentor Text Ideas- Getting Ideas; Memoir; Photography Illustrations