Ramona Owls

Trevor has just started to get into Beverly Cleary books. I'm thrilled, as she was my favorite author when I was in first grade back in 1978 (and for several years after that). The drive to my inlaws' cabin in Bear Valley is just over 3 hours, so Trevor and I checked out a Ramona audiobook for the drive up and a second one for the drive home.  

In one of the key scenes in Ramona the Brave, Ramona's first grade class makes owls from paper bags for Back to School Night. Ramona adds creative and unique details to her owl and then her nemesis Susan copies Ramona's ideas. After their teacher praises Susan for her creativity, Ramona destroys both Susan's owl and her own.  

I paused the audiobook for a teachable moment:

Me: Trevor, what would you do if someone copied your art ideas?

Trevor: Nothing.  I wouldn't care.

Me: Why do you think it bothered Ramona?

Trevor: Can we make those owls when we get home?

So much for the teachable moment. Yes, Trevor... we can make owls.

Materials: 2 brown lunch sacks (used is fine), a piece of newspaper, brown ink and a stamp of the letter V, glue gun, scissors, yellow and black cardstock scraps.

Start by stamping brown V's on the front, back and sides of one of the lunch sacks. (You could use a pen and draw V's, but stamping is faster and more fun.) Set aside the second lunch sack.

 

Wad up a sheet of newspaper and stuff it into the stamped lunch sack. Fold the ends of the sack over and glue them down.

 

Fold the flap down and glue in place.

Use the yellow and black cardstock to make eyes and glue them into place.

 

Cut wings and a beak from the second lunch sack. Add stamped V's to the wings. Glue the wings and beak into place.  

Here is my Ramona Owl:

 

And here is Trevor's Ramona Owl:

Thanks to Beverly Cleary for books that I loved as a child, enjoyed years later as a teacher, and that are just as good now that I'm rereading them as a mommy. Thanks for stories that leave my son begging for trips to the library. And thanks for inspiring a fun art project.  :)