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I still remember driving into the tiny, midwestern town in Iowa  Illustrator Martin Taylor, 10, for “Song of a Wanderer” by Annie Strother, 13. Published July/August 2000. A note from Jane Levi I love this painting by Martin Taylor, commissioned by our former editor Gerry Mandel in 2000, to illustrate Annie Strother’s story, “Song of a Wanderer”. Besides its striking use of color, and the fantastic amount of detail Martin packs into his picture, I really appreciate the way that he uses perspective to reveal so many scenes within scenes. It’s an illustration that not only captures a moment in the story–the protagonist’s memory of driving into a town in Iowa, the latest town she and her brother have been brought to by their wandering parents–but also paints a picture of the rest of the story, in three major parts. The first part talks about the journeys undertaken by the Wanderers of the title. In fact, the majority of the picture (about two-thirds of the whole) is taken up with a long road through the countryside, implying a lengthy road trip, great distances travelled, and a significant amount of time taken up with such journeys. The trees are reminiscent of the Wisconsin landscape they are leaving, and also hint at the kinds of scenery they have seen on their previous journeys through other states. A little bird looks out on the scene from the top of a tree, while others fly above the forest. The road seems to end almost on the edge of a precipice, or at least a very steep hill, and–like the children in the story– we are jolted into the town, the second part of the image and the story. There is so much detail packed into this part of the picture, that it’s amazing to recognise that this huge town all fits into only two-thirds of the remaining third of the page! Studying these streets and buildings we can imagine all the hundreds or even thousands of new people, the possible new homes, the new schools and stores and restaurants and sports grounds that the children will have to learn about in this new place. In the last small section of the picture, we move from sharp focus on detail into the hazier distance. Beyond the limits of the town we can see more green of forests or plains or hills stretching out and up into the sky. The narrator of the story knows that at some point they will move on again from this town into an unknown future, and we, like her, can only guess at what this distant prospect holds: we just know it is there. This weekend, why not try telling a whole story through an illustration? Make a piece of work that captures a moment, but at the same time speaks about the mood or the overall message of the whole story. If you like, you can use the same kind of aerial perspective that Martin uses (you can read more about that below). As always, if you like what you have made, please send it to us via the Submit button below, or on our website. Remember, there is no fee for art submissions, and you can send us up to 3 in one submission. We always look forward to seeing what you have created. Until next week Aerial perspective One technique for getting lots of detail into one picture–besides having the patience to draw a lot of tiny detail, of course!–is to use perspective. This week’s illustration uses a kind of perspective called aerial perspective, which gives a view, known as an oblique view (because it is at an angle), across a wide range of a landscape. The effect is that the viewer is looking across the scene from a distance, as if from the top of a mountain or the window of an airplane–for a great example of a view from an airplane check out “Parade of Clouds” by Asfia Jawed from the May 2018 issue of Stone Soup. This perspective is different from birds-eye view, which tends to look straight down at the ground from directly above, a similar perspective to a typical map. It is often said by art historians that the use of the aerial view in art really took off in the twentieth century, mainly because of the advent of air travel. This kind of perspective had become increasingly popular in the century before, when the French balloonist known as Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) took the very first aerial photographs from his balloon, starting in 1858. Sadly, those photographs of his did not survive, but the Met Museum in New York has a photographic aerial view from 1860, “Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It”,  which was taken by James Wallace Black. This is the earliest known aerial photograph of a city. As air travel became increasingly common, aerial views became more popular. You’ll see them in all sorts of photographs and artworks once you start looking out for them! What will you choose for your art experiment with aerial perspective? You don’t have to go up in a balloon or a plane! You could work from a photograph you took of a view when you were out walking one day. You could also work from life. Perhaps you live in a tall building and can look at the view from your window. Or maybe, like Martin, you can construct a whole view from your imagination. Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at stonesoup.com! We published a lovely concrete poem by Angela called “The Fire Flower” on the blog this week. Check out the illustration Angela sent in plus the transcription of the poem included below it. Interested in the experiences of refugee children around the world? Read Ivy’s book review of Refugee by Alan Gratz, which focuses on a Jewish boy in the 1930s in Nazi Germany, a Cuban girl in the 1990s, and a Syrian boy in modern times. From Stone Soup July/August 2000 Song of a Wanderer By Annie Strother, 13 Illustrated by Martin Taylor,

Mysterious Moon (Nikon Coolpix L830) Photograph by Hannah Parker, 13. Published in Stone Soup, October 2018. A note from Sarah Ainsworth Dear Stone Soup readers, Did you know that Stone Soup has a YouTube channel? We’ve posted a variety of videos before, including interviews with authors published in Stone Soup. However, this week I want to draw your attention to some recent videos we’ve been posting. First, did you see the wildlife videos by blogger Sierra Glassman? One was a video about hummingbirds, and the other was a compilation of wildlife videos she shot while on vacation in Pantanal, Brazil. Not only are they interesting to watch, but they also make you think about how wildlife photography and videography is no longer solely in the hands of National Geographic photographers. You very well might have access to a camera right now! Is there something outside that you could film and make the subject of a short documentary? Even inside there may be something worthy of documentation. A pet or a plant, perhaps? Don’t feel that nature documentaries need to be shot in remote parts of the Sahara—you can make one in your own backyard! On the fiction side of things, we published two videos this week: “Space Battle” by Christian Goh and “A Day at Camp” by Caitlin Goh. I highly recommend you to take the time to watch them. Though they were created using the same software, Christian and Caitlin take very different approaches to their short films. Christian chooses to film a science fiction story, while Caitlin gives a day-in-the-life glimpse of a character’s camp experience. Both young filmmakers use a combination of still and moving images (photos and videos, in other words) to tell their story. They also make the choice to only feature a musical score for their films, with some sound effects, but without any spoken dialogue. Instead, the words are written on screen for viewers to read for themselves. This is not a common practice anymore, but back in the days of silent film, it was the only way to convey language on screen—besides body language, of course! Without dialogue spoken aloud, words needed to be chosen carefully, and visual representations, like the actors’ behavior, needed to express a great deal. It can be striking to look back at these old movies and see how “over”-acted they are, or how exaggerated the actors behaved. But remember, they had to make sure the audience knew what was going on! Do you think you could make a silent film with a more modern, subtle acting style? After watching these videos, you may very well be inspired to make your own. It can be helpful to start with a small idea. Maybe you’d like to create a nature documentary like Sierra did. Or maybe you’d like to create a fiction film like the ones the Gohs made. My advice is to lay out a step-by-step plan if you want to make a movie, including script deadlines, casting ideas, locations for filming, and times for final editing (called post-production). Then, once you’re done, submit it! Happy creating! P.S. Don’t forget that we’ve published a screenplay in Stone Soup before! Read Oliver Jacobs’s lively “Bugs Are the Future!” here. If you write your own screenplay and are pleased with it but don’t wish to make it a visual production, feel free to submit that to Stone Soup! Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! As I discussed above, we published two excellent videos this week: “Space Battle” by Christian Goh and “A Day at Camp” by Caitlin Goh. Leave a comment on the blog if you enjoy them! From Stone Soup July/August 2018 The Moon and My Heart By Rebecca Beaver, 13 The moon ate my heart. My vision was tainted. I staggered forward, uncertain. I heard something disappear. I think— I am myself. I taste the hole in my chest. The moon’s smile mocks me. I know, I know I am not myself— I am merely a whisper Of a husked heartbeat. Click on this link to read more poems by Stone Soup authors on similar themes. Stone Soup’s advisors: Abby Austin, Mike Axelrod, Annabelle Baird, Jem Burch, Evelyn Chen, Juliet Fraser, Zoe Hall, Montanna Harling, Alicia & Joe Havilland, Lara Katz, Rebecca Kilroy, Christine Leishman, Julie Minnis, Jessica Opolko, Tara Prakash, Denise Prata, Logan Roberts, Emily Tarco, Rebecca Ramos Velasquez, Susan Wilky

“Umbrellas”. Photograph by Marlena Rohde, 12, the cover of Stone Soup, February 2019. A note from William Rubel I’d like to start this week’s newsletter by talking about the remarkable February issue. Our editor, Emma Wood, put together an issue that departs from our normal structure. You will find a novella, a poetry cycle, a cycle of four poems and a drawing about the seasons, and a varied selection of art throughout the chapters of the novella. The novella, by 11-year-old Harper Miller, is the core of the issue by virtue of its length—but all of the work was selected to form a harmonious whole. I have mentioned SoundCloud in recent newsletters. Listen to Harper reading her novella at the Stone Soup SoundCloud channel. If you like what you hear, then please follow us. It is an honor to publish Harper’s novella. Longer works of fiction are more difficult to shape and finish than shorter stories. As a writer myself, I can speak about this from experience. It’s increasingly easy to lose one’s way the longer a piece becomes. “Dancing in the Rain” rewards the attentive reader. The story is calm, but deep. I hope you all like it as much as I do. If any of you are working on a longer-form piece of fiction, please persevere to the end and then submit it to Stone Soup so Emma can consider your work. We are flexible about length, so don’t worry about how many pages it is. William’s weekend project Look at “Umbrellas,” the cover illustration for the February issue. Wow! A study of color. A study of spacial relationships—the very distant sky, the clouds, and the near but still-out-of-reach umbrellas all appear to be attached to separate planes. And which way are they curving? Looking at the photograph I feel stillness. Cold. Ethereal beauty. Balance. What are your responses to the photograph? Pick up your phone or camera and take your own photograph that captures at least one of your own responses, or write your thoughts about Marlena’s photograph in the comments section on our website. As I suggest so often, do this whether you are a Stone Soup-age reader or whether you are older. And, if you are a Stone Soup age writer or artists, consider sending us your work using the Submit button. Until next week, Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our book reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! The review of Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, by Nina Vigil, raises interesting questions about how as a reviewer one should best approach reviewing a book series. Two interesting pieces by Stone Soup bloggers. The first is a poetic work by a young writer called “The Blue Chair.” This piece is a reminder that very young children can create work that makes you think. “Sledding,” by Maya V., reminds me of the years during my childhood when we lived in Washington, DC. It didn’t snow often, but when it did snow enough for sledding—as Maya describes—we’d immediately go to a sledding spot. Being able sled was so rare, and I was always so excited! From Stone Soup February 2019 Dancing in the Rain: A Novella By Harper Miller, 11   This book is dedicated to my little brother, Theo, for encouraging me to try.   Dear Reader, Hi! My name is Harper Miller, and I want to be an author when I grow up. I live with my very old dog, Oscar, my Mom and Dad, and my little brother, Theo (with me in the picture above), who is three years younger than me. I started my book on May 11, 2017, when I was 10 and finished on November 27, 2017, and now I am 11. I worked a lot on this book, and I want to say thank you to my Mom and Dad, who helped make this possible. Also, thank you to my editor (and close friend), Mackenzie. You might wonder why I wrote about a girl going through a drought. Here is my answer. I wrote this book to show that a child can make a difference in the world, even when things might be looking pretty bad. Writing this book was one of the many highlights of my life so far. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Sincerely, Harper You can read Harper’s nine-chapter novella in the current issue of Stone Soup. If you like what you read, then please support this work by subscribing or donating to Stone Soup magazine.  Stone Soup’s advisors: Abby Austin, Mike Axelrod, Annabelle Baird, Jem Burch, Evelyn Chen, Juliet Fraser, Zoe Hall, Montanna Harling, Alicia & Joe Havilland, Lara Katz, Rebecca Kilroy, Christine Leishman, Julie Minnis, Jessica Opolko, Tara Prakash, Denise Prata, Logan Roberts, Emily Tarco, Rebecca Ramos Velasquez, Susan Wilky Stone Soup is published by the Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498. Your donations make our work  possible. Please click the Donate button on our website to help us publish more great work by kids.