This extraordinary selection of woodcuts is from a single school in Japan. We are not certain when they were made. We have had them for more than thirty years. Our guess is they date from the 1970s. Each print is a powerful work of art, and taken together they represent a staggering display of masterful woodcuts by students ages 12 to 15. The self-portraits are strikingly focused. They clearly capture the essence of the artist. We are fond of so many of these it is difficult to call out just one or two. An Old Man Moving Stones in His Garden and A Woman Roasting Tea Leaves offer a look at ancient Japanese traditions, though in fact this set of woodcuts itself represents the continuation of ancient tradition. You can purchase prints of these images. We recommend using prints as art on the wall, classroom instructional aids, and inspiration for art projects. Self-portrait, Masuku Ando, age 15. Woodcut. My Friend With a Serious Face, Shisko Watanabe, age 14. Woodcut. My Friend Who is Thinking, Yasayuki Kahara, age 15. Woodcut. The Friend I Trust, Fumie Hirosue, age 13. Woodcut. Self-portrait–The Thinker, Eiko Akagi, age 13. Woodcut. Self-Portrait–When I Have Problems, Toyohisa Sawa, 14. Woodcut. A Man Carrying Rocks in the Garden, Setsuko Gondo, age 13 A Woman Roasting Tea Leaves, Kioka Iwata, age 14. Woodcut. My Friends on the Bus, Kazutoshi Yokohama, age 15. Woodcut.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Pirates: a parody video made by nine-year-olds.
A parody of the blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean, by nine-year-olds. Exaggerating gestures, calling attention to possibly ridiculous plot lines are aspects of what make parodies work. Talk about this video — what makes it funny — and apply ideas developed in the conversation in a writing project.
Stone Soup Author Interview: Richard Ma, 12
Stone Soup author Richard Ma, 12, talks about how he finds his ideas, what he likes to write about most, and how being published has made a difference to his writing. Richard has published a poem, “Goes the Ball” (September/October 2014) in Stone Soup, and reviewed two books for us: the biography of Steve Jobs (July/August 2012) and Temple Grandin (May/June 2013). Here’s a list of the questions he answers in this video. 0:33 — How did you begin creative writing? 1:06 — What do you like to write about? 1:34 — Where do you get your ideas for stories? 2:03 — Describe your writing process. 2:48 — What was your reaction to getting published in Stone Soup? 3:55 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you? 4:15 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup?
