Sculpting: Clay and Beyond

Three mice visit a museum and learn that sculpture comes in all shapes, sizes, and textures

The apprenticeship of a Renaissance sculptor. Step by step, Marco learns about sculpting.

As a young girl in 1890s Florida, Augusta Savage enjoyed nothing more than playing with clay. As she grew into a young woman, she wanted to pursue her career as an artist, but to do so she would have to leave behind everything she knew. Award-winning author Alan Schroeder deftly weaves together known historical details to create a compelling portrait of this unique Harlem Renaissance sculptor. Warm paintings capture Augusta Savage's struggles and resilience as she skilfully carves out her own special place in art history.

Encourage elementary and middle school-age kids to build their clay-sculpting skills at home with these lessons and projects designed for use in the classroom. They’ll model a pinch pot, coil animals, fossils, vases, masks, and tiles that they can embellish with rubber stamps. Best of all, these projects will foster children’s confidence in their abilities and stimulate new ideas.

This book in the Starting Art series provides an introduction to all the materials kids need to start building. They'll learn simple architectural techniques such as joining, roofing and folding, in addition to concepts such as foundation, structure and function. Projects include a breezy birdhouse, a mushroom mansion, a perfect palace and a fabulous funhouse. Budding builders will proudly say, "I can sculpt!"