Make-A-Book Project
Updates about how we’re making the latest book. The Make-A-Book Project, an artist-in-residence program where schools or organizations create and illustrate a children’s chapter book with Scott and friends. Are you interested in starting your own project? Learn more about the Make-A-Book Project.

Success — More monarch butterflies and more young readers
Here is a long overdue update about the book project. Pictured above is the incredible tile wall installed this school year at Parker Woods Montessori by the PTO co-president and artist Kate Demske, art teacher Suzanne Nall and Rick Wolf of Wolf Custom Tile and Design. This could last a 1000 years. I hope my

Butterfly Book Celebration
Finally, the best part of the whole project — the book celebration. Many people told me it was a smash hit. It was amazing to see how proud all the students were to sign their pages in the book. And we were all honored to have hundreds of community members attend and support both the

Help Save the Butterflies
And make the world a more beautiful place At Parker Woods Montessori, we all love monarch butterflies. Like many species on our planet, monarchs face many challenges. The population has shrunk dramatically, and their great migration has nearly collapsed more than once. That made Mirabella the Monarch a difficult story to write because I wanted

Making of the Monarch Butterfly School Photo
This is another one of my favorite all-time photographs. Unlike the past 3 photographs where I was standing on the roof of the school, this is photographed using a drone. Technology has really improved in just a few years. The photograph is by Scott Stoll with Tim Spanagel of MasseyGreenAVP. Tim needed two licenses to

Butterfly Project Updates
There has been a lot of progress happening with the monarch butterfly book and all the related projects. Here are a few highlights, including the mosaic wall by PTO co-president and artist, Kate Demske, called “Faces of Parker Woods Montessori Self-Portrait Mural” with drawings by kids made into 4×4″ tiles. This isn’t about the book

Collateral Projects for the Monarch Butterfly Book
Classroom Activities and Upcoming Celebration Above is a hint of what is coming to Parker Woods Montessori Science Fair. This fantastic blacklight butterfly garden. An amazing art show by Suzanne Nall and the students. Just one of the great activities going along with our upcoming book: Mirabella the Monarch. Below you can see the before

Illustrations for Mirabella the Monarch
Make-A-Book Project Update Summary: Illustrations are done (except for our make-up session). Ms Nall, the art teacher, has been great to work with. I learned an incredible amount about teaching from her, not least of all crowd management. And her personal teaching style is visible in the student’s drawings. I can say they are more

Character Creation Contest
The Make-A-Book Project begins at Parker Woods Montessori I’m excited to announce that the new book will be about the monarch butterfly, which is truly one of the most amazing animals (insects are animals, too) on the planet. The monarch butterfly migrates from Canada to Mexico. It takes 4 generations to fly there and back.

Falling Uphill in Kenya
Inspiring dreams Finally, it took two months for my package of books to arrive in Kenya. I marked the package “educational material for children,” and luckily no one stole it as often happens. I love how the photo captures them jumping in the air, just like they are falling uphill. I hope the books encourage

Vamos Chicas Vamos
The Spanish edition of my “Falling Uphill” kids book “Cayendo Hacia Arriba” is being used by the Peace Corp in Paraguay to teach kids how to read and dream.

Will Allen and Ruby the Red Worm
Once again I was honored to present at the Growing Power International Urban & Small Farm Conference. Pictured here is Will Allen, one of Milwaukee’s most prominent citizens and the founder of Growing Power.

Celebrating the book
Pictured below are the students from Argentina holding their certificates of achievements and their copy of “Cayendo Hacia Arriba” the book that we created together. In my opinion, the celebration of the book is the most important step. It helps the students realize their purpose in life, take a step of action with their passion