Illustrator Presents to Cranberry Elementary

Written by: Lauren Rembold 4/5/19

Photography by: AJ Howard

Illustrator John Manders answers questions from elementary students

John Manders doing a demonstration according to the suggestions from elementary students

Illustrator Presents to Cranberry Elementary

Written by: Lauren Rembold

Photography by: AJ Howard

“I have the best job in the world,” says John Manders, an illustrator who donated his time on Friday, April 5th to demonstrate illustration as well as read a story to students at Cranberry Elementary.

As students sat eagerly waiting, John Manders introduced himself. John Manders graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh after he disclosed that he has “always been interested in illustrating,” ever since he was a kid. He also took some classes at the School of Visual Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology, located in New York. While at these institutions, he studied animation, children’s illustration, and life drawing.

During his one-hour demonstration, Mr. Manders read one of the books that he illustrated, Jack and the Giant Barbeque. The book was about a boy, Jack, whose mother wouldn’t cook barbeque although it is his favorite food. The mother tells Jack that his father made the best barbeque but his recipe book was stolen by a giant. Jack goes on a mission to steal the book back and meets a talking jukebox during the journey. After he steals the recipe book back, Jack and the jukebox escape from the giant and end up opening a barbeque restaurant together.

After he read the story, Mr. Manders began asking students what they wanted him to draw. After multiple suggestions, it was decided that he would draw a pink unicorn on a racetrack with a duck on his back.

He explained the entire process in vocabulary that the students would understand and even answered any questions the kids had. Overall, it was assumed that he was a great hit with the students as well as the staff whom were also laughing along with the students.

Some of John’s many illustrations are included in the following books: The Adventures of Mr. McGuire and Friends by K.A. Yodock (Polliwog Press), The Navy's Night Before Christmas by Christine Ford & Trish Holland (Golden Books), P is for Pirate: A Pirate Alphabet by Eve Bunting (Sleeping Bear Press), Finnegan and Fox: The Ten-Foot Cop by Helen L. Wilbur (Sleeping Bear Press), Cowboy Christmas by Rob Sanders (Golden Books), Let's Have a Tree Party! by David Martin (Candlewick), Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex by Lisa McClatchy (Random House), Jack and the Giant Barbecue by Eric A. Kimmel (Amazon Children's Publishing), The Really Awful Musicians (Clarion Books), Pirates Go to School by Corinne Demas (Orchard Books), Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies & Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi (Candlewick), The Famous Nini: A Mostly True Story of How a Plain White Cat Became a Star by Mary Nethery (Clarion Books), Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi (Candlewick), Santa's Reindeer Games by Samantha Berger (Scholastic), Pete's Disappearing Act by Jenny Tripp (Harcourt Children's Books), The Year Without a Santa Claus written by Phyllis McGinley (Marshall Cavendish Corp), and The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend (Candlewick).

Report abuse