In Every Good Thing, the narrator starts his statements with "I am", and then uses metaphors, or comparisons, to describe himself to us. The result is a picture book that is almost like a poem.

Try writing your own "I Am" poem. Think about what you would like people to know about you. Brainstorm some "I am" statements comparing yourself to something to help the reader understand you. Then, put your "I am" statements together to create your own poem.

In Every Good Thing, Gordon C. James creates fantastic images of the narrator's big dreams for his future, like this picture when he's dreaming of traveling to space. Think about one of your big dreams, and draw a picture of yourself making that dream come true.

In If You Come To Earth, the narrator of the story writes a letter to a visitor from outer space. He explains things on Earth to him, like how humans live and what humans do all day. Try writing your own letter to a visitor from Outer Space. You could tell the visitor about the whole Earth, too, or you could talk about one area of Earth, like your neighborhood or your school. Think about what a visitor would most need to know, and what you would most like to tell them about. You can also draw pictures to go with it if you would like.

What do you notice about Sophie Blackall's style, or her way of making pictures? What makes her drawing different than other drawings? Some things that make her illustrations special are: 1) She uses a lot of bright colors. 2) She uses a lot of detail. 3) She sometimes puts things from other stories or real life in her pictures. Try drawing your own picture using one or all of these elements of Sophie Blackall's style.