Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft on Tree, creative processes, and engaging young readers

Award-winning author/illustrator duo Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft chat with a teacher audience about their latest book Tree, their writing and illustrative creative processes, and how they engage young readers with creative ideas and the world around them. Includes advice and text orientation descriptions you can share with students!

• Pair this video with PETAA's Year 5 curriculum unit of work for Tree.
• Continue your study of the author and illustrator with curriculum units on Iceberg: Years 3 and 4 | Lower primary (F-3)

Key questions covered during the webinar include:

• 0:12: Claire, can you tell us about writing Tree? What was the story that you wanted to tell and how did you construct the narrative of the book?
• 03:04: Jess, how did you start building your artistic process and approach for the tree and the world around it? How did getting up close with (and inside) trees support your illustrations?
• 08:07: Claire, how did getting up close with nature affect the words you used to create the story or the sensations you wanted to include?
• 09:58: Claire, how did you select the language and words you wanted to use in this story - and how did those words influence the illustrations?
• 17:36: How can books bring nature, conservation, and our changing planet closer to, and less scary for, young readers? 
• 21:23: What advice would you give to young writers or artists in primary schools?
• 24:02 How would you introduce this book to students who are about to read it?