Idea Jar

Ideas are wonderful things, but if you don't keep them active by giving them a story, they can be dangerous! So one classroom discovers when their teacher's Idea Jar is knocked over, and all the residents go rampaging through the classroom. Fortunately, with some quick thinking and some storytelling skills, the children manage to work the ideas into one big narrative...

Adam Lahrhaupt, whose recent picture-books, from This Is a Good Story to Wordplay, seem aimed at encouraging children to get involved in storytelling and writing, delivers another such tale with Idea Jar. Fans of meta-fictional picture-books will definitely enjoy this one, which pairs an engaging story with appealing artwork. Recommended to anyone who has enjoyed show more Lehrhaupt's previous forays into the genre, as well as to those looking for picture-books about ideas, creativity, and the storytelling process. show less

With illustrations interacting with the text, Adam Lehrhaupt and Deb Pilutti created a fun and interactive story about a teacher's idea jar that encourages children to be creative with their writing. As I was reading this book, I immediately saw how it could be integrated into a classroom and the fun that students could have with it. While I don't think this book is necessarily a bedtime story, it is a great tool that teachers could use to help young students get past a writing block and make them excited about doing their work.

A good book for teachers talking about writing ideas.