Listen and Create

An Artists in Schools project

with 2nd Grade and Multi-Age Classes

at Chautauqua Elementary School on Vashon Island

Throughout this Artists in Schools residency, students listened to passages from my upcoming Middle Grade fantasy series, Wished Forward (EverImagine Books, 2026), then drew pictures of the scenes and characters in the books. They learned about mythical creatures called Habllers and the dangerous Fwanix Clouds and Fwanix Fire. Students discovered what is possible with water in the magical Wishingworld (colors and conjuring) vs. in the human world, comparing what they are learning about the scientific properties of matter to the readings.

Students also had the opportunity to mold these scenes out of clay, as well as work on communal drawings.

Click on the photo for each class, then click on the student's name to see their work. Make sure to check out the communal work as well.

Collaborative Drawing by Finley, Bodhi, Calla, and Rafa

The Readings

Click "Wish" for a sample of one of the passages I read to the class from Chapter 1 of Book 1 from the Wishingworld series. Students listened to sections of the story that included fantastical creatures such as Fwanix Clouds that morph into faces, Pig-faced Habllers that are half made of fire, and magic-training Shimmerbugs who help young Wishingfolk practice magic.

Wish