This semester at WSU, I took my first foreign language course, Spanish 201. One of our projects in the class was to write and illustrate a children’s book that we would read and donate to Spanish-speaking students in local elementary schools. I chose to write my book about the importance of keeping the Earth healthy and what kids their age can do to contribute good to the planet. I was hoping that this might give them some ideas on why it matters for them to know about how the planet is changing and what those changes effect. I also wanted to give them realistic way they could almost immediately become active in helping out!
The process of this book was very long, but also quite rewarding. We spent a lot of time brainstorming, which in my opinion is always the hardest part. We then created our first, second, and third drafts. After many revisions and time with tutors, I got what would become the final product. With our final draft, we were able to choose or draw our own images for the book. This really helped it come to life, and in my case, allowed me to show visual examples that would hopefully make my writing clearer.
This was a big project, as when it comes to giving impressionable young people new information, you want it to all be correct. The added challenge was making sure that they would be able to clearly understand exactly what I was trying to say. In the end, the book came out just as I had expected!