An Arts4All Newsletter Special

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The Arts4All Newsletter is pleased to introduce Waldo Wannabe and the Rainbow, from author Susan A. Katz, with co-authors to be determined - including You!

Here's how it works:

The basic story of Waldo Wannabe and the Rainbow is already here, in place. However, the descriptive language that gives a story its richness is still to be written, by you, in all the blank spaces you will see in the five pages of Waldo's story. You may want to read through the story once, to get a sense of the overall contours. Then follow these steps:

1. If you have access to a printer, print the five pages of Waldo Wannabe's story, by navigating to each page in turn and, while there, clicking the "print" button at the top of your browser's window.

2. When you have the five printed pages, you can start adding your words, using a pencil or pen on the printed sheets, to the story of Waldo Wannabe and the Rainbow. [If you do not have access to a printer, you can still make up your own words for the spaces in Waldo Wannabe's story, when you read it from the computer screen. Just say your words, as you read the story aloud, and do a new set each time you read it online!]

3. If you see a blank space in the story that you don't know how to complete, you can look for inspiration: Hidden in the story as it appears on the web are helpful hints from Susan Katz, for each blank space in the story. To see the hints, navigate to that page of the story, and just click on the blank - three suggestions will appear, to help you on your way.

4. You can also make illustrations for the story on your own, or, if you need inspiration, we have included a set of four drawings that illustrate four important moments in Waldo Wannabe's story. You can take a look at these drawings by clicking on the "drawings" link in the left margin of each page.

From the (co-) Author:

Waldo Wannabe and the Rainbow is an interactive book. The reader becomes a co-author by contributing words and word combinations which complete thoughts and create images. The co-author helps to develop the story line and to bring characters to life. This book is designed to help develop a love of language and to provide a sense of the power and joy of creative expression. Enjoy!
Susan A. Katz
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 674-639.

Credits and Thank-you's:

Waldo Wannabe and the Rainbow was written by Susan A. Katz and is one of a series of interactive stories about Waldo Wannabe and his adventures. With her permission, we have abridged the story for this Newsletter.

Ms. Katz's work as a teacher was featured in this Newsletter in Issue 11, in an article on her work with Judith Thomas in the public schools.

The Newsletter thanks Ms. Katz, and illustrators Rebecca Wortman and Corinda Lubin-Katz, for their generosity, sharing the story of Waldo Wannabe, and the illustrations that help the story come alive. We hope the pictures serve as inspirations to many more co-authors of this story.