Young Students Inspired to Become Future Authors

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s 107th birthday, Roch Courreges Elementary School celebrates national Read Across America Day with the help of author and illustrator Chris MacNeil on Wednesday.

“Dr. Seuss was able to turn his stories on their heads and step beyond what is accepted in reality,” MacNeil said. “It’s amazing how he’s got a small road with a big elephant, holding a flower, walking on it.”

And originality is evident in MacNeil’s books, as he is inspired by Dr. Seuss’s philosophy of making fantasy come alive.

Excited students, dressed in flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers, gathered in the school’s assembly room as MacNeil introduced his profession, gave a mini-art lesson and read to the audience.

He encouraged students to use their imagination to write and illustrate their own stories by showing how simple it was to create a character by using basic shapes.

“A circle here, a triangle here and a triangle here,” MacNeil said as he drew on the white board and a few seconds later, a comical-looking character with glasses and mustache and his dog were created.

MacNeil shared a simple process for students who wish to write and illustrate books. First, by creating the characters, then sketching a rough draft of various ideas, then adding the details and finally, making any final changes and touch-ups.

MacNeil earned a Masters of Fine Arts at Cal State Long Beach and has been a professional illustrator for more than 15 years. His books are filled with simple yet intricate drawings and words of educational value, humor and moral lessons for children of all ages.

By popular audience demand, MacNeil read his book, “One Odd Little Egg,” about an egg that tried his best to fit in. Yet, when he became a part of group that taunted others, the egg left his peers and in return, discovered who he was and what he stood for.

At first, this book was written for younger children to learn numbers, MacNeil said. But as he began to develop the storyline, MacNeil decided to reach out to a wider audience by adding life experiences to the main character.

“It is important for children to be a part of a social group,” he said. “And through this book, the moral is that a person can be a part of a group while keeping their identity.”