AMELIA'S LOOSE PART ART

A slew of problems at the beach are no match for artist and inventor Amelia in Odusanya’s illustrated children’s book.

Amelia loves to make art anywhere,with anything she can find. She approaches a family trip to the beach as a big opportunity to be creative, but obstacles seem to keep popping up. When she arrives at the shore, she immediately scouts out “loose parts,” such as shells and seaweed lying on the ground. She also finds a robin’s egg, tucked under a leaf. The nest from which it fell is too high for her to reach, and she’s worried she can’t help. “Maybe so,” her father says, “but ideas are inside of you, and solutions are all around you. You just have to find them.” Encouraged, Amelia builds a nest of her own for the egg. Before she can get back to her original creative mission, she finds a fish trapped in an apparent tidal pool. Careful planning and positive self-talk lead her to dig a canal lined with rocks for the fish to swim back into the ocean. Finally, as Amelia prepares to relax, a boy needs help building a sandcastle. The two children work together to build a delightful structure until it’s time to return home, but that doesn’t stop Amelia from bringing a little bit of the beach back with her. Odusanya’s second installment in the Amelia’s Loose Part Art series, after its eponymous debut in 2023, effectively models basic problem-solving and social-emotional skills in a setting involving science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM). Amelia’s insecurities and her passion for her art are relatable, and she provides tongue-in-cheek names for her creations, such as “Follow the Rocky Brick Road.” Medonza’s brightly colored cartoon illustrations are fully integrated with the text and work well together, much like Amelia and the boy that she befriends. The images portray Amelia with tan skin and curly brown hair; other characters have a range of skin tones. Instructions for various creative activities are included at the book’s end.

A joyful, nuanced book that encourages STEAM problem-solving skills.