One of the fun things about walks around our neighborhood is seeing all the sidewalk art that appears this time of year. From the abstract, to hopscotch grids (some of enormous length), to pictures it is always changing and always interesting. Sidewalk Chalk: Outdoor Fun and Games, by Jamie Kyle McGillian and illustrated by Blanche Sims is full of suggestions of just how much can be done! Word puzzles, theme pictures (a cityscape, etc.), obstacle courses, treasure maps, poetry ... enough to inspire imaginations for many, many days. :-) There's even a chapter on how to make your own chalk. While a part of me is sorry to have missed using chalk art, I did grow up in a neighborhood without sidewalks, so it's probably just as well. ;-)

Do the characters in the artwork and those in real life look alike? Keep an eye on both when reading A Piece of Chalk, by Jennifer A. Ericsson and illustrated by Michelle Shapiro to find out!

For chalk art taken to the extreme, check out Pavement Chalk Artist: the Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever. It's not easy, there's a lot of perspective involved. (In fact, the drawings will look good from just one angle). Some are interactive, which creates more problems. I like that Julian Beever included some of his beginning works, and some that didn't turn out too well along with the best work.

Chalk, by Bill Thomson, is a wordless picture book about just what can happen with a little bit of chalk and a great imagination.

Reading Hermit With Dog