MY ILLUSTRATIONS
I am an art lover and illustrator. While reading children's books, observing nature, visiting museums, or viewing the work of other artists, I look for interesting elements which inspire me. Then, I experiment with new techniques and colors. As a children's book illustrator, I have read and analyzed hundreds of children's books and I am especially aware of how illustrations provide young readers with a vision of the characters, setting, and the moods of the stories. The visual appeal helps children's imagination, strengthens visual thinking, improves listening and serves as an effective learning tool. To see additional illustrations, visit my Instagram page @tinamariehowlett. If you are interested in purchasing an item or would like me to draw your portrait or draw a family member or group for you, I would be honored to create your soon-to-be masterpiece. Feel free to contact me! Also, here's the link to my Etsy Shop.
In an effort to help preservice teachers select high quality multicultural (MC) children's books for their new classrooms, Heather, my co-author, and I reviewed more than 80 of our favorite MC books from our personal libraries. Then, we met to discuss our evaluation process which resulted in designing an Anti-bias Checklist connecting to Bennet's Six MC Principles. The article was featured in "Promising Practices" in the journal Multicultural Education. Children's book writers could use the checklist as a way to ensure that their books can be accessed by as wide a readership as possible. Books should reflect the diverse society in which we live.