Reading Rockets offers reading comprehension and language arts teaching strategies for kids, and is a free web site for parents and educators
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Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.

A video interview with

Henry Cole

Henry Cole

Henry Cole was once a beloved teacher, so much so that decades after he left teaching to pursue an illustrating career, a parent working for Reading Rockets fondly recalled Henry Cole's influence on his own, now-grown children. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Henry Cole talks about his teaching background, describes the book illustration process, and sketches a new canine character.

Click on the links below to watch this interview online or to download it. You can also read the interview transcript or a short biography of Henry Cole, or see a selected list of his children's books.

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For more information and options, please see the Podcasts & Videos section.

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  • Teaching science with art (1:00)

    Henry Cole describes how his scientific, artistic, and personal interests came together in the classroom.

  • Growing up on the farm (1:30)

    Cole explains how childhood adventures in the woods led to his deep respect for the natural world – a respect that is apparent in many of his books.

  • A page from Clara Caterpillar (1:30)

    Cole walks the viewer through the artistic process for the creation of a typical page from Clara Caterpillar.

  • An artist at work (1:40) Note: This clip is silent.

    This video clip shows Cole at work as he skillfully sketches and paints a puppy named Muldoon, one of his most recent characters.

§ To play this clip, you'll need a copy of the free RealOne Player. Most computers already have it installed, or you can download it now.

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