In honor of Dr. Seuss’ recent birthday, the students of Tzu Chi celebrated with a reading of Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who and the making of small, clay animals.
“A person is a person no matter how small” is the repetitive, yet powerful line that is recited throughout the book by Horton the elephant. This idea began a conversation on appreciation for small animals in our own environment. After a quick discussion, the students were then encouraged to create their own small creatures using colorful cloud clay.
The students loved getting their hands dirty as they played with this medium. Snails, snakes, birds, and many other creatures (even a few dinosaurs!) were created and set aside to dry. Perhaps the most important lesson learned from this activity is the fact that creative freedom is very important to all artists, “no matter how small.”
