Maya Angelou | Booking Across the USA – Missouri

Today I’m joining Growing Book by Book and lots of other bloggers on a trip around the country. We’re each featuring an author or illustrator from one of the 50 states. I chose to feature Maya Angelou who was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Inspired by her book, Kofi and His Magic, we explored weaving. Affiliate links are included in this post. Thanks for supporting Inspiration Laboratories.

Maya Angelou

According to her biography, Maya Angelou was a “celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.” I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is probably her most famous piece of writing. It is the first of seven autobiographies. Her writing has such rhythm and poise. I love hearing her read her words. In addition to poetry and memoirs, Maya Angelou wrote several children’s books. I really liked Kofi and His Magic and I think you will, too.

Kofi and His Magic

Maya Angelou’s Kofi and His Magic is a lovely story about an Ashanti boy from West Africa. His town is famous for Kente cloth. The book contains beautiful photographs taken by Margaret Courtney-Clarke of Kofi and his world.

Kofi learned how to weave at a very young age, but that’s not why he is a magician. He can make anything he wants come true just by imagining it. Travel with Kofi through his imaginary journeys (and see the beautiful sights of West Africa). You can be a magician, too. Just sit down, close your eyes, open your mind, and think about going some place special.

Paper Weaving

Aiden wanted to try weaving just like Kofi did in the book. I thought I would start him off with some simple paper weaving and then we could move onto yarn.

I cut lines in a piece of paper leaving the top of the paper still attached. Then, I cut strips of paper.

I showed Aiden how to move the strips of paper through the other paper weaving the pieces together.

After each strip was pulled through, we glued down the ends.

Aiden said we made a checkerboard blanket perfect for his stuffed animals. Elephant and Piggie seemed to like it.

I like how the paper weaving inspired Aiden’s imagination just like Kofi in the book.

More Weaving Ideas for Kids

• Straw Weaving – I found this idea at Mama Smiles. Making a weaving loom from straws was super easy. It took a while for Aiden to get the hang of it but he eventually did. I happen to really like this weaving method.
  
• Practice paper weaving with this shoe box lid loom from Rainy Day Mum.
• Make a cardboard loom and practice weaving with kids with instructions from Art Bar.

Have you ever tried weaving? What methods have you used?

Head over to Growing Book by Book and see the rest of the Booking Across the USA posts.