For the next few weeks, we will be doing an author’s study on Eric Carle.  At the preschool level, we do an author’s study because it provides a good role model of what an author and an illustrator does,  it shows that writing has purpose,  it lends itself to ideas across the curriculum (you can integrate all subject areas), and it encourages a love of books.  Today, we voted and graphed our favorite Eric Carle/Bill Martin bear books (math), identified the different foods in Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar (vocabulary), and worked on two different art techniques in Eric Carle books.  This picture shows one of them.  First, the children put paint on a blank piece of paper.  Then, they finger painted.  Then, they used their fingernails to add a texture and design to their painting.