Claymates
Written by Dev Petty, Illustrated by Lauren Eldridge

Publisher’s Summary:
Meet the claymates: two balls of clay that can become anything — even best friends! What can you do with two blobs of clay? Create something amazing! But don’t leave them alone for too long. Things might get a little crazy.

In this photographic friendship adventure, the claymates squish, smash, and sculpt themselves into the funniest shapes imaginable. But can they fix a giant mess before they’re caught in the act?

Primary Source Pairing:
This imaginative book is sure to spark curiosity and creativity for young and old readers alike. Pair this book with a STEAM activity using polymer clay to make the story come alive. Visit author Dev Petty’s website for a printable writing extension activity (link below). For this primary source pairing, invite students to study a photograph of illustrator and sculptor Lauren Eldrige in her studio as she worked on the art for this book. Check out Lauren’s website for more inspiration and behind the scene photographs: https://laureneldridge.com/.

Questions for Discussion:

• What do you notice first?
• Find something small but interesting.
• What do you notice that you didn’t expect?
• What do you notice that you can’t explain?
• How does studying this image give you a new understanding of the book Claymates?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Photograph of Lauren in her studio (used with permission): https://laureneldridge.com/

Additional Resources:
Book Trailer: https://videos.files.wordpress.com/epScpavS/claymates-book-trailer_dvd.mp4
Claymates Printable Resources: https://www.devpetty.com/printables