DEBORAH CORRAO / L’Observateur / October 13, 1999

James Rice, noted children’s author and illustrator, stopped by St. Joan ofArc School recently and treated students, teachers and faculty members to a lively demonstration, complete with tips on how to draw cartoons and caricatures.

Rice, who has more than one million books in print, is perhaps best known for his children’s book, “Cajun Night Before Christmas,” which was published in 1973.

“I had been trying to get published since 1970,” Rice said. “I actually hadanother book I was trying to sell, but the publishers liked ‘Cajun Night.'”Rice describes himself as an “artist turned author.” In fact, when “CajunNight Before Christmas” was published, he was teaching art at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.

Today, when he’s not working on a new book, he visits schools throughout the country to encourage children to embrace the arts.

Rice is multitalented; he also plays the clarinet. He entertained the folksat St. Joan of Arc with a few strains of a favorite tune as students filedinto the newly expanded library at the school.

“Someone said this was the best class in school,” Rice began. “Is thattrue?” A group of second- and third-graders giggled and prepared to listen.

“I want to show you things that might help you with drawing,” Rice said.

“Drawing is a skill. You have to learn how to do it.” Rice offered lots of encouragement to the kids. “Don’t be disappointed anddon’t give up,” he said. “Keep working and you might be pleasantlysurprised.” This author’s advise to anyone attending his presentation included handling rejection with grace. “Be persistent,” he advised young aspiringauthors and artists. “Keep a good sketch book and journal because theseare tools of the trade.”He encouraged the students to make time for drawing in their busy lives.

Rice said he didn’t take any formal art classes when he was a youngster, but he did check out a lot of art books from the library to read and study.

He encouraged the students to play “make-believe” with their drawing and to think of their journals as “idea catchers.”Rice invited a couple of students to the front to draw free hand on his enormous sketch pad. After a few minutes of drawing lines, the studentstook their seats and Rice turned their lines into Gaston, an alligator character who stars in several of his books.

One youngster said, after watching Rice bring Gaston to the page, “I’ll never be able to do this at home.””Yes you will,” Rice quickly responded. “I’m showing you what you can do.”Rice suggested the students work with pencils, not ink. He also saidyoungsters should practice drawing without using geometric shapes. Ricesaid he uses special crayons and watercolors when he works on his illustrations and fills in tiny details with a dark pencil.

Aspiring writers were not left behind. Rice stressed the importance ofkeeping a journal, so students can keep up with their ideas for stories.

“Make your story as perfect as possible before you show it to someone,” he suggested.

Before he concluded his presentation, Rice suggested students interested in becoming cartoonists should use alphabet letters as a basis for drawing cartoons. “And make sure you doodle,” Rice added.Then he picked up a marker and drew a caricature of himself, laughing as he drew a large pair of glasses sitting on an oversized nose.

“Who’s this?,” he asked.

“You!,” the students echoed.

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