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Idea Jar
From the author of Warning: Do Not Open This Book comes a lively story about a teacher’s special jar where her students keep their story ideas—but watch out when those ideas go on the loose!
The idea jar is where students keep their ideas—anything from a Viking to a space robot to a giant dragon. These ideas can be combined to make new exciting stories. But watch out when the ideas escape the jar—they might get a little rowdy! Adam Lehrhaupt’s newest picture book is sure to inspire creativity, imagination, and adventure.
The idea jar is where students keep their ideas—anything from a Viking to a space robot to a giant dragon. These ideas can be combined to make new exciting stories. But watch out when the ideas escape the jar—they might get a little rowdy! Adam Lehrhaupt’s newest picture book is sure to inspire creativity, imagination, and adventure.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2018
3 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
Adam Lehrhaupt
22 books95 followersAdam Lehrhaupt is the award-winning author of Warning: Do Not Open This Book!, Please: Open This Book!, Chicken in Space (A six book series: Book 2 Chicken in School lands June 20, 2017), I Will Not Eat You and the upcoming I Don't Draw, I Color (March 21, 2016), Wordplay (July 2017), Idea Jar (Fall 2017), and This is a Good Story (Spring, 2018). He has traveled to six continents, performed on Broadway, and lived on a communal farm. He firmly believes that opening a book is a good thing, even if there are monkeys in it. Adam currently lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, with his wife, two sons, and two bizarre dogs. Follow Adam on twitter and Instagram @lehrhaupt for the occasional brilliant thought or picture, and at adamlehrhaupt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 14, 2018
I didn't like this. Aside from the statement that there are no bad story ideas (which is demonstrably false), it's too chaotic and cluttered. Yes, an idea jar can be helpful. But there's also knowing when to stop adding ingredients so you don't spoil your recipe. This book seems to take the position that more is better, leading to a "story" about a viking, a space robot, a dragon, and a horseless cowgirl. I think it's important to be able to take one idea and really polish it... rather than just adding other random ideas to make it more interesting.
The illustrations didn't wow me, either (especially the stereotypical viking with his stupid horned helmet).
I wouldn't bother with this one again. It's a shame, because it had the potential to be really interesting.
The illustrations didn't wow me, either (especially the stereotypical viking with his stupid horned helmet).
I wouldn't bother with this one again. It's a shame, because it had the potential to be really interesting.
March 9, 2018
A cute book full of inspiration for children of all ages. Read this on a plane ride to spark a story conversation or read the book in class to inspire students' creative writing. The instructions and story are easy to follow. The illustrations are whimsical and fun.
April 21, 2018
I've never understood fellow writers who say they're suffering from writer's block. There's always a story about Viking Robots fighting dragons lead by horseless cowboys. Adam Lehrhaupt's book is the best argument against anyone claiming that there aren't stories left to tell. There's always a story left to tell, although for the record I'm still waiting to hear the one about the blue monster with a red triangle for a nose.
February 15, 2018
Such a fun, creative book that definitely sparks the imagination. Idea Jar is a great tool to use in teaching creative writing or to encourage kids to explore their ideas. The colorful illustrations and action packed pages really add to the humor of the story, plus there's a viking and everyone knows stories are better with vikings.
December 1, 2019
Ideas are wonderful things, but if you don't keep them active by giving them a story, they can be dangerous! So one classroom discovers when their teacher's Idea Jar is knocked over, and all the residents go rampaging through the classroom. Fortunately, with some quick thinking and some storytelling skills, the children manage to work the ideas into one big narrative...
Adam Lahrhaupt, whose recent picture-books, from This Is a Good Story to Wordplay , seem aimed at encouraging children to get involved in storytelling and writing, delivers another such tale with Idea Jar. Fans of meta-fictional picture-books will definitely enjoy this one, which pairs an engaging story with appealing artwork. Recommended to anyone who has enjoyed Lehrhaupt's previous forays into the genre, as well as to those looking for picture-books about ideas, creativity, and the storytelling process.
Adam Lahrhaupt, whose recent picture-books, from This Is a Good Story to Wordplay , seem aimed at encouraging children to get involved in storytelling and writing, delivers another such tale with Idea Jar. Fans of meta-fictional picture-books will definitely enjoy this one, which pairs an engaging story with appealing artwork. Recommended to anyone who has enjoyed Lehrhaupt's previous forays into the genre, as well as to those looking for picture-books about ideas, creativity, and the storytelling process.
March 31, 2018
Love love love this! What great inspiration for writers. Adam Lehrhaupt and Deb Pilutti created something special. Will be a well loved title for launching writers workshop with craft lessons for young writers as well as lessons on creativity, imagination and a whole lot of fun!
October 15, 2020
love it!
finn-read
July 17, 2018All questions answered by my 4 year old
Do you like this book?
Yeah! Because it has dragons and robots and Viking with funny hats!
What's your favorite part of the book?
When the girl was on the dragon and when the dragon picked the robot up! The robot was so mad!
What do you think of the cover?
I like the words and the robot and dragon
Do you want me to read it again?
Yeah!
Idea Jar is such a great book about using imagination. I'm always down for a good book about using imagination, and this one is one of the best I've read.
The kids in a classroom have an idea jar for when they have ideas for stories, they just put the idea in the jar and then try to come up with a story.
They add dragons and robots and vikings and a horseless cowgirl.
The kids start writing a story but when it doesn't involve the viking he gets mad and spills the jar.
So now there are ideas with no story running around everywhere. So the kids have to quickly come up with a story involving everyone that spilled out of the jar.
It's such a fun book to read, it's well written and the artwork is adorable
Do you like this book?
Yeah! Because it has dragons and robots and Viking with funny hats!
What's your favorite part of the book?
When the girl was on the dragon and when the dragon picked the robot up! The robot was so mad!
What do you think of the cover?
I like the words and the robot and dragon
Do you want me to read it again?
Yeah!
Idea Jar is such a great book about using imagination. I'm always down for a good book about using imagination, and this one is one of the best I've read.
The kids in a classroom have an idea jar for when they have ideas for stories, they just put the idea in the jar and then try to come up with a story.
They add dragons and robots and vikings and a horseless cowgirl.
The kids start writing a story but when it doesn't involve the viking he gets mad and spills the jar.
So now there are ideas with no story running around everywhere. So the kids have to quickly come up with a story involving everyone that spilled out of the jar.
It's such a fun book to read, it's well written and the artwork is adorable
March 22, 2018
It's a "must read" and "must use" with young readers and writers, a clever way to show how random topics drawn from a jar can help create a story. The idea jar holds cartoon-like creatures that act in hilarious ways and the words are featured in word balloons.
January 4, 2019
I know I shouldn’t like the story this much, but I do. Part of me wants to take it to my high school writing club and see what the kids to do with it.
February 22, 2018
Good ideas on writing.
Read
April 17, 2018Perfect choice to read to children to show them how an idea becomes a story. Every story begins with an idea and every idea begins inside the imagination of a person.
July 5, 2018
Every creative writing teacher needs this to share with their students!
June 30, 2019
This could be used as a mentor text before a writing lesson on generating ideas. It's creative, humorous and attractive. I'm sure my students are going to like this book.
August 19, 2018
Writing mentor text: How to Brainstorm ideas
September 19, 2019
A good book for teachers talking about writing ideas.
October 30, 2024
This is one of those books for children that may well be better for adults. I definitely think adults who teach writing would enjoy reading it.
April 13, 2018
A funny schoolroom story, in which the teacher has an idea jar for students to drop in pieces of paper with story starter ideas. But the jar begins to tip & the ideas come out, creating the start of their own chaotic stories. Eventually, the ideas are returned to the jar, & the classroom is once again peaceful. This could be a great idea for a writing prompt in the classroom for K - 4th graders. How would be a better idea for the teacher to start students' writing stories with these prompts?
April 28, 2018
This book is so fun and useful for teaching children to write and come up with topics and ideas to do it. The author comes up with fantastic ideas in a jar for kids to creatively write about. They have some clinkers in the jar but the combinations of ideas to make stories energizes kids and writers to come up with stories good and bad. Will work with core curriculum in elementary school and creative writing.
August 20, 2019
Love this, especially for teaching the youngest set about writing. Sometimes kids are intimidated by it, or think it’s difficult or they have to write about the “right” thing. There are no bad story ideas, just sometimes poorly executed ones (I’m looking at you Twilight). I can definitely see using this in the future when teaching writing.
February 2, 2018
A great way to show kids that ideas and stories can come from anywhere and encourage imagination. Lovely and exciting artwork. This would be great for use within the classroom - perhaps introducing an idea jar of their own!
December 7, 2018
Fun book that can be used in the classroom for kids who are learning storytelling, writing and even art techniques. Kids enjoyed it.
March 5, 2018
Summary:
The teacher’s idea jar is a place to help students inspire and create stories. You can put any idea in the idea jar—a space robot, a giant dragon, anything! The idea jar helps the students write, draw, and talk about whatever stories they come up with. When we don’t put our ideas into words or pictures, they get messy and lost. This book teaches readers to take one idea and connect it with others to create your own story.
Activity:
The last page of the book shows a new idea jar filled with random ideas (happy, YETI, kitty, bicycle, playground, dog, yo-yo, octopus, and unicorn). Have the students get into groups of 2-3 and design their own story using the random ideas in the jar on the last page of the book. Students can either write, draw, or choose to act out their story. This activity will help students connect their ideas, while collaborating with others, and create a story about whatever they want, just as it teaches in the book.
Lehrhaupt, A. (2018). Idea jar. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
The teacher’s idea jar is a place to help students inspire and create stories. You can put any idea in the idea jar—a space robot, a giant dragon, anything! The idea jar helps the students write, draw, and talk about whatever stories they come up with. When we don’t put our ideas into words or pictures, they get messy and lost. This book teaches readers to take one idea and connect it with others to create your own story.
Activity:
The last page of the book shows a new idea jar filled with random ideas (happy, YETI, kitty, bicycle, playground, dog, yo-yo, octopus, and unicorn). Have the students get into groups of 2-3 and design their own story using the random ideas in the jar on the last page of the book. Students can either write, draw, or choose to act out their story. This activity will help students connect their ideas, while collaborating with others, and create a story about whatever they want, just as it teaches in the book.
Lehrhaupt, A. (2018). Idea jar. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
April 25, 2019
Idea Jar is a children's picture book written by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Deb Pilutti. It is a lively story about a teacher's special jar where students keep their story ideas.
Lehrhaupt's text is rather simplistic and straightforward. It centers on a jar in a classroom, where the students in the class would keep their ideas for stories and when the jar is full they would pull the ideas out to form a new story. Pilutti's illustrations are drawn rather well, albeit a tad jejune, but appropriate for the narrative and target audience.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It depicts students trying to write stories getting their prompts from the Idea Jar, but it slowly gets out of control when several ideas spew out. It is an interesting idea, which postulates that there are no bad ideas when writing, as the ideas escape the jar and change the narrative into a rather chaotic and cluttered.
All in all, Idea Jar is a wonderful book celebrating imagination and the art of writing.
Lehrhaupt's text is rather simplistic and straightforward. It centers on a jar in a classroom, where the students in the class would keep their ideas for stories and when the jar is full they would pull the ideas out to form a new story. Pilutti's illustrations are drawn rather well, albeit a tad jejune, but appropriate for the narrative and target audience.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It depicts students trying to write stories getting their prompts from the Idea Jar, but it slowly gets out of control when several ideas spew out. It is an interesting idea, which postulates that there are no bad ideas when writing, as the ideas escape the jar and change the narrative into a rather chaotic and cluttered.
All in all, Idea Jar is a wonderful book celebrating imagination and the art of writing.
May 19, 2024
A teacher keeps a special jar to store story ideas. Then the fun begins.
Unfortunately, this book is not helpful for writing. Whatever one's age. Not unless one is a clueless dilettante. Furthermore, I didn't find the "fun" offered here to be particularly enjoyable.
Clearly... JUST MY OPINION.
Among the author's opinions, expressed here:
"There is no such thing as a bad story idea."
Really, in what world? A world with no standards? A literary world where there are no consequences for what people say or do or write?
RATING THIS BOOK
My policy is to rate books based on the intended readers. This book can free up children to write all they like, and feel very-very proud of themselves. No standards will do that for a kid, or anyone.
On that basis, hoever, I'm honor bound to give this book -- which I, personally, dislike so much -- FIVE STARS.
It takes all kinds to make a world of Goodreaders.
Unfortunately, this book is not helpful for writing. Whatever one's age. Not unless one is a clueless dilettante. Furthermore, I didn't find the "fun" offered here to be particularly enjoyable.
Clearly... JUST MY OPINION.
Among the author's opinions, expressed here:
"There is no such thing as a bad story idea."
Really, in what world? A world with no standards? A literary world where there are no consequences for what people say or do or write?
RATING THIS BOOK
My policy is to rate books based on the intended readers. This book can free up children to write all they like, and feel very-very proud of themselves. No standards will do that for a kid, or anyone.
On that basis, hoever, I'm honor bound to give this book -- which I, personally, dislike so much -- FIVE STARS.
It takes all kinds to make a world of Goodreaders.
March 9, 2018
This one is interesting. It teaches aspiring writers to consider their ideas as things that need attention otherwise they'll get out of control! I like how it takes the concept of your imagination and characterizes it in the form of a dragon, a viking, etc. This actually made me think of when I read Elizabeth Gilbert's BIG MAGIC and how she discusses the personification of your ideas; that if you don't tend to them, they will leave you and leap into someone else's imagination! That being said, since it's a little high concept for younger readers, IDEA JAR is better suited for elementary classes. It's one of those books that isn't the best option for read-alouds, but will lead you to reflect as you consider the story.
November 15, 2024
I'm not crazy about this book. This book was giving ideas on how to write and that's wonderful. I like the idea of an 'idea jar'. Think up things and put them in. This isn't about crafting those ideas at all, this is just with coming up with them.
I think for kids this book is about taking the lid of creativity and going with whatever is there. Use the whole idea jar. Wonderful. Fascinating. So, this is the starting point. It's getting the motor running. Then you have to learn about story craft later.
I wasn't enamored with the artwork at all. The colors felt monotone and the characters had no life, no energy to jump off the page. IT was all screaming in a chaotic mess, but it couldn't get off the page.
I think for kids this book is about taking the lid of creativity and going with whatever is there. Use the whole idea jar. Wonderful. Fascinating. So, this is the starting point. It's getting the motor running. Then you have to learn about story craft later.
I wasn't enamored with the artwork at all. The colors felt monotone and the characters had no life, no energy to jump off the page. IT was all screaming in a chaotic mess, but it couldn't get off the page.
February 25, 2018
A teacher keeps an idea jar in her room so the kids can draw an idea out and write or draw a story about it. A viking wants to be part of a story but keeps getting excluded. He accidentally knocks over the jar and all the ideas are out. The kids have to write a story with all of the ideas in on big story quickly before things get out of hand. They liked it so much that they decide from now on they will write stories with multiple ideas in it.
April 28, 2018
I have always loved having an idea jar, and when I say that, I think about the classroom, but really for the home as well. A place to store notes of ideas that one day you may want to take further. I need to bring this idea to my classes next year, and use this book to help introduce the concept. I loved how the author and illustrator brought these ideas to life and had some fun with the viking. I need to add this book to my collection.
June 20, 2018
Everyone needs an IDEA JAR. Mine is just mental, but I love that this one is a physical object that holds inspirations for stories. Lehrhaupt's text is simple yet resounding, and Pilutti's illustration breathe life into it and helps to bring it full circle. I especially loved how they emphasized the different forms that stories can take, which is so true. And yes, everything is better with vikings. Always.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews