Traditional Crafts from the Caribbean

Beginning with a map and historical information on the Caribbean, step-by-step guidelines for eight projects follow: Cuban yarn dolls, Puerto Rican "vejigante" masks, Jamaican woven fish, Barbadian shell crafts, Grenadian spice hangers, Haitian metal cutouts, as well as drums and tap-tap trucks. Appropriate for grades 3-7 (the younger grades with adult help; safety comments provided as needed), each project also includes colorful photos, diagrams, templates, (easily acquired) supply lists, and suggestions for variations. Most include a small map and additional facts about the country of origin. The book concludes with a metric conversion chart, glossary, index, and suggested reading (fiction, folktales, nonfiction). I have not been able to locate another resource like this one. The crafts range from very easy (the yarn dolls, shell crafts, coffee can drums, woven paper fish, and spice hangers) to more difficult (the masks, which involve papier-mache; the tap-tap trucks, which use modeling clay; and the metal cutouts, which use disposable aluminum pie pans that may have sharp edges when cut). The recommendations for grades 3-7 are probably appropriate (I have worked with many second graders who have difficulty with paper weaving, cutting with scissors, and anything involving glue!).