Jeremy Jackrabbit Hops on Board is the latest book in the Jeremy Jackrabbit series by local authors Sasha and Rodney Glassman. The goal of the series is to increase literacy and environmental awareness in the youngest of readers. Jeremy’s first adventure, Jeremy Jackrabbit Harvests the Rain, focused on sustainability. Since then, he has covered other topics: solar power, recycling and water conservation. His newest is public transportation.
The couple have partnered with local corporations, businesses, agencies, public schools and libraries to produce the books, which are distributed for free to public school children in the Valley and across the state.
“With over 200,000 free books distributed to date, we are thrilled that business and education leaders from across Arizona have helped us to build what has become the biggest literacy collaboration in Arizona,” says Sasha.
With the theme of the new book being public transportation, it makes sense that Valley Metro is the collaborating partner. “Valley Metro is proud to join the local team of partners to share Jeremy’s latest adventure, discovering the benefits of public transportation,” says Corinne Holliday, public information specialist for Valley Metro.
In keeping with the tradition of the previous books, young artists in grades K through 8 are invited to submit illustrations matching a part of the story. Corinne says that each grade level is assigned a different line of the story to illustrate.
Here is an example of lines assigned to fourth-graders:
- As they boarded the train, their friend Flora the Crane was dancing, singing, and jumping quite loudly.
- The others quickly joined in, with big smiles and wide grins; they were traveling safely and proudly.
Illustrations can be in any medium: crayon, marker, colored pencil or watercolor; including a colored background is recommended. The artwork should also be done on a page of white paper no larger than 11-by-17-inches, with no lines. The artwork should also be done with a horizontal orientation on the page. The deadline for the contest is Tuesday, Feb. 28.
All previous books in the series can be viewed online at jeremyjackrabbit.com. Teachers can also download (for free) hands-on lesson plans that align with Arizona’s Common Core Standards.
When Jeremy Jackrabbit Hops on Board is complete, thousands of school children will not only have a new addition to their personal libraries, but they will also have an original piece of artwork proudly created by many of their peers.
Jeremy Jackrabbit Art Contest for Jeremy Jackrabbit Hops on Board
by Sasha and Rodney Glassman
Entry deadline is 5 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Artwork must be accompanied by an entry & release form and can be dropped off at any location listed on valleymetro.org/jeremy, which includes all contest materials.
Entries may also be mailed to:
Valley Metro – Jeremy Jackrabbit Art Contest
101 N. First Ave. #1300
Phoenix, AZ 85003
