New Assembly Program for K-2nd grade!
My "Hamster Sam" based assembly programs have always been aimed at grades 3 and up due to the complexity, and yet I've had tons of interest in a drawing program for the K-2nd grade crowd. Some of the Hamster Sam drawing exercises contain too many steps for the younger ones to comprehend, and so now I have developed a program specifically for them. Welcome to Guppy Lagoon! This new 30-minute interactive drawing program is centered around the story of "Small Fry", the little guppy with big dreams. K-2 students can easily follow along and draw Small Fry and his friends using simple shapes. You can bundle this program with one or more of my Hamster Sam-based programs to satisfy every student in your school. Contact me for more information, and I'll bring my Guppy Lagoon "school" to your school!
School Library Journal REVIEW
"It's hard to resist Hamster Sam's goofy humor. McDonald's experience as a puppeteer and children's television producer shines through in the dialogue, which is peppered with groan-worthy puns and smart-alecky asides that grade schoolers will appreciate. The bold, cartoonish artwork is a good match for the cheeky tone." Katherine Dacey, SLJ
February 2010: Check out the full REVIEW on the "Good Comics For Kids" site at School Library Journal. And feel free to send me an email and leave me a comment! Thanks!
WATCH the Video Trailer!
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NEW! Blog Check out my new studio blog and find out what's happening at Hamster Sam Comics!
 |  NEWS FLASH!!  Bronze Medal Winner Moonbeam Children's Book Awards |
Media writer, producer and cartoonist Dave McDonald has authored/illustrated an exciting new educational graphic novel "The Secret Adventures of Hamster Sam: Attack of the Evil Boll Weevils!" produced in association with The Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas, North Carolina.
Hamster
Sam combines outrageous comic book humor with historical elements and
images of the Southern Piedmont's cotton and textile industry. This
32-page, color, hardcover edition (DM Creative Publishing, $15.95) is a wonderful "just for fun" book for readers 8-12 and serves as a sure-fire way to kick off your studies of state history! EDUCATION TRADE: 10% DISCOUNT!
Hamster Sam is not your ordinary classroom hamster. In this time-traveling, unraveling adventure, Hamster Sam goes back in time to the year 1921 to answer a desperate call for help from "Eli" and "Whitney", two cotton bolls who are in great danger! Can Hamster Sam stop the Evil Boll Weevils?
NOW BOOKING - Schools, Libraries & Museums...
CARTOONING WITH DAVE MCDONALD
Bring
cartoonist and author/illustrator Dave McDonald to your
school or library to share his fun-filled program with your students.
This 45-minute interactive program includes a PowerPoint presentation, a look at comic book storytelling elements
and the book-making process, PLUS an interactive cartooning lesson; students draw Hamster Sam & other characters step-by-step right along with Dave! It's a bunch of fun for grades 3 and up.
"Dave was AWESOME! The kids really loved learning to draw a real cartoon, especially with the cartoonist! Thanks a bunch Dave!"
-Kelly Smith, Art teacher
Pontiac Elementary School, Elgin, SC.
ALSO AVAILABLE:
Make your own comics! Learn the nuts and bolts of creating your own characters, writing your own stories and making your very own comic! (For ages 8 and up) visit my new BLOG to see pictures of my cartooning camps.
"This program was a BLAST! The kids were fascinated when he talked about how he got into cartooning, the process of developing your own characters and stories and the hands-on activities of getting the kids to draw their own characters in a comics format."
Bill Corder, Children's Librarian
Imaginon
Charlotte, NC
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Dave McDonald is a member of The Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, The Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, and appears on the South Carolina Arts Commission's Roster of Approved Artists.
Want to learn more about cotton/textiles history? Visit the Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas, North Carolina. See their one-of-a-kind "Carolinas Textile Exhibit: The Ties that Bind", a permanent exhibit that documents the historical significance of the County's cotton textile industry and the unique regional communities that it spawned. Visit them on the web at www.gastoncountymuseum.org
