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Family Story Comic Book

Earn a cute Preserve Family Memories badge when you complete this activity. Visit Badges of Fun for more information.

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Total Time Needed:: Weekend Project

Twelve-year-old Isaac Yglesias doesn't just draw comic books; he carries on a family tradition that his Uncle Theo, a onetime comic book maker himself, began decades ago. Like Theo's strips, Isaac's comics sometimes recount family adventures -- and misadventures. "In some of the comics, names have been changed to protect the innocent," jokes his dad, Pablo, a FamilyFun designer.

This holiday season, let your child illustrate a favorite family story -- about a special birthday party, say, or that zany Grand Canyon trip when your luggage went to Maine! -- then give the book to one of the superheroes in his life.

Check out more ideas for easy-to-make Gifts that Celebrate Family.

Materials

3 to 5 sheets of 8 1/2- by 11-inch white
card stock
9 1/2- by 6-inch piece of colored card stock

3- by 2-inch piece of cardboard
Ruler
Colored pencils

Instructions

Fold a sheet of white card stock in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again, short side to short side, and cut along this fold. Repeat with the other sheets to make as many pages as you like.
For the cover, fold the colored card stock in half, short side to short side. Insert the white pages between the covers and staple them along the spine.
Use the cardboard to trace 2 illustration panels per page. Have your child draw in the panels, then title and decorate the front of the book.