On the Tip of a Wave

Together, preview the book. Read the title and the author’s name, then look at the illustration on the cover. Explain that this book is about an artist. Artists are people who express ideas through various media, such as painting, sculpture, drawing, music, theater, and so on. 

Determine how much of the book you will read today. Read to that point without interruption, then go back to the beginning of the book and reread, pausing to ask and discuss the following questions. Follow the same routine for each section of the book you read. Encourage your child to support their answers with details from the text.  

After page 9: Why is the rubber raft on page 5 “barely holding itself above water”? What do the wave riders leave behind on the beach?

After page 19: Where did Ai Weiwei learn to “use his hands”? Where did childhood blow past him “like sand”? What objects did he use to help others “see the world differently”?

On pages 24–25, “onlookers and gala-goers” are looking at Ai Weiwei’s piece of art, “Safe Passage.” Read the text on these pages again and study the illustration. Do you think this piece of art worked?

After page 29: What did Ai Weiwei tie to the stone pillars on pages 22–23? Why did he choose this location? What do pages 26–27 show about why the refugees left their homes?

After page 36: What does Ai Weiwei hope his art will do? How does he want it to affect the world?

Reread pages 38–41, “Ai Weiwei: Artist and Activist.” Then think or talk about why Ai Weiwei wanted to create art about refugees.

In the book, there are pictures and illustrations of Ai Weiwei’s art with captions that list the name of each piece. Talk about which piece of art you like the most, and why.

Literacy Tip

The word humanity refers to everyone—every person in the world is part of humanity. As the text and illustration on pages 36–37 suggest, Ai Weiwei wants us to remember that we are all part of one group—no matter where we live or what we look like or what language we speak—and we must look out for each other.