The Author and the Illustrator
A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on who writes the words and who makes the pictures, and what each of them decides.
The Author and the Illustrator is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.K.6 — know that one person wrote the words and one drew the pictures, and say which did which. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten
- Length:
- 30 minutes
- Standard:
- RL.K.6
Kindergarten · Reading: Literature
RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
Objective
Students will be able to name the author and the illustrator of a book and say what each one did.
Students are successful when they can
- Points to the author's name and the illustrator's name on a cover.
- Says "the author wrote the words" and "the illustrator drew the pictures."
- Draws a picture for a sentence, and says that makes them the illustrator.
What you need
- Two class picture books with "by" and "illustrated by" on the cover
- The sentence "A big green frog sat on a log in the rain." on a card with no picture
- Drawing paper
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — two names on one cover
4 min- Hold up a picture book. Point to the two names. Ask: "Why do you think there are two names?"
- Take guesses: "they are friends," "one is the mom." Say: "Two people made this book, and they did two different jobs."
Teach — you decide the picture
10 min- Point to "by" and read the name. Say: "This person is the author. The author wrote the words."
- Point to "illustrated by" and read that name. "This person is the illustrator. The illustrator drew the pictures."
- Read the card: "A big green frog sat on a log in the rain." Say: "I am the author. I wrote these words. But there is no picture yet."
- Sketch the frog quickly on the board. Say: "Now I am the illustrator too. I decided the frog has a smile and the rain is falling in lines. The words did not say that. The illustrator decided."
- Ask: "What did the author decide?" Fish for "that it was a frog and it was green and on a log." "What did the illustrator decide?" Fish for "how it looks," "the smile."
“The author writes the words. The illustrator draws the pictures. Two jobs, sometimes two people.”
Guided practice — which one did that?
8 min- Open a picture book to a page. Point to a thing in the words, then a thing only in the picture. Ask: "Did the author or the illustrator decide this?"
- Do four examples: the character's name (author), the color of a coat not mentioned in the text (illustrator), what the character said (author), a cat hiding in the background (illustrator).
- Then give each child the frog sentence and drawing paper. Everyone draws the frog. Hold up three drawings: "Same words, three different pictures. Why?" Fish for "different illustrators."
“Is that in the words? Then the author did it. Is it only in the picture? Then the illustrator did it.”
Independent practice
6 min- Read each question on the sheet aloud.
- Children circle "author" or "illustrator" for each job.
Close
2 min- Ask a child to find the author's name on a new book.
- Ask: "Who did the pictures in your frog drawing?" Fish for "me, I was the illustrator."
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Says "the author made the whole book, pictures and all."
Why: Many books do have one person doing both jobs, and "made the book" sounds like one job.
Fix: Show a book with two names, and one where "written and illustrated by" appears. Say: "Sometimes one person does both jobs."
Mixes up the words: "The illustrator wrote the story."
Why: "Illustrator" is a long new word and the two job names sound equally grown-up.
Fix: Link illustrator to "ill-us-trate, draw it." Have the class mime drawing every time they say it, and mime writing for author.
Thinks the illustrator must draw only what the words say.
Why: Pictures in early books mostly repeat the words, so the illustrator's own choices are invisible.
Fix: Use the frog drawings: same sentence, different smiles, hats and colors. Point out each choice the words did not make.
If they are not there yet
- Use picture cards for the two jobs: a pencil and paper for author, crayons for illustrator.
- Practice with one book only, pointing to each name many times.
- Answer with an action: mime writing or drawing.
If they finish early
- Write a sentence and swap with a partner, who illustrates it.
- Compare two illustrators' pictures of the same character and say what each chose.
- Find a book where the pictures show something the words do not say, and explain it.
Exit ticket
Point to the author's name on this book. What did the author do? What did the illustrator do?
What to look for: The right name, and "wrote the words" and "drew the pictures." Pointing to the illustrator: the two names need more practice. Right names but swapped jobs: use the mime for each word again.
Printable practice for RL.K.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Author and IllustratorCircle the right answer.
Questions about The Author and the Illustrator
How long does the The Author and the Illustrator lesson take?
30 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 4 min, teach 10 min, guided practice 8 min, independent practice 6 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does The Author and the Illustrator teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6 — RL.K.6, Reading: Literature for Kindergarten: “With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.” In plain terms, know that one person wrote the words and one drew the pictures, and say which did which.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Two class picture books with "by" and "illustrated by" on the cover, the sentence "A big green frog sat on a log in the rain." on a card with no picture, drawing paper and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: says "the author made the whole book, pictures and all."; mixes up the words: "The illustrator wrote the story." and thinks the illustrator must draw only what the words say. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Point to the author's name on this book. What did the author do? What did the illustrator do?.” The right name, and "wrote the words" and "drew the pictures." Pointing to the illustrator: the two names need more practice. Right names but swapped jobs: use the mime for each word again. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with The Author and the Illustrator?
Yes — 1 printable RL.K.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is The Author and the Illustrator free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to RL.K.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.