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 mathematics, 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
- Finds both names on the cover.
- Says which one wrote the words.
- Says which one decided what something looked like.
What you need
- Two books by the same author with different illustrators, if you have them
- A short text with no pictures
- Drawing paper
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — two names on one cover
4 min- Show a cover and read both names aloud.
- Ask what the difference between them is. Take guesses without correcting.
Teach — you decide the picture
10 min- Read a sentence from a book with the picture covered: 'The dog waited by the gate.'
- Have every child draw it, quickly, in thirty seconds.
- Hold up four of the drawings. They are all different, and they all match the sentence.
- Name it: the author wrote that sentence, and the illustrator decided what it looked like. So did you.
- Uncover the real picture. It is one more answer, not the answer.
“The words did not say what colour the dog was. So the illustrator had to choose — and you all chose differently.”
Guided practice — which one did that?
8 min- Read out things about a book: the dog is brown, the dog waited, the words say it was raining, the sky is grey.
- For each, the class says author or illustrator.
- Some are genuinely both. Let them argue those.
Independent practice
6 min- Students complete the author-and-illustrator page.
- Read each question aloud.
Close
2 min- Hold up a book and ask both names, then ask what each one did.
- Two names, two jobs.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks one person always does both.
Why: Sometimes one person does, and the child has usually met those books first.
Fix: Show two books by one author with different illustrators. The words are by the same person and the pictures are not, which cannot be explained any other way.
Thinks the illustrator decides what happens in the story.
Why: The pictures are what the child looks at, so they feel like where the story is.
Fix: Read a page with the picture covered. The story still happens. Then cover the words and show the picture alone — much less happens.
Cannot find either name because they are looking at the title.
Why: The title is the biggest text on the cover, so it is where the eye goes.
Fix: Point at the title first and name it as the title. Naming what it is not makes the other two findable.
If they are not there yet
- Use books where the two names are on separate lines.
- Ask only 'who wrote the words?' until that is secure.
If they finish early
- Ask what the illustrator had to decide that the words did not say.
- Ask whether the pictures ever tell you something the words do not.
- Find two books by the same illustrator and compare them.
Exit ticket
Point to the author's name. Point to the illustrator's name. What did each one do?
What to look for: Both names found and both jobs named. A child who says the illustrator wrote the story needs the covered-picture demonstration 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 IllustratorTick 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 books by the same author with different illustrators, if you have them, a short text with no pictures, 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: thinks one person always does both; thinks the illustrator decides what happens in the story and cannot find either name because they are looking at the title. 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. Point to the illustrator's name. What did each one do?.” Both names found and both jobs named. A child who says the illustrator wrote the story needs the covered-picture demonstration 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 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RL.K.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.