CHALK THE WALK

Head to njfamily.com/chalkart to see more of Maassen’s work.

A Florida-based mom inspires us with sidewalk art that thanks essential workers and first responders during COVID-19 CHALK WALK the

By Dina El Nabli

KATRINA MAASSEN

eeing colorful sidewalk chalk art shared on our social media feeds has been a consistent bright spot during quarantine. An elementary school teacher and mom from Saint Cloud, Florida has taken chalk art to a whole new level with drawings inspired by beloved children’s books along with gratitude for the nation’s first responders and essential workers.

Katrina Maassen was inspired by the chalk art she saw on Pinterest and Instagram when she decided to share her own works based on popular children’s books. The drawings place Maassen’s 4-year-old daughter in the midst of a scene from a book. She chose stories based on favorites like Llama Llama I Love You and Where The Wild Things Are.

“I’ve always liked children’s literature because it inspires children and helps them navigate through issues and their own feelings,” Maassen told New Jersey Family. “I love stories with an underdog who comes out on top and other characters change for the better.”

After creating two weeks’ worth of book art, Maassen went on to create images honoring first responders and essential workers. Each drawing takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1½ hours. She says it has been wonderful to focus on something hopeful during this difficult time.

“There’s been such a positive response that I’ve wanted to keep going because so many have told me the joy it brings them,” said Maassen, who creates the art on her U-shaped driveway and shares the pictures on Facebook and Instagram. “I’m just happy that it brings smiles to people’s faces.”