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Monroe boy is a top Google doodlerMONROE, May 22, 2009 (Connecticut Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Six-year-old Johnny Zuk loves music and art. So, when the Monroe Elementary School first-grader's art teacher, Amy Battaglia, asked him to submit a drawing for the "Doodle 4 Google" contest, the youngster started fashioning O's into drums and L's into guitars for his artistic re-interpretation of the logo for the Internet search engine. "I like guitars and I like playing them," said Johnny, who has his own electric guitar. And apparently Google executives shared his love of musical notes. This month, the boy's doodle, "Music Brings Joy to the World," was among the final 40 drawings chosen in the Web giant's contest, which asked children across the nation in kingdergarten through 12th grades to submit their version of the Google logo with the theme, "What I Wish for the World." More than 28,000 entries were submitted. "I found out from Ms. Battaglia. I couldn't believe it," Johnny said. His mother, Gina, said her son did so well in a contest that she initially did not take very seriously. "I was amazed. He kept asking, 'Mom, what happened with the contest?' and I just didn't think much about it," she said. As a semi-finalist, Johnny's drawing was displayed on Google's Web site where millions of people voted for their favorite doodle earlier this month. The top-prize winner was announced at a ceremony Wednesday in New York City. As part of the prize for being among the top 40, the finalists received a free trip to New York for the ceremony and other fun activities. "It was a whole afternoon of kid-oriented events. Everything was in Google colors -- the primary colors. From the jelly beans to the toys," said the boy's mother. "The Google people really did a good job of making all the finalists feel special. They just cheered you on like you were a rock star." Although Johnny, the only Connecticut entrant to reach the finals, wasn't awarded the grand prize, he did receive a T-shirt with his doodle on it, a backpack and a "Doodle 4 Google" official winner's certificate. The top prize included having the winning doodle displayed on Google's homepage all day Thursday, as well as a laptop computer and a $15,000 college scholarship. Johnny also got a chance to visit the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, where the final 40 drawings are on display until July 5. To see more of the Connecticut Post, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.connpost.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |