Picturing Possibilities

Each individual expresses their sensory perceptions in a manner distinctive to them.  At times, their impressions will coincide with those of other beings.  Frequently, they stand alone with their ideas.  They understand how their impressions and ideas relate to others through looking, speaking, listening, and reading.

Most individuals are eager to develop the skills necessary to observe with their senses and to articulate and react to what they encounter.  This learning, though, can be a challenge.  Aaron Slater, Illustrator (Abrams Books for Young Readers, November 2, 2021) written by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts is the newest title in The Questioneers series.  Readers will be charmed by Aaron Slater's view of the world, his love of stories, and how he shapes his own tales.

At the end of the garden, in the soft, fading light,

when the day turns to dusk and the dusk into night,

the sweet scent of jasmine floats into the air

to mix with the music of laughter, and there . . .

Aaron D. Slater soaks it all in

with his flowery blanket tucked under his chin.

For each of four summer Aaron and the flowers in the garden grow.  Aaron has a spot for his own planting and his own drawing with chalk on a pathway made of slate.  The best part of those summer days are the books being read aloud to Aaron.  With all his heart, he wants to be able to write stories.

Aaron knows he needs to read, but he simply can't make sense of the letters and words they spell, although he has loving help.  When his first day of school arrives, he knows he will be reading lickety-split.  He does not read, not even by the end of the year.

Aaron believes with a sinking sensation; he is not like his fellow classmates. All those things that make him Aaron D. Slater are set aside.  He decides to become invisible.  At the start of second grade, his new teacher, Miss Lila Greer is about to change Aaron's plan to not stand apart.  She wants them to author a true story, sharing it the next day.

Aaron does not get a wink of sleep all night.  He goes to school and stands in front of his classmates, all thirty-three, when his name is called.  His start is slow, but with his eyes closed a story unfolds as his words pour forth.  When he finishes, the gals and guys in his class are stunned.  Tears slide down Miss Greer's face.

And Aaron, embarrassed now, gives her a paper with no words and stands outside in the hallway.  The next exchange outside the classroom between this teacher and her student is a thing of beauty.  A smile and two words send hope surging into a soul.

Composed of rhyming couplets, this narrative by Andrea Beaty is like stepping into your special space.  It is that place where all things are possible, you feel serenity and security, and you can hear the music of your heartbeat.  Through Andrea Beaty's words we watch how Aaron grows within a home filled with warmth, and how it fosters his love of story.  Through her descriptions we feel his sadness, his frustration, and his glorious realization of his gift.  Here is a passage.

And so Aaron does what young Aaron must do.

He works on his story like the rest of Grade Two.

He writes through the evening.

He writes through the night.

He writes and he writes

till the dawn's early light.

Then he drags off to school with his shoes filled with lead

and his stomach in knots and a pain in his head,

and he waits for his turn with his heart filled with dread.

On a canvas of blue and white graph paper, flap edge to flap edge, the talent of Aaron D. Slater unfolds for readers on the back, left, and front, right, of the open dust jacket.  Look at the expression on Aaron's face on the front; his look of satisfied joy is heartwarming.  His artwork is a reflection of his summers in the garden and the stories he loved listening to as he and his siblings rocked in the porch swing.

On the back, Miss Lila Greer is riding a blue dragon next to a black swan wearing a crown.  They fly amid other airborne flowers, birds, and pencils.  Beneath them are several favorable quotations about The Questioneers series.

On a background of white, the book case is covered in flowers.  They are a variety of sizes, shapes, and an array of colors.  In the lower, right-hand corner Aaron stands, colored pencil in hand, drawing the petals on another flower.  You want to walk in this child's garden.  It is bursting with happiness.

The opening and closing endpapers are covered in blue-on-blue graph paper.  For the initial title page, stenciled, block letters in black are placed over Aaron's flowers.  On the verso and formal title page, on graph paper, Aaron, his back to us, draws.

These illustrations by David Robers on white are striking in their emotional portraits.  In the first, double-page picture we meet Aaron D. Slater, wrapped in a blanket and cuddled on the porch swing with his mothers and two siblings.  A third sibling, a sister, sits nearby in a rattan chair strumming a guitar.  Two cats are close to the group.  In a cozy spot above the branch holding the swing is a mother bird with three baby singing birds in a nest.

These pictures rendered 

with watercolors, pen, and ink on Arches paper

are two-page images or single-page visuals.  There is one wordless, double-page picture which is certain to have you cheering and laughing.  David Roberts uses white space superbly.  

The facial expressions displayed by Aaron will endear you to him immediately.  Careful readers will notice familiar faces in Aaron's classroom.  The clothing, physical characteristics, abilities and looks on the faces of all the other students in the building and in Aaron's classroom are fabulous.  Readers will see themselves in this school and in Aaron's family.  Also superb is the manner in which David Roberts depicts dyslexia.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page page which slightly crosses the gutter to the left.  Aaron is four years old.  He and his siblings are swinging in the porch swing hung from the tree.  Patterned pillows add to their comfort.  One of his brothers is reading aloud from a book titled Mythical Beasts.  Aaron's eyes are closed, and his imaginings are drawn in colored pencil over his head.  Next to him is his sister, listening and watching.  At the other end is an older brother with his eyes closed, too.

In this moving story about a boy who struggles with dyslexia and finding how to express his best self, readers, even those without dyslexia, will identify with the challenges we all face in following our dreams. At the close of Aaron Slater, Illustrator written by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts are must-read author and illustrator notes.  I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this title.  You might want to pair this title with A Walk in the Words written and illustrated by Hudson Talbot.

To discover more about Andrea Beaty and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Andrea Beaty has accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. David Roberts has  an account on Instagram.  You can view interior images on the publisher's website as well as a video of the illustrator speaking about this book.  There is an event scheduled for November 17, 2021 (linked here) where both the author and illustrator will be present to speak about this book.

Piecing Together Home

The resilience of children is clearly tested when they move from all that is familiar to them.  For many of them, the challenge is not in leaving a home, neighborhood, school, and friends.  They have been uprooted and replanted in an entirely different country.  They have to navigate through all that is new, finding a balance between what was and now is.

For these reasons, many new children in communities and schools are quiet.  They are observing.  They are trying to figure out their place in these circumstances.  The Color Collector (Sleeping Bear Press, April 15, 2021) written by Nicholas Solis with illustrations by Renia Metallinou is a beautiful portrait of bravery.  One child has the courage to seek the truth.  Another child has the courage to share their truth.

She was new.

She was quiet.

I think she was lonely.

That was the day I met Violet.

It began with a hello.  It began with a smile.  Each day the boy walked on one side of the street.  Violet walked on the other side of the street.  They lived close to each other.

One day this changed.  Violet picked up a red piece of paper the wind blew to her.  The boy watched her place it in her backpack.  Violet saw him watching.  She lifted her hand in a greeting.

The boy saw her picking up all kinds of things in all kinds of colors.  Curiosity getting the better of him, the boy asked Violet what she did with those items.  She wanted him to follow her.  She took him to her home.  They entered her room.

What he saw was stunning!  She explained her creation in stories as he listened.  Her sadness was less.  Aloneness became togetherness.  And on his way home, the boy found . . .

The simple declarative sentences spoken in the voice of the boy give this story touching authenticity.  Though the writing of Nicholas Solis we are both bystanders and participants.  Day by day a kind of suspense is built, a mystery grows until dialogue is introduced.  We know something wonderful is going to happen.  We are not prepared for the spectacular reveal, but we are shown the generous spirits of children.  Here is a passage.

The day she picked something up.

The wind blew strong.

A red candy wrapper did somersaults.

It landed at her feet.  It hugged her shoe. 

The crisp white canvas on the open and matching dust jacket and book case is ideal for the depiction of a story focusing on color and its part in forming a friendship.  On the front we are introduced to the narrator and the new girl, Violet.  We sense her determination and his questioning.  The design choice to have the title text shift in colors is fabulous.

To the left, on the back, in black and white Violet is walking home from school.  The red wrapper floats by her.  She bends to pick it up and it vanishes inside her backpack.  

The opening and closing endpapers, the same, are a collage of collected bits of paper, trash, and natural objects.  On the title page, the boy and Violet are walking together framed by the text.  A red leaf swirls and loops top to bottom.

Each of the images is animated and richly detailed.  On the first double-page picture the only color is the purple ties holding Violet's pigtails in place.  Illustrator Renia Metallinou alternates between image sizes to follow the pacing of the story.  The first double-page visual is followed by a full-page picture and three vertical panels on a single page.

Gradually, as Violet picks up items, the colors of those are added to the illustrations.  Each subsequent picture is more colorful than the previous one.  After we are as astonished as the boy with what he sees in her bedroom, both children are in full color.  The final two double-page pictures are as warm and inviting as the newly formed companionship.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a full-page picture.  The boy and Violet are standing in the open doorway to her bedroom.  The doorway fills most of the picture except for a portion of the door on the right.  We are close enough to them that all we see is the upper part of their bodies.  It is the expressions on their faces readers will remember.  One is of intense surprise and respect.  The other is of joy in one's accomplishment.  

This book, The Color Collector written by Nicholas Solis with illustrations by Renia Metallinou, is a wonderful symbol of the power of a single act of compassion.  A friendship is formed.  It also reminds us, we can never truly know someone until we understand their stories.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Nicholas Solis and Renia Metallinou and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Nicholas Solis has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Renia Metallinou has accounts on Behance, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.  This title is highlighted at Kathleen Temean Writing and Illustrating, Jena Benton Simply 7, Math Is Everywhere, and Write Away.

Sand And Water, Water And Sand

When standing on the shore at the edge of an ocean, a sea or Lake Michigan, looking to your left and to your right, the sand stretches as far as the eye can see.  This sand has been sculpted endlessly by the waves.  It awaits eager hands armed with buckets, shovels, found objects and ideas.

For hours, days and sometimes weeks all a solitary soul needs are the water and the sand.  Hum and Swish (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, June 11, 2019) written and illustrated by Matt Myers requests our presence for a day at the beach.  Like the little girl, we find solace and inspiration.

Jamie and the sea are friends.
Jamie hums.  The waves swish.

Curious beach walkers want to know what Jamie is making.  She does not know.  Another passerby remarks on her ingenuity.  Jamie does not know about that either.

People keep asking but Jamie has no answer for them.  Sometimes what people say and do, does not make Jamie happy but the sea soothes her.  To Jamie the sea reveals answers but never questions.

Her father and mother visit her; each interested in her creations and progress.  Her replies are vague.  She continues fashioning her beach designs and objects until someone new captures her attention.

She does not ask Jamie anything, but Jamie questions her.  The woman's response is exactly what Jamie has been saying to everyone.  Jamie and the woman work in companionable silence.  When Jamie finally speaks, the woman does, too.  They both display surprises.


This narrative written by Matt Myers with carefully chosen words has a rhythm similar to the sounds of the waves washing up and back on the sandy shore.  The refrain using the words hum and swish is repeated to supply a seamless flow from one portion of the narrative to another.  The dialogue makes the story more personal; we feel a kinship with Jamie in her solitary pursuit.  The arrival of the woman adds another layer to the story.  While we might be alone in our endeavors, there are others who see and understand us.  Here is a passage.

Jamie's mom brings a juice box.  "When do you
think you might be finished with your project?"

"Not sure," Jamie says.

Hum.  Swish.

Someone else comes.


For those who've ever dreamed of a day near the sea or for those who have memories of days on a beach, the open and matching dust jacket and book case are breathtaking perfection.  The waves, the gathered found objects and the little girl crouched and forming something special in the sand is a scene to cherish.  The water and shoreline extend over the spine to the left, on the back.  A curious seabird is watching the child work.

On the opening and closing endpapers in hues of blue and white, waves move toward the beach.  Sunlight peeking through a hazy, cloudy sky casts a glow on the water on the title page.  The girl is shown walking along the beach, head bent and carrying one of her discoveries.  Her hair blows in the breeze.  Across the verso and dedication pages the water washes on the shore as she bends down to start her work in the sand.  Nearby people walk along the beach.  Others are seated under umbrellas.

Rendered in acrylic and oil paint the illustrations are double-page and single-page pictures, edge to edge.  When the text is placed on a crisp white canvas opposite a painting, Matt Myers includes a smaller element; seabirds, one of Jamie's "beings" or a bucket filled with her precious treasures found along the beach.  At one point two smaller visuals are placed on a single page to enhance pacing and a shift in the narrative.

Readers will be captivated by the details in each image.  Facial expressions on all the people, especially Jamie convey a range of emotions.  The use of light and shadow is exquisite.  Sometimes Matt Myers will shift his perspective; we might only see the legs of a person questioning Jamie or we move farther back to see an entire beach scene.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  It is a close-up of Jamie.  She is seated in a small pool connected to the sea.  Behind her are some large stones, sand and cliffs with a line of evergreen trees.  The faint outline of a seabird is against the fluffy clouds.  Next to her is her yellow bucket brimming with wonders.  Jamie is holding a scallop in her hands.  A look of joy and content is evident on her face.


Hum and Swish written and illustrated by Matt Myers is a luminous portrait of the solitary bliss of creativity, of the wonder of spending time with sand and the sea and of meeting a kindred spirit.  This is a book for summer, trips to the beach, of growing an appreciation for natural wonders, of experiencing peace and being free to be yourself.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Matt Myers and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Matt Myers has a special page dedicated to this book with art and a bit of writing about his process.  This is his first picture book as author and illustrator.  Matt has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  I believe you will enjoy this video about his process.


UPDATE:  Julie Danielson, author, reviewer and blogger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast shares process art from Matt Myers, August 23, 2019.

In Gratitude For Grandfathers

Yesterday, June 17, 2018, the third Sunday in June, was celebrated as Father's Day around the world.  It is a time to honor and remember those who have figured prominently in our lives.  Of my dad the memories are abundant. Not a day passes without something he said or did coming to mind.  Of my two grandfathers I have much less. These two necklaces, more than one hundred years old, and a rattle he made for my mom are all I have to remember my mother's father.  Mom believed he might have been Native American but he died from an accident when she was four. I have words from my dad's dad which have sustained me on more than one occasion.  Barely one when he was in the hospital, having suffered a heart attack, I was outside in the hall putting up a fuss because I could not see him. He said, "You can't keep Margie down."  He never came home.

These men in our lives, whether they are living or have died, have and will influence us. In our youth we may feel as though they can't possibly understand us.  Sometimes it seems like we have no common ground. Drawn Together (Disney Hyperion, June 5, 2018) written by Minh Le (Let Me Finish! Disney Hyperion, June 7, 2016) with illustrations by Dan Santat (After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again Roaring Brook Press, October 3, 2017) is a moving, truthful journey taken by a grandfather and his grandson.  Love always finds a way.

A daughter, a mother, drops her son off at his grandfather's home.  The grandfather happily greets his less-than-enthusiastic grandson. At dinner the grandfather eats a traditional meal but lovingly provides his grandson with an American meal. When the grandson asks his grandfather

So . . . what's
new, Grandpa?,

the elderly gentleman replies in his native language.  The meal is finished in silence.

After dinner the grandfather is watching one of his favorite television shows in a language the boy cannot understand.  Bored, he leaves the sofa going to his backpack.  He takes out a box of markers and begins to draw.  Leaning over his shoulder the grandfather is amazed at what he sees.

When he returns to the room he's carrying a sketch book, a bottle of ink and a brush.  What the grandfather does next amazes the boy.  They share a passion for art; one new and colorful and the other masterful in fine, detailed lines of black on white.  They are a magician and a warrior existing in a realm of their own making.

When the dragon of doubt threatens to rise up, the duo conquers it with courage.  They are content in the knowledge of their shared inventiveness and talent.  They know they've discovered a new language; a language without words.


We quickly realize the boy, while being polite, is not as happy as his grandfather about the visit.  With his first two sentences Minh Le allows us to understand the reason.  They do not speak the same language.

We sense the frustration of both until the boy begins to draw and the grandfather reveals his sketch book.  Minh's carefully chosen words at the boy's surprise send a surge of excitement into the story.  As his narration continues we know it's a discovery born of love for one another and love of making art.  The final sentence will leave you breathless, if not in tears.  Here is one of Minh's other partial sentences.

All the things we could never say come pouring out . . .


When first looking at the unfolded dust jacket ablaze in magnificent art, extending flap edge to flap edge, you know the child and the older man share more than affection.  You are filled with wonder and questions about the story waiting to be read.  The collage of techniques, the use of circles (no beginning and no end), and the combinations of color leave you astounded and brimming with joy.

The book case, a weathered and worn dark color, has the word SKETCH in chalk on the front.  The opening and closing endpapers represent the work of the boy and the work of the grandfather.  In the first a young wizard is leaping over a vibrant, bold landscape.  In the second a meticulous painting of an ornate fish swimming among the waves is presented in black on white.

Dan Santat does not waste any space in telling his visual interpretation of the story.  On the dedication (verso) and title pages the mother has stopped the car and is standing by the open driver's door.  Her son is slowly making his way to his grandfather's house. The first six panels are wordless but we are well aware of the situation.

Rendered in traditional mixed media and composited on the computer each illustration brings you deeper and deeper into the narrative. Using panels of varying sizes two, three or four to a page, Dan Santat fashions a pacing which is building tension that will burst forth with a dynamic two-page picture; their combined art with each other in a stance of action.  It's the beginning of one "oh my goodness" double-page image after another.  The details, the color and black and white elements, the title font, the Thai writing (by Dan Santat's mother) and the facial expressions and body postures will have you gasping.  Which the switch comes, you will be cheering out loud.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the text quoted above.  Along the top of the two pages is an intricate and eloquent fish moving from right to left. Beneath it on the left is the grandfather dressed in traditional warrior clothing brandishing a paintbrush as if it's a spear. He is facing left.  On the right and facing right is the grandson, holding his wand and extending it to create his own special kind of magic.  He is colorful as are the circles around and below him.


No matter how many times you read Drawn Together written by Minh Le with illustrations by Dan Santat two words will continuously come to mind--timeless classic. We need books which tell us how to bridge generations.  Both have much to offer the other.  One has the wisdom of experience and the other has the zest of new discovery. The blend is a thing of beauty. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Minh Le and Dan Santat and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Minh Le visits the blog of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read.  You will enjoy the video created by Dan Santat about this title and the conversation between Minh and John.  Both Minh Le and Dan Santat talk about this title at Publishers Weekly and at The Horn Book with Roger Sutton.  Minh Le is interviewed at author Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog Cynsations by author Traci Sorell and on NPR, All Things Considered.

UPDATE:  Dan Santat visits Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, the blog of author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson.  You will really enjoy the shared process art.

New To The Neighborhood

Moving into a new neighborhood, a new community, can be a bit daunting regardless of your age.  You wonder about the similarities and differences between you and your neighbors.  You are curious to know if they are friendly and supportive or if they prefer to quietly go about their lives in isolation.  It's also safe to say those "Welcome Wagon" days are a thing of the past.

In a companion to Louise Love Art (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 9, 2014) Kelly Light works her own singular, delightful combination of words and images to bring to readers Louise and Andie The Art Of Friendship (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, June 14, 2016).  Louise's special optimistic brand of looking at life spills forth from the pages of this new story.  She embraces change seeing it as an opportunity.

Art, this is the BEST day ever!
I'm so excited to meet out new neighbor.
I hope she loves art too.

As Louise, her brother Art and their expressive cat approach the new neighbor's house an air of anticipation hangs in the air.  Louise introduces herself, Art and their cat and Andie introduces herself and her dog, Bacon.  Andie seems to be a bit reserved but welcomes them inside her home.

As soon as possible Louise asks Andie if she likes art.  Upon seeing her bedroom decorated with huge paintings, it is clear Andie shares the same passion as Louise.  Within minutes they are both making art together.  They both declare this is the

BEST DAY EVER!

The trouble in this portrait of perfection among new friends is when a question is asked and answered.  The recipient of the reply was not ready for insights from another.  An ensuing tussle results in an artistic disaster and a classic realization.

Both girls are deeply saddened, the one leaving for home and the other wondering what to do.  Kindred in spirit if not in their outlook on art, a new masterpiece takes shape.  Plans for future collaboration will prompt knowing nods in some readers and most assuredly giggles from everyone.


As soon as you read the first three sentences all the joy the characters feel for art and the making of art is conveyed by Kelly Light.  As the story progresses we realize this outlook is not something to be held in solitude but released into the world.  Within short specific conversations, personalities are reinforced and introduced to readers.  When these are paired with the images readers will be able to detect subtle hints at the how the narrative will unfold.


When you first look at the matching dust jacket and book case ask yourself what you see.  What do you notice about the color palette?  What do the expressions on the characters' faces depict?  What does the choice of eyeglass style reveal about their personalities?  What type of medium do they prefer in making their art?  Already similarities and differences are clearly noticeable.

To the left, on the back, the comic relief team is busy.  Along the top hanging from a line with clothes pins are three portraits of Louise, Art and Andie.  Beneath them the cat and Art are watching Bacon create his own particular type of art.  Blue paint is flying in the air and cans of red and yellow are overturned.  The blue used in the jacket and case acts as a canvas on the opening and closing endpapers.  In the corner of each is the window in Louise's home.  In the first the cat is beneath a welcoming hand-drawn picture.  In the second the results of a new relationship are framed in the same window.

Continuing to use every portion of the book to tell her story, Light pictures Art, Louise and the cat peeking out the window of their home at the moving van parked next door on the title page.  Andie and Bacon are on the lawn.  The publication information at the close of the book provides a comical continuation.

Rendered in many black Prismacolor pencils and Photoshop most of the illustrations span two pages except for a critical turning point when Light uses a series of smaller pictures on a single page followed by three horizontal illustrations on the next page. Bright white backgrounds, distinctive use of line and limited color palette have these pictures literally popping off the pages with sheer happiness.

The humor supplied in the cat's expressions of disdain and in the toothy grin on Bacon's face will have readers bursting out in laughter.  Bacon's eagerness is most definitely not shared by the cat.  The ebb and flow of the narrative is skillfully matched in the shift of perspective with page turns.  Careful readers will notice details such as the stacked soup cans on the kitchen counter.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a close-up after Louise and Andie sit down to make art.  All we see are hands and paper.  Louise is leaning over a duck picture she is drawing with a pencil, a sharpener near at hand.  In the opposite corner, lower, right-hand side, Andie is painting with her brush.  Beneath Louise, nearly off the page, Art is drawing with a red crayon.  On that same page Bacon is making an entrance grabbing and pulling on the cat's tale as she exits the top of the right-hand page.  What's not to love about the energy in this picture?!


As charming as the first book with equal amounts of love of art and humor Louise And Andie The Art of Friendship written and illustrated by Kelly Light is sure to be rarely on bookshelves.  The artful, yes artful, mix of Light's words and her illustrations completely surround the reader.  By the time they finish this story, they will be getting out their own art supplies or heading to the nearest store.  All the characters with their unique personalities will find a place in each reader's heart.

To discover more about Kelly Light and her illustrative work please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries John Schumacher featured Kelly Light on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read. with the release of her book trailer and a chat.  Kelly Light is a guest at Reading for Research ReFoReMo talking about mentor texts. On June 14, 2016 at All The Wonders, a group of people from the children's literature community got together to celebrate Kelly Light, Louise and the art of friendship with their cheerful artwork.  Kelly Light speaks with teacher librarian Matthew Winner on All The Wonders, Episode 266.  Kelly Light has been a guest at KidLit TV in a series of videos.

Out of HeArt Comes...

By the time I was five years old I was an avid drawer of...rainbows.  Every picture felt incomplete unless those varied hues arched across the paper from edge to edge.  If you happened to visit our home, the refrigerator was covered in a collage of color.

All you have to do is work with a group of little guys and gals to have their unbridled enthusiasm for making art spread to an unsuspecting by-stander; like the best kind of virus in the universe.  They savor new boxes of crayons, sharpened colored pencils, glue sticks, scissors and do-dads galore.  Their concentration is intense and complete.  Each finished project is as unique as the individual who makes them.

There are those books which reach out and wrap themselves around you in a bear hug of warmth as soon as you see the cover.  Kelly Light's debut picture book, Louise Loves Art (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 9, 2014) is one of those books.  Louise, her little brother Art and one clever cat walk right into your heart, staying there even when the story is completed.


I love art!
It's my imagination on the outside.

Papers scattered across her bedroom floor, Louise is busily creating the ultimate picture.  It will be the best representation of her drawing skills.  It will be her spectacular showpiece.

Like a true artist she pays close attention to every single detail; all the lines and shapes must convey the essence of her subject.  The family cat is captured in feline perfection to Louise's delight.  When her brother repeatedly tries to get her attention, she is much too busy to waste a single second.  She has a gallery to create.

Oh my yes...she is energetically engrossed in the task at hand.  It's to the kitchen she goes.  There's nothing like the refrigerator for providing space to display one's creative treasure.  Her contemplation is finally interrupted by a loud

LOUISE!

Oops!  What has Art done?  I guess Art followed his heart...and his sister.


Kelly Light does not waste a single word; each sentence conveying the precise, precious thoughts and voice of Louise.  It's easy to imagine hearing her speak; so lively and full of passion for making art.  She gives a dramatic flair to Louise's speech by adding words like piece de resistance and Voila!  You might want to practice your French accent before reading this aloud.  It adds to the fun factor.

Beginning with the dust jacket these illustrations exude charm and humor.  It's obvious Louise and Art are happiest when drawing but the cat will be supplying the comedy.  On the back we readers are treated to sister and little brother lying across a pile of pictures, drawing away with the cat sprawled on its back watching.  The opening and closing endpapers are entirely in the bright vintage red except for the lower right-hand corner being held back like a curtain by the cat showing Louise and again at the end with Louise holding back the corner revealing Art with the cat stretched next to him. These little touches elevate the excellence of the visuals.

The title page extends across two pages, beginning the story in Louise's bedroom with her drawing, the cat dozing on the bed (one eye open) and Art peeking in through the doorway.  The stage is set for a stellar story.  All the remaining pictures cover both pages, edge to edge with the exception of two sets of smaller visuals which accentuate defining moments in the narrative. (Light continues the story using the verso at the end.)

Rendered with black Prismacolor pencils and Photoshop, using a limited color palette these illustrations pop off the page with pizzazz telling a tale of their own in addition to the text.  We readers are privy to Art's activities as Louise merrily goes about her work.  The cat's facial expressions and body movements are hilarious with a capital H.

Attention to details, all the drawings and the decor in the rooms, make readers feel right at home.  It's next to impossible for me to pick a favorite illustration.  I truly love them all but there are four pages I can't look at without laughing.  The wordless illustration when Louise is sizing up where to hang her masterpiece with the cat trying to get her attention and pointing at Art and the next picture when Art says

LOUISE!

holding something in his hands.  The perspective has zoomed in on him.  The look on what we can see of the cat's face will have readers giggling like crazy.


I for one am so happy that Kelly Light brought these siblings and their cat into the children's literature world in her first picture book, Louise Loves Art.  Make sure you have an abundance of paper, pencils and red crayons handy after reading this aloud.  Of course as the artists are working away, they will most certainly request you read this again to them.  This is a joyful ode to the love of art and Art.

Please follow the link embedded in Kelly Light's name to access her website.  A link there takes you to her blog giving you more information about her process.  These are links to interviews at Idle Illustration, Andrea Skyberg|Author & Artist, and Inkygirl.

Here is a recent tweet about her illustrations.

Louise red is very hot, orangey... Wanted it to be a vintage red. The kind you see in Bakelite or on… http://t.co/pbc4SrvKo3
— kellylight (@kellylight) July 16, 2014

UPDATE:  Book trailer released on August 7, 2014




UPDATE:  Louise Loves Art is highlighted in a trifecta on September 8, 2014.  Kelly Light writes about her reading journey at Nerdy Book Club.  Educator Colby Sharp highlights a conversation he had with Kelly Light on his blog at sharpread.  John Schumacher, teacher librarian, interviews Kelly Light on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.