THE ARTIST

An adult artist celebrates child artists.

A multicolored creature—a dragon or perhaps a dinosaur—creatively ablaze, enlivens a city with her art. As third-person narrator, author/illustrator Vere speaks for child artists who may not be able to articulate what it’s like to create. He also helps child artists understand, appreciate, and validate themselves. He gets kid artists and their imperative to create, and he draws like them, too: Check out the colorful, boldly imaginative, dynamic, quirky, and wonderfully child-appealing illustrations herein. Bonus: Vere also speaks to parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians who will share this volume with kids to offer perspective on and to help them respect and accept child artists and value their creative processes and masterpieces. If this seems philosophical and lofty, the soothing text and lively art will change minds. Kids will note illustrations they could have produced—and that’s the point. Plus, they’ll love that the protagonist makes a very common childhood artistic faux pas: She colors outside the lines! But, narrator Vere assures his artist-hero: “Mistakes are how you learn! Heart is what matters. And your art is full of heart….Please paint again!” His final encouragement for all child artists: “Keep seeing the beauty…keep going!” Understanding adults know children need such incentives to continue creating, to keep imaginations buzzing, and to use whatever media they desire to portray the world as they see it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This book proclaims what children already know: Creativity and making art spark joy.