Anywhere Artist

January 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-The message of this book is simple: anyone anywhere can be an artist, with a little imagination. The main character, a young girl with blond pigtails, declares on page after page, "I am a/n ____artist," and proceeds to craft together mythical creatures from materials from that particular landscape (forest, beach, rain puddles, etc.) The illustrations feature collages of found objects, contrasting with the girl who is playfully drawn in childlike colored-pencil sketches. The text follows a repeated pattern: the verso page is blank, with a statement in curlicue font, facing the recto with an illustration. This repetition does not get tedious due to the descriptive language-"fluffy lichen, twisted sticks, smooth stones, and lacy leaf skeletons"-and interesting juxtaposition of the mixed media illustrations. VERDICT This sweet picture book contains a positive message for young artists everywhere and is a potential leaping-off point for creative projects using found objects in nature. Purchase for medium size and large collections.-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2017
A young white child in a red-and-white-striped shirt and black leggings creates art using the natural world and the imagination in this picture book.Speaking in first person, a fair-haired, pigtailed imp of a child leads readers through the journey of creating art both from and in the natural world. The book follows a clear three-part framework. The first part introduces a double-page spread in which the child announces the artistic palette to readers ("I am a forest artist") while the accompanying illustration shows the surrounding environment. The child is sketched, but the forest illustration comprises collaged photographs of leaves, ferns, and other natural objects. The page turn reveals a double-page spread that depicts the budding artistic idea as the child begins to imagine found objects into a creation. The third double-page spread shows the final creation. This framework is repeated for "I am a beach artist," "I am a rain artist," and "I am a sky artist"--as each new environment reinforces how the child uses imagination to create using what is immediately available. The illustrations' use of photographic images and collages encourages readers to find objects like these to make creations of their own, as does the artist's final exhortation: "So, what will you make today?"Well-presented and artfully organized in a clear framework, this book will inspire readers to get outside and create. (Picture book. 3-8)

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