With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark – and follow where it takes us.
Her teacher smiled. “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”
Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw – she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. “There!” she says.
That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.A frustrated grade school artist, Vashti sits slumped over her blank piece of paper at the end of art class. “I just CAN’T draw!” she tells her teacher. Her teacher first uses wit, then subtle yet clever encouragement to inspire her student to go beyond her insecurities and become, in the words of a younger boy who “can’t” draw either, “a really great artist.”
Peter H. Reynolds crafts a quiet, pleasing story in The Dot–one that will strike a chord with children who have outgrown the self-assurance of kindergarten and begun to doubt their own greatness. His marvelous watercolor, ink, and, yes, tea illustrations are appealing in a Quentin Blakey way, especially as Vashti begins to go wild with her dots. The delightfully open-ended conclusion will have readers of all ages contemplating how they can make their own mark in the world. Highly recommended. (Ages 5 to 9) –Emilie Coulter
Wonderful Story and Author 0
A Must for Any Elementary Library This book was delivered automatically in our Junior Library Guild order, and it has become one of my all-time favorites as a librarian.When Vashti angrily stabs a dot onto an empty art class assignment, her teacher wisely follows through with a lesson in life by framing her dot for all to see.This little bit of attention takes Vashti to new heights by allowing her to take that dot and see where it leads her. She paints all sorts of dots and gains new confidence.What the story…
Help your kids learn creativity Reynolds does a fantastic job showing how someone can be creative or artistic and not even know it. I picked up this book at an elementary book fair first because I thought it was well written and illustrated. Second because I want to help my children realize they have hidden talents. And third because my husband is an art teacher in high school and his students are constantly telling him they can’t draw.This book not only teaches that anyone can be artistic but it teaches that…