In Kelly Light's energetic first picture book, she introduces a young artist who's driven to draw.
Louise notices everything and wants to capture it on paper. Sprawled on the floor, she uses her trusty pencil to create her masterpieces, while her younger brother, Art, takes up a red crayon as well. Sometimes he gets carried away (initially, only the cat notices his changes to Louise's "pièce de résistance"). This frustrates his big sister at first, but, eventually, Louise encourages her brother’s artistic endeavors alongside her own. The color palette (mostly black, white and red) and clever use of white space direct readers' focus to the important details and move the story along quickly. Readers will enjoy the playful visual references to a cat posing like Rodin's The Thinker, which appears in a two-page spread as Louise explains to readers the importance of noticing every detail. (Adults may note that Louise is named after the sculptor Louise Nevelson.) Light manages to create a character that seems a product of an older time (check out the kitchen images) but also freshly contemporary with her layered shirts, leggings and mod red glasses.
This tribute to the artist in all of us will motivate readers to go forth and draw. It will be well loved by teachers (especially art teachers), parents and kids who love the The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. It is about doing what you love and letting your imagination show, as Louise says, "on the outside." --Susannah Richards, associate professor, Eastern Connecticut State University