"Whew!
Exhausted.
I take a breath.
I can't wait to see
what's next."
Are you ready for a quick lesson in the true value of art? Susan Verde has created a character who is here to show us that art is not about the piece you are looking at; it is about the experience it evokes when you attend to it. Her visit to the museum is filled with wondrous work, and her response to it is the stuff from whence enjoyable stories come!
As she wanders into the museum she is inspired:
"When I see
a work of art,
something
happens in
my heart."
She just cannot keep her response private. Rather, she balances, poses, twirls, and reacts immediately to each new work she sees. It exhausts her, but it also invigorates her. The museum is filled with the masterful work of famous artists, and her joy in the sharing is evident on every page.
Then, she is stopped in her tracks by something new and unusual...'an empty canvas stares at me.'
She is dumbfounded that there is nothing there. So, she closes her eyes, and imagine her surprise when:
"I start to see things
in my head,
yellow, blue, then green
and red,
circles, lines, all kinds of shapes,
faces, flowers, and landscapes."
It is quite remarkable! She is quick to realize that the blank canvas is hers to do with as she pleases, using her own special talents to the art world.
Peter Reynolds creates active and engaging watercolor illustrations to help readers feel the joy that this young girl feels on her visit. They are fluid, and give readers a chance to experience some very famous artists and their work in his boldly colored representations.
Come celebrate with her!
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