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The Dot First Edition
Contributor(s): Reynolds, Peter H., Reynolds, Peter H. (Illustrator)
ISBN: 0763619612     ISBN-13: 9780763619619
Publisher: Candlewick Pr
    OUR PRICE: $12.60  
Product Type: School And Library - Other Formats
Published: October 2003
Qty:
Annotation: From the illustrator of the Judy Moody series comes a simple, witty story that entices even the stubbornly uncreative to make a mark and follow it on a journey of surprise and self-discovery. Illustrations.
Additional Information
Library of Congress Subjects:
- Self-confidence; Fiction.
- Art; Fiction.
- Schools; Fiction.
BISAC Categories:
- Juvenile Fiction | Art & Architecture
- Juvenile Fiction | Social Issues | Self-esteem & Self-reliance
Dewey: [E]
LCCN: 2002041113
Lexile Measure: 500
Academic/Grade Level: Kindergarten, Ages 5-6
Series: Irma S and James H Black Honor for Excellence in Children's Literature (Awards)
Book type: Easy Fiction
Physical Information: 8.00" H x 8.50" W x 0.50" (0.65 lbs) 32 pages
Accelerated Reader Info
Quiz #: 69954
Reading Level: 1.9   Interest Level: Lower Grades   Point Value: 0.5
Scholastic Reading Counts Info
Quiz #: Q36421
Reading Level: 2.1   Interest Level: Grades K-2   Point Value: 1.0
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
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.

Contributor Bio(s): ter H. Reynolds was a reluctant reader but an incessant doodler as a child. "I often visit classrooms and ask who loves to draw," he says. "In kindergarten and first grade, all the hands go up. In second grade, most of the hands go up. In third grade, half the hands are up. By fourth and fifth grade, most of the hands are down, or perhaps pointing to ‘the class artist.’ It’s sad to see the artistic, creative energy slowing down, being packed away. I am convinced it’s because children learn early that there are ‘rules’ to follow. But when it comes to expressing yourself, you can invent your own rules. You can change them, you can stretch them, or you can ignore them all and dive headfirst into the unknown." The illustrator of the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds was recently honored as Literacy Leader of the Year by Verizon. He is the president and creative director of FableVision Studios.

Reviewed by Horn Book Guide Reviews (Horn Book Guide Reviews 2004 Spring)
Convinced she's no good at art, a girl named Vashti angrily draws a single black dot, which her teacher frames, goading Vashti to outdo herself by creating a whole series of dot paintings in a myriad of colors and styles. Energetic cartoon illustrations and handwritten text make palatable the book's none-too-subtle message about nurturing creativity. Copyright 2004 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Reviewed by Publishers Weekly Reviews (PW Reviews 2003 October #3)
In this engaging, inspiring tale, Reynolds (illustrator of the Judy Moody series) demonstrates the power of a little encouragement. Minimal narrative and art elucidate the plight of Vashti, who sulks next to her blank paper at the end of art class: "I just can't draw!" The art teacher sagely responds, "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." The scowling girl takes a marker and jabs at her paper, making a minuscule dot. The teacher "pushed the paper toward Vashti and quietly said, `Now sign it.' " When Vashti returns the following week, her signed picture hangs in a gilded frame over her art teacher's desk, which inspires the budding painter to greater feats. A later spread, guaranteed to evoke smiles, reveals an extensive display of Vashti's dot paintings (and even a similarly themed sculpture) at the school art show, where a boy praises her for being "a really great artist." When he insists that he can't draw, she emulates her art teacher's example. Rendered in watercolor, ink and tea, Reynolds's spare, wispy illustrations exude a fresh, childlike quality pleasingly in sync with his hand-lettered text. Offering a rare balance of subtlety and hyperbole, this small-format volume should give reticent young artists a boost of confidence-and encourage spontaneity in their artistic expression. Reynolds pulls off exactly what his young heroine does, creating an impressive work from deceptively simple beginnings. Ages 5-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Reviewed by School Library Journal Reviews (SLJ Reviews 2003 November)
PreS-Gr 4-"Just make a mark and see where it takes you." This sage advice, offered by her intuitive, intelligent teacher, sets our young heroine on a journey of self-expression, artistic experimentation, and success. First pictured as being enveloped by a blue-and-gray miasma of discouragement and dejection, Vashti seems beaten by the blank paper before her. It is her defeatist declaration, "I just CAN'T draw," that evokes her teacher's sensitive suggestion. Once the child takes that very first stab at art, winningly and economically dramatized by Reynolds's fluid pen-and-ink, watercolor, and tea image of Vashti swooping down upon that vacant paper in a burst of red-orange energy, there's no stopping her. Honoring effort and overcoming convention are the themes here. Everything about this little gem, from its unusual trim size to the author's hand-lettered text, from the dot-shaped cocoons of carefully chosen color that embrace each vignette of Vashti to her inventive negative-space masterpiece, speaks to them. Best of all, with her accomplishment comes an invaluable bonus: the ability and the willingness to encourage and embolden others. With art that seems perfectly suited to the mood and the message of the text, Reynolds inspires with a gentle and generous mantra: "Just make a mark."-Kathy Krasniewicz,Perrot Library, Greenwich, CT Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Reviewed by School Library Journal Reviews (SLJ Reviews 2004 October)
This simple, circular story is the answer to every child who ever said, "I can't draw." Follow up by giving all students a piece of paper with their very own dot. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.