The Picture Book That Touched My Life

There are so many awesome, adorable, amazing picture books out there! So many I love and hold dear to my heart. One I that I enjoyed with my daughter is The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola. The book is actually about the author when he was a young boy. He always knew he wanted to be an artist and draws pictures for everyone he knows. His relatives display his artwork in their homes, on walls and at their places of work. Tomie is so excited to start school and have art lessons. But when he gets to school, he finds out that art lessons are not what he expected. This cute story reminds me of my daughter- she too loves to draw, even as a toddler she would create 'masterpieces' and pass them out to family or friends. When she started school, she took art very seriously. She took her time illustrating pictures, sometimes much to the dismay of her teachers. She could relate to the Tomie because her art lessons were not what she expected- Until one year she had the most creative, energetic art teacher. My daughter finally felt understood and was not only allowed but, strongly encouraged to be creative. All it takes is one special teacher to connect with a child and give them a chance to shine in something they are passionate about. This is why I love this story. One teacher, inspiring one child to think outside the box.