The Art Lesson [Hardcover]

Tomie dePaola (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Tommy can't wait to start his art class at school. But once there, he is surprised to find rules! His art teacher wants him to copy her drawing, and he wants to create his own. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is a charming exercise in autobiography (one of several) by the great author-illustrator Tomie dePaola. "Tommy" is consumed with a passion for drawing. Although encouraged by his family, who treat his pictures with respect and decorate their houses and workplaces with them, he encounters misunderstanding and frustration at school. Finally, an art teacher gives him a chance to do his own thing. The Art Lesson is filled with many full-page illustrations in dePaola's inimitably warm, soothing style. It's also packed with the right lessons on individuality and perseverance, especially for children who are already showing a single-minded interest or special talents that put them ahead of their peers. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly

A boy named Tommy loves to draw with his Binney & Smith Crayola crayons, and these pictures hang on his side of the room, in his mother's kitchen, at the barber shop where his father works, in the store of his Irish grandparents and in the home of his Italian grandmother Nana. Tommy? Nana? This work of picture-book fiction is really a gem of an autobiography, and readers familiar with dePaola's work will find wonderful, well-placed clues to his lifetime of artistry among these pages. Tommy starts school, and can't wait for the day when the art teacher comes. But there are a couple of hitches: the paints at school are cracked and powdery (and blow "right off the paper"), and the art teacher only lets the children have one piece of paper, on which to "copy" her drawings. Tommy, who has been told by his aunts (twins, who are artists) that real artists never copy, has a crisis. But his teachers (including Tommy's regular classroom teacher) show themselves to be far more understanding than readers could have predicted, and all ends well. Inventive and revealing, dePaola provides a lyrical blend of text and art. This is an inspired and childlike offering, perhaps one of dePaola's best. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; First Edition edition (March 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039921688X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399216886
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934 to a family of Irish and Italian background. By the time he could hold a pencil, he knew what his life's work would be. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California.
It drove him through the years of teaching, designing greeting cards and stage sets, and painting church murals until 1965, when he illustrated his first children's book, Sound, by Lisa Miller for Coward-McCann. Eventually, freed of other obligations, he plunged full time into both writing and illustrating children's books.
He names Fra Angelico and Giotto, Georges Rouault, and Ben Shahn as major influences on his work, but he soon found his own unique style. His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his ""singular attainment in children's literature,"" the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his ""continued distinguished contribution,"" and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration.
Tomie dePaola has published almost 200 children's books in fifteen different countries. He remains one of the most popular creators of books for children, receiving more than 100,000 fan letters each year.
Tomie lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.
- He has been published for over 30 years.
- Over 5 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.
- His books have been published in over 15 different countries.
- He receives nearly 100,000 fan letters each year.
Tomie dePaola has received virtually every significant recognition for his books in the children's book world, including:
- Caldecott Honor Award from American Library Association
- Newbery Honor Award from American Library Association
- Smithson Medal from Smithsonian Institution
- USA nominee in illustration for Hans Christian Andersen Medal
- Regina Medal from Catholic Library Association

"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for all ages -- let creativity flourish!, August 4, 2005

By 

NCTejana (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art Lesson (Paperstar Book) (Paperback)

Shh ... wanna hear a secret? Well, here it is: This is NOT just a children's book. Enthralled by the book and eager to share the joys of reading aloud with an older group, I shared this book with my ninth-graders back in 1991. To this day, it is one of the most cherished memories some of them have. At least one student went on to write children's books of her own. What more can an English teacher ask?

Tomie DePaola's charming story has realistic language -- he talks the way kids think -- and emotions to which anyone can relate. He tells the story of Tommy, who more than anything looked forward to first grade, when he would finally get REAL ART LESSONS and start on the road to becoming an artist like his beloved cousins. Things get off to a rocky start, but the solution is as satisfying as any you'll read. The book offers a great lesson on how to be yourself and dream big.

P.S. One more secret: If you like this book, you'll love _Emma's Rug_ by Allen Say. Artists of all kinds, unite!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Read!, September 10, 2001

By 

Mrs.Evetts's Class (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art Lesson (Paperstar Book) (Paperback)

Do you want to read a terrific book with fantastic illustrations? If you said yes, then The Art Lesson is the book for you.
We enjoyed reading a book where the child really grows up doing what he has always wanted to do. This is a story about a child who loves to draw. His teacher only gives him one piece of paper and won't let him use his birthday crayons. But still this can't stop him from drawing. Read The Art Lesson to find out how he solves his problem.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art Lesson, March 16, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Art Lesson (Hardcover)

When Tommy wants to become an artist, he trys everything he can to be the best artist. When Tommy's older brother goes to school and has art class Tommy can't wait till he gets art lessons.
Tommy really wants to draw, and that is what he spends most of his time doing. When Tommy finally gets to go to art lessons, he wants to draw what he wants, not what the teacher tells him. So the teacher tell him once he draws what she wants him to he can draw anything he wants, and he sure did.
I think that it is really great that Tommy never gave up drawing and it followed him through his whole life, and he is still doing it today. I would recommend this book for children ages 4-8, and I think that it would show kids to do what they want to and never give up.