Ish [Hardcover]

Peter H. Reynolds (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 19, 2004 | Grade Level: Kindergarten and up | Lexile Measure: 440L (What's this?)

A creative spirit learns that thinking "ish-ly" is far more wonderful than "getting it right" in this gentle new fable from the creator of the award-winning picture book THE DOT.

Ramon loved to draw. Anytime. Anything. Anywhere.

Drawing is what Ramon does. It¹s what makes him happy. But in one split second, all that changes. A single reckless remark by Ramon's older brother, Leon, turns Ramon's carefree sketches into joyless struggles. Luckily for Ramon, though, his little sister, Marisol, sees the world differently. She opens his eyes to something a lot more valuable than getting things just "right." Combining the spareness of fable with the potency of parable, Peter Reynolds shines a bright beam of light on the need to kindle and tend our creative flames with care.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 3 - Reynolds follows The Dot (Candlewick, 2003) with this companion story about creativity and the artistic process. Ramon loves to draw: "Anytime. Anything. Anywhere." When his older brother laughs at one of his pictures and points out that it does not look like a real vase of flowers, a dejected Ramon crumples up all of his efforts. However, he soon learns that his younger sister has hung the discarded papers on her bedroom walls. When he declares that the picture of the vase doesn't look like the real thing, she says that it looks "vase-ISH." The child then begins to produce paintings that look "tree-ish," "afternoon-ish," and "silly-ish." His "ish art" inspires him to look at all creative endeavors differently. The watercolor, ink, and tea illustrations have a childlike charm. Set against white backgrounds, the quirky line drawings and restrained use of color combine to create an attractive, unique picture book. The small size lends itself to one-on-one sharing and thoughtful examination. Ish, like Leo Lionni's Frederick (Knopf, 1967), encourages readers to see the world anew. - Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Reynolds' previous book, The Dot (see Top 10 Arts Books for Youth on p.497), imparted an important message to kids about the various ways in which art can be defined. This has a similar message, but unlike the character in The Dot, who doesn't believe she can draw, Ramon loves to draw. In fact, he draws wherever he can, even on the toilet. But after his older brother laughs at his work, Ramon loses confidence; none of his drawings look right to him anymore. He's about to quit drawing when his sister shows him that she has kept all his crumpled efforts. Now he understands that though he doesn't draw exact replicas (his trees are only "tree-ish"), the response his art engenders is what matters. It's likely that fewer children will identify with Ramon than with the girl in the previous book, but this certainly has a strong message, and the overriding theme about creativity versus exactitude will resonate with many. The line-and-color artwork is simple, but it has great emotion and warmth. Kids will respond to that, too. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First Edition edition (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076362344X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763623449
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art
  • #32 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Self-Esteem & Self-Respect
  • #50 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Siblings

More About the Author

Welcome, friends. Thank you for the tremendous support of my work which includes books I have written and illustrated, as well as collaborations, like Someday with Alisan McGhee and the Judy Moody series with Megan McDonald. My children's media company, FableVision, located in Boston, is dedicated to crafting "stories that matter, stories that move." My twin brother, Paul, and I founded an independent bookshop in Dedham Square, MA called The Blue Bunny.

Much of my work is designed to inspire all of us to navigate our true potential - to be brave, original, inspirational, inspired, and active.

My hope is that my work will also inspire YOU to make YOUR mark - and see where it takes you.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book that is perfect for classrooms! November 14, 2005

By Stacey Chin

Format:Hardcover

"Ish" is a great book to share with children. After his older brother teases him about his artwork, Ramon loses his love for drawing, until his younger sister teaches him an important lesson. She shows him that art does not have to be perfect, and even when a drawing of a vase doesn't look like a vase, it still looks "vase-ish". This book is wonderful for teaching students that not everything needs to be perfect, and that even imperfect things can still be enjoyed. A lot of students obsess so much about getting everything perfect that they neglect to see the real purpose of an activity. They worry so much about drawing a perfect dog or spelling every word perfectly that they cannot see the bigger picture. "Ish" will teach these students that imperfection can be a wonderful thing.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational!! May 23, 2007

By Value Mommy

Format:Hardcover

I bought this book for my four year old son who had practically zero interest in creating art. He would take crayon to paper for about 14.6 seconds before tossing both aside and moving on to his other toys. After several readings of Ish, he (independently and unprovoked) picked up a marker and paper and drew something person-ish!!! As he was drawing, he was telling me what the body parts were. I was glowing and speechless. Since then, he has been walking around proud as can be with his art and creating more to boot. I am so happy to have found this book. I think every child has a creative side and I'm happy to have found a way to get my little guy to express his ish! If you have a reluctant artist, I highly recommend this purchase! As a matter of fact, I even recommend it for the most artful child as a reminder to draw happily and with abandon!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is fabulous-ish! September 3, 2004

By Alexandra Gelles

Format:Hardcover

A great book for all to read. What a beautiful way to have children understand that their creativity is valued and their feelings are important- with confidence or sometimes feeling kinda "ish." This book is fantastic, and every child should read it!