The Art Lesson (Paperstar Book) (Paperback)

~ Tomie dePaola (Author) "Tommy knew he wanted to be an artist when he grew up..." (more)
Key Phrases: Miss Landers

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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 19, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698115724
• ISBN-13: 978-0698115729
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,953 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 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

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.

6 of 6 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

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!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, June 6, 2001

A Kid's Review

I thought that young tommie in the story was very artistic. I thought it was funny when he took his flashlight and drew with a pencil all over his sheets. He had creativity and expressed it in so many ways. I didn't think Tommie (in the story) and his crayons were going to go down in a few years when he started to like different things beside art but I thought that him and is crayons would go far and bring sucess!