Description ◆ Art That Began With a Single Dot For children who feel they have no talent for drawing—or believe they don't—art class can feel like the most uncomfortable time of the school day. Vashti, the main character of The Dot, is just such a child who dreads art class. She sits alone in the empty art room after everyone else has left, staring at a blank sheet of white paper with nothing drawn on it. Her teacher approaches and says, "Wow! You've drawn a polar bear in a snowstorm." Thinking she's being teased, Vashti is surprised when her teacher simply smiles and encourages her to do whatever she likes. So Vashti takes the pencil in her hand and jabs it down onto the paper, leaving just a small dot on the white page. At the next art class, Vashti walks in and is stunned to find her simple dot displayed proudly in a gold frame on the wall. Filled with newfound confidence, Vashti pulls out paints she's never used before and begins creating new dots—red, yellow, green—mixing colors to create new shades and experimenting with different techniques. Her dots gradually transform into true works of art. Vashti eventually holds an exhibition of her dot paintings. The girl who once feared art class has become a wonderful artist. Among the visitors at her exhibit, a young boy approaches Vashti and shyly admits he wishes he could draw as well as she does. Vashti tells him, "You can do it too," and hands him a blank sheet of paper. ◆ A Valuable Insight From the Art Classroom Peter Reynolds says he conceived this story while teaching art to children. Most of the students he met in his classroom believed that drawing was difficult and unenjoyable. Saddened by this, he created Vashti's story in The Dot to show that there's no special trick to drawing well—it's simply about expressing yourself freely, in whatever way you want. With simple, seemingly effortless illustrations—drawn quickly with just a brush and pen, showing only the essential props and characters with no background—and just a few lines of text, the author creates a story that deeply moves readers. A teacher's gentle encouragement, offered without pressure, gave birth to a young artist—and that young artist will now go on to nurture the next one. ◆ We Could All Have Been Artists Most people grow up believing they have no talent for drawing at all. But every child is truly an artist. A single dot they make, a single line drawn carelessly—these are all original works of art that no one else could ever replicate. How many young artists grow up disconnected from art simply because they never encountered a warm, encouraging gaze that recognized their limitless potential? I was a fortunate young artist who discovered drawing at a very early age and have walked the path of an artist ever since. I want to confess that what made me the artist I am today was exactly that kind of grateful mother and the warm encouragement of a teacher. I never once thought that my drawings were better than other children's. What matters most is the confidence of believing 'I can do it' and the joy felt in the act of drawing itself. This small book brought back memories of the young artist I once was. Realizing once again that a single small compliment can help create a wonderful artist, I recommend this book to our young artists, and to their parents and teachers. — Hwang Ju-ri (Artist), Recommendation