I Gotta Draw

K-Gr 2—In a conversational tone, a pup explains his love of art: "I take a fresh piece of paper… I feel a little shiver… Something new is about to happen." But Charlie Muttnik has a hard time finding a place to draw in his family's small Brooklyn apartment and at school Miss Rich frowns upon his homework embellishments. Despite his best efforts, his "report card never makes it to the beginning of the alphabet." The pup's self-confidence and grades soar when Miss Rich tries a different approach and allows him to draw while spelling words out loud and paint while answering social-studies questions. Soon everyone in the class takes part, and their art efforts are placed on display to rave reviews. Degen's charming watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations show animal classmates proudly holding up their masterpieces, from abstract geometric designs to flying fish. Budding artists will relate to Charlie's passion. As in Patricia Polacco's Thank You, Mr. Falker (Philomel, 1998), this story also shows how a sympathetic teacher can nurture creativity.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada