I once had a teacher who thought that his interpretation of a poem, play, or novel was the only interpretation that was worth anything. When I tried to offer up my ideas about what I thought the writer was saying, I was firmly shot down. I found this very annoying. Everyone brings their own perspective to the table when it comes to interpreting a piece of writing, a piece of music, or a work of art. Similarly, writers, musicians, and artists perceive the world in different ways.
In this picture book readers will meet a little boy who loves to draw feelings, and unfortunately no one really understands his art. His friends and family members think he should be drawing things rather than emotions, and they are confused by his creations. They do not understand that Niko has a different way of seeing and interacting with his world.
Niko Draws a Feeling
In this picture book readers will meet a little boy who loves to draw feelings, and unfortunately no one really understands his art. His friends and family members think he should be drawing things rather than emotions, and they are confused by his creations. They do not understand that Niko has a different way of seeing and interacting with his world.
Niko Draws a Feeling
Bob Raczka
Illustrations by Simone Shin
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Carolrhoda, 2017, 978-1-4677-9843-3
Niko loves to draw pictures and he is constantly being
inspired by the things that he sees around him. The thing about Niko is that he
likes to draw feelings, sounds, and sensations rather than things. Instead of
drawing the ice cream truck, he draws the ‘ring-a-ling’ sound that the ice
cream truck bell makes. Instead of drawing the autumn sun, he draws the
sensation of the sun’s warmth on his face. Instead of drawing a mother robin
that is hard at work building her nest he draws her work, her labors as she
builds her nest.
Niko loves his
unique creative process and the way in which inspiration comes to him, but he
cannot help feeling a little sad that his friends, parents, and teacher don’t
understand his art. Not being able to share what he is doing with others is
hard, and life is a little lonely for the boy. One day he draws a self-portrait
of his feelings and he puts this portrait behind a door. No one will understand
it anyway.
Then, one day a
girl called Iris moves in next door, and something truly remarkable happens.
This wonderful
book celebrates the creative process and explores the idea that people see and
experience the world in different ways. The important thing to remember is to
be open to those differences, because you never know what new wonders you will
discover if you do.
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